The European Championships

Photos from the European Champs- May 2008 Brest, France It might as well be called the armpit of france.  The city is still is recovering from the bombings of WWII with a dark gloomy looking city not typical of france, we were racing in the industrial heartland of France- Brest.  So the red camper had moved again, this time to a parking lot on the venue, and racing began, with light shifty wind.  Good news was I was racing well, first day I had to top ten’s.  Second day I had one top ten one in the teens.  The following days I had another top ten, putting me just out of the top top ten and a personal best place…all until the last day!  I broke the bottom of my mast, and luckily my coach had a spare in his boat, so I spent the whole 30 minutes changing masts in the water.  Unfortunately I also got freezing cold as I was in race wetsuit not my swimming and rigging outfit.  By the time the second race started I couldn’t feel my hands or the boom anymore, and the most normal maneuvers such as tacking and jibing were slow and cumbersome.  I  had a big comeback the last lap on hitting the right shift, but couldn’t hold on downwind as my grip was slipping.  As I went back to the dock, the thermometer had fallen a further 6 degrees and was now hovering in the upper 40’s. Disappointed in the final day, although not lucky I had improved in almost all other areas of my sailing including further in my light wind.  And very pleased with the base I have built in preparation in china.  The best form I’ve been in.  The next regatta is the Holland Regatta held in of course, holland may 21-25.  Can’t wait to hear from you all again.  I am really excited about China, and I know I’ll be on form.Yours- Ben