Probably the best day sailing so far this year today!!!! Out in Hayling bay with the sun shining gust of over 30 knots and a big sea running, pretty exhilarating stuff. Life was made even better with the arrival of new wetsuits this morning nice…..
I have had the BBC following me around today and it couldn’t have really been a better day to go on the water apart from the scare of ruining a camera which kept them ashore.
I headed out in to the bay as the tide turned, the sea got bigger and the sailing more exciting. On several downwinds the key was to keep the mast in the air as boats were cartwheeling left right and centre. It was pretty challenging and the weakest link in several cases seemed to be the boat! Boats with broken spars and ripped sails got towed home by ribs and fellow Laser sailors in some cases.
After sailing it was the tedious task of applying sail numbers and sponsor branding before a quick trip to the golf course. It was pretty daunting walking up to the first tee with the camera rolling and 25 knots of wind blowing across the course. After Peter hit a good shot down the left hand side the pressure was really mounting, I got away with a good drive down the middle and they even caught a 20ft putt on camera…. Luckily they didnt follow us round the rest of the course..
It looks like its going to be a gentle breeze tomorrow morning so a good chance to have a look at the new sail before the winds increase and the rain pours, fingers crossed its a good one.
Preparations are going well and Im looking forward to getting started next week, the weather forecast seems to be changing on an hourly basis with the low pressures rolling across the atlantic, we could be in for a challenging week….

After a physical week of racing and a final day of 3, 1 on the score board it all came down to the medal race. Going in to the medal race it was a straight scrap for 1st and second overall with Tom Slingsby as we were well clear of the rest of the fleet.
After circling around the committee boat pre start I took a penalty and then gave Tom a penalty with 18 seconds to go. With Tom left circling I reached off to towards the pin for a clean start. Unfortunately the first shift was right meaning the boats to the right made the first jump leading to a tacking duel. After lots of tacks I ducked Tom on starboard, he then tacked real close to windward, I got slightly bow forward and then luffed with Tom failing to keep clear. After protest flags flew and the jury were left to decide. Unfortunately I was penalised, I couldn’t believe the decision they came to????
After taking my penalty the race was all but over.
After a tough week I was a little disappointed with second, Tom was fortunate to protest his way out of a OCS from race 6 which would have left me 12 points clear overall.
Looking forward I will be defending my world title in Hayling Island in two weeks time. Im off to Hayling for a couple of days training this week and some more next week before we get started.

Its been a busy few weeks for me with a Melges 32 event in Garda a few days at home and then off to Michigan for the Melges 32 US nationals where we finished 4th.
Its time now to get back in the Laser for Sail for Gold in Weymouth. It is a little strange not to be staying at home but its good to be with the rest of the team to give it a bit of an Olympic feel.
Day one was pretty tricky with a shifty unstable breeze blowing through the harbour. We were a long way out racing down off Overcombe beach. After a bit of a delay racing got underway in a tricky breeze, after rounding in the teens I caught up well to finish 4th over the line. After a good start in the second race I rounded second and took the lead on the first run, unfortunately I missed out on a shift on the second beat to loose the lead and finish second.
After a tricky first day I was pleased to have two consistent results. It is going to be a tricky week and will all be about avoiding the bad races. I am just getting ready for racing and the weather doesnt look great for day 2, rain and fog it feels like home again…..

It was off to Cowes for the annual round the Island race. On Friday I had the opportunity to sail with members of the youth worlds team in Laser SB3s. After a bit of practice with the guys it was time to head in for the football and dinner. Dinner was great shame about the football…..
After a wake up at 3.30 it was off down to the boat for 5am start.

We started well hugging the Island side as we run down to the Needles in the Volvo 60 V project. We struggled a little in the lulls due to such a heavy boat. After rounding the needles the breeze freshened and the boat started to move nicely upwind. With 2.5 tonnes of water ballast on the windward side we headed upwind just over 9 knots. Tacking took a while as the ballast had to be pumped across so we tried to avoid too many….

After a small problem with water ballast we headed round the forts and reached back to Cowes to finish at 11.30am (which seemed like early evening after such an early start) It was a fun sail and nice to see the journalists on board all had big smiles.

Its back to training in Weymouth this week were I will be sailing with the Swedish and Austrian Laser teams

Silver at Laser Europeans

After what seems to have been a long week I was left with a silver medal at the close of play.

After a night home after Holland regatta it was off to Estonia for the Laser Euros. Sailing out of Tallinn. The course area was a little restricted by the shipping channel sailing close inshore. The conditions were generally offshore with shifty challenging winds and a sharp chop.

With 150 boats we were split in to 3 groups for qualifying, I got off to a good start with a couple of seconds on day one. Day two was much trickier getting stuck on the wrong side of both first beats recovering well in the first race to get back to 10 but struggling in the second race.
Day 3 brought much stronger winds with gusts up to 25 knots . In the first race I recovered from a poor windward mark rounding to get back to 6th at the last mark but had a incident with a German boat. With my discard all ready used I chose to take a penalty rather than go to the protest room which ended up costly loosing a lot of boats and finishing 12thI could well regret later in the week. After a good talking to myself I sailed to 3rd in the next race to keep me in the running.
For the final day of qualifying we saw the most stable breeze all week with smaller oscillations and more normal racing, I sailed well to pic up a 1 – 2 and put me right back in contention.

After 4 days of qualifying it was pretty close with it all to play for in the finals.
After being held ashore we launched in to a building breeze of up to 8 knots, with the shifty wind I just made it over to the favored side to round in the top ten and pull up to 4th. The second race was a disaster, after a reasonable start a Polish boat tacked to try and duck and sailed in between my mainsheet blocks spinning me round and wrapping the boats together. After untangling it was always going to be difficult the Polish boat took its penalty as I tried to catch up. After rounding in the 20s the wind shut down to under 2 knots. I chose to take a big risk and head for a breeze line hard left on the second beat. I never got to it and was heavily penalised rounding in the 40s what a shocker…


It was game on for the final day being only 5 points from the lead. After a solid 4th in the first race it was pretty much down to the Croatian and I for the title.
I managed to edge ahead up the first beat trying to lay cover. I rounded mark one in front but he slipped by on the run and repaid the favor up the second beat., to hold me off at the finish. It was a good race but a little frustrating if only!!!

I am a little disappointed not to have retained my European title but credit were its due, Tonci sailed great all week and made the most of the tricky conditions. I suppose seconds not too bad!

On wards and upwards, its home now for the final two days of the Farr 45 nationals. I then have some time for a spot of Laser training in Weymouth and then off to Italy for some more Melges 32 racing with Red, busy busy busy…..

For the next Laser event it was off to Medemblik in Holland.
With 97 boats entered the fleet was split in two for the qualifying series. Day 1 did not start well with a penalty at the start of race 1. After completing the spins it was a game of catch up getting back to 6th by the finish. In the freshening breeze I went on to win race 2 before disaster struck in race 3. A Spanish boat above me at the start drifted down in to the side of me hooked my tiller under his gunwhale snapping it which meant I was unable to complete race 3. After 2 hours in and out of the protest room the jury denied my redress claim. This made things much harder for the rest of the week. On day 2 we had to wait around for a start that finally got off at 6pm for a light and fickle race before heading home.
The first day of finals was sailed in a strong offshore breeze with shifts up to 30 degrees. The day was tricky and the scores up and down. On the final day the breeze was again very shifty and tricky with two more races sailed it was all poised for the medal race.
With my redress protest failing I was only in with a small chance of a medal. It was pretty much out of my hands.
After a tricky start to the medal race and a penalty turn at mark 1 I took the lead on the final run and went on to win the race, Leaving me in 5th overall.
Its was disappointing not to get redress as this would have put me on the podium. With a few lessons learnt its on to Estonia tomorrow for the Europeans to try and make it 6 in a row!!!!

After a testing week in Cagliari, Sardinia Team Red came out on top to become European Champions 2010.
The racing was close all week, after the lighter winds on day one and a score of 1st 6th 1st it was all about consolidating the lead.
The winds increased as the week progressed and after loosing a day due to the Mistral it was a 7.45am launch on the final day heading out in to 30 knots. With the winds blowing so hard it was all about getting round the race course in one piece. We ended up 5th in the final race to take the European Crown.
It was a good regatta with a mix of conditions and a exhilarating final day. The crew did an amazing job all week and Jo steered the boat brilliantly.
http://www.melges32.com/?p=news&id=615

Its back in my Laser for a few days in Weymouth before heading over to Holland next weekend

SOF Hyere 2010
After the travel disruptions and my flight being cancelled it was time for a road trip as we jumped in the Volvo and headed south. After a safe trip over the channel courtesy of Sea France as we put the pedal to the metal and made Hyere for dinner.
It was nice to be back on the water and training in warmer waters in a mix of conditions from windy easterlies with a large swell to choppier and flatter westerlies.
With over 141 Lasers entered it was all shaping up for a fantastic week, unfortunately the high pressure lead to a lot of sitting around as we waited for the afternoon thermal, one evening finishing the last race of the day at 7.50pm…..
It was hard to not get frustrated and stay calm, Chris (super coach Gowers) made one day much more relaxing by anchoring the rib and my Laser just off the shore as we sat in a cafe planning over coffee….
After only four qualifying races and no discard I made gold fleet ready for the finals. On the first day of finals we didnt get on the water until nearly 4pm. I had two great races finishing 5th in the first race and going on to win the second race leaving me with the overall lead. On the final day of finals the wind was again light and shifty, with three races to sail and needing to count all three there was no room for any errors. In the first race I came back really well from in the 20s at the windward mark to 6th by the finish. The second race of the day was a little trickier, there was so much port bias on the line it was hard to cross on starboard tack. I made it out of the port end well but was sailed round from the left after a 20 degree shift, I battled away to finish 15. With a poor race behind me it was all on for the last race, with only the final run to go I lead the race but became becalmed sailed around from both sides to finish 4th. I was frustrated as this had lost me the overall lead by a point but with only the medal race left to sail it was going to be a first over the line that would win the regatta.
The medal race again was a light and tricky day, in the pre start the wind looked to be stronger on the right. After winning the starboard end I tacked and headed right to lead comfortably around the windward mark. I consolidated for the rest of the race to win the medal race and take the overall victory by 14 points from Andreas Geritzer in second.

It was good to win the biggest regatta of the year so far and comforting to know I am not far off were I need to be for the rest of the season with a few things to work on.

Its off to Italy next weekend for some more Melges sailing with the RED team and then back to Weymouth for some Laser training…

Other images included with this entry..

It was the last of the spring Qualifiers this weekend at Hayling Island. It was a good opportunity to check out the race area that will be used for the World Championships this year in August. Several foreign teams had also thought about this with a strong French team joining in as well as the Canadian Olympian Mike Leigh.
The 60 boats set out for racing against a strong tide. After a general recall the boats got away under a black flag. After a good start at the starboard end I lead around the top mark and slowly pulled away from the battle behind for second eventually won by Felix Pruvot.
In the second race after a poor start it was catch up time. Rob Holmes had some great speed to lead the fleet, I just managed to pass at the second windward mark and hold him off on the run for a second win.
The fleet was sent in in the dieing breeze. With really light winds on Sunday morning and with the time for only one race I left early having secured first place, to make plans and organise getting to France. With the air travel problems I have managed to get a space on a ferry and will be driving down to Hyere.
I am surprisingly looking forward to driving to the South of France, with my boat already gone and a nice Volvo it should be a swift passage to Hyere……

For results seehttp://www.laser.org.uk/docs/uploaded/Haylingstd10nh.html
Laser ladderhttp://www.laser.org.uk/docs/uploaded/stlad3.10nh.html

On Wednesday I traveled up to London for the Team Volvo for Life press launch. We were joined by the press in Hyde Park on the Serpentine Lake. After fooling around in pedalos and getting wet we were introduced and interviewed.
It is fantastic news that Volvo have chosen to support my campaign again for what will hopefully be a great partnership that leads to GOLD….

Please check out the new interactive website

www.volvocarssailing.co.uk/

It was good to get out on to the olympic waters this weekend for a RYA national ranker.

With only a small fleet we headed out in to the bay on Saturday. Sharing a course with the 470s and Radials. We started in a 16 knot breeze that died through out the afternoon. In the first race I caught and passed Nick Thompson on the run to take the lead, he was then penalised with a yellow flag for rocking which made life a lot easier as I went on to win the race. The breeze dropped in the second as I just pipped Eifion Mon on the last run to take the second win before we headed in.
The second day was a changed format of racing with four shorter races scheduled. In the first I lead around the leeward mark just behind the 470s but got sailed around on the right hand side to slip to 9th, I managed to sail round the boats just infront on the last run to get back to 4th behind a photo finish between the front 3 eventually won by Alex Mills Barton. In the tricky conditions I started well and went on to win the next 2 races before being sent home in the dieing breeze.
It was great to get out in the bay racing and I was really happy how I sailed to win 4 out of the 5 races.
It was super tight behind with just one point separating 2nd and 4th.
For results see
www.sailracer.co.uk/sailwavepreview.asp?status=0&usr=sr&event=9933

It has also been the start of the bike racing season with the first race last weekend a 10 mile time trial. I wasnt far off the pace with a 23.36 just 6 seconds off the leader. Pretty pleased it must be the new bike shaving the seconds off!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a quick trip to Palma for a weeks Laser sailing it was back home for the second Qualifier of the year. 52 Laser standards made the trip down to Plymouth for a great weekend of racing.

The first 2 races were sailed in an real big swell coming in to the harbour from the West entrance. I went on to win the opening 2 races in 3 rd race a large shift caused the race to get abandoned up the 1st beat. The course was then relocated centrally in the sound and sailed in a gusty 20-25 knot breeze. After a poor start it was a game of catch up finally getting back to 3rd.

Sunday saw a much nicer day the sun came out and we sailed 2 races again inside the sound with a tricky 5- 10 knot breeze. In the first race I got caught in a pile up at the pin. James Green among others escaped at the front I finally past the leading pair on the run to go on to win. In the final race I made it out to the left to take advantage of the tide change. I was second round the windward mark close in pursuit of Matt Reid. We had a great race changing places frequently in the shifty conditions. I got back in front round the final windward mark and sneaked away to win the final race.
It was good to do some racing again after just training in Palma and great to have sailed so well.
For results see
www.laser.org.uk/docs/uploaded/plymstd10nh.html

The weather warmed up and the sailing was great with 10 – 20 knots each day. After a good start to the regatta with a 2 – 10 – 4 first day we followed it up with a 4-10 to leave ourselves in 3rd overall. After sailing some of the crew managed to catch the basketball game to see Miami heat beat the Lakers in overtime. It was a pretty impressive game and great fun to watch.
Back to the sailing and going in to the final race we were poised on equal points with second, unfortunately we pulled the trigger a little early and got caught over the line. After returning back we started the big come back and made it back to 7th in the race. Unfortunately the boats around us did really well in the final race leaving us to finish 5th in the regatta.
This did however mean that we had won the overall series for the Gold cup in Lauderdale, Key west and Miami combined. The team did a great job and we seem to be improving each day.

After a night at home I flew out to Palma to be greeted with snow and freezing weather. I went for a ride in the mountains yesterday. Starting at Inca I made my way up to the top about 1 hour 40 of climbing as I gained altitude it got colder and the snow got deeper. It was pretty cold on the way back down. All good fun.
Its snowing this morning so just waiting to see if it warms up so we can get out sailing….
Its not quite MIAMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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After a good weeks training in Clearwater I had an easy day before racing. The first day kicked off with some great sailing, Strong winds and big waves. I was a little slow to start in the first Race but scored a 3 1 1 for the day which I was more than pleased with. Day two saw a lighter fighting sea breeze which lead to a long frustrating day and an OCS!!!!
The fleets were then split in to gold and silver with about 40 boats in each I was a little keen over the line again in the first race but went on to win the second. On the final day after a bit of a wait the breeze came in after winning the first race I followed it up with a second.
It was good to get racing again in my Laser and apart from a few bits of rust from the rest period all seemed good.
Im off back to Miami now ready to join Team RED for the Miami Grand Prix on the Melges. It should be fun and the weather is warming up!!!!!!

Well I was expecting a little more warmth from Florida!!!!! After a few days at home it was back out to the sunshine state…… well supposed to be, its been less than 10 degrees for the last week out here. The weather aside it has been great to get back in my Laser and start training again.

I am pretty surprised how well my body has survived the week, no holes in my hands and feeling not too bad considering Ive just done 7 days on the water, dont get me wrong I am pretty tired.

The training has been really good with up to 30 boats out each day here in Clearwater, the wind has been good and the waves have been awesome the last few days. I am looking forward to doing some racing this weekend.

Next week I head back down to Miami for some riding before Miami SORC where I will be joining the Melges 32 team Red for what should be another great week of racing.

After getting ill while away snow boarding at Christmas it was nice to get away to the sun and to start feeling myself again.
My flight out to Miami was canceled due to the snow but I was lucky enough to get on the later flight that day. I flew down to Key West the following day and met up with RED the Melges 32 team.
After a couple of days training it was in to the racing. Key West is a pretty special place to sail with amazing turquoise waters and generally sunny! apart from a spot of rain the first few days.
We had a bit of a slow start struggling a little to get off the line and then when we did we had a couple of slow patches. As the week went on we sailed better and better. After winning the first race on the final day we had a chance of winning overall. We set up well for the start but pulled the trigger a little early and had to dip the line and restart. We managed to pull back to 7th by the windward mark only to rip the kite on a gybe set!!! This was pretty disheartening as boats slipped by while we prepared another kite. We got back into the race in the late teens with a lot to do.We kept our heads high and sailed back to 11th to take 2nd overall.
It was a great week sailing and again as we went through the week we got better and better.
Samba pa te sailed really well all week to take the overall win.
After two seconds on the trot hopefully we can go one better at the next event.

I am back out to Florida in Feb for some Laser sailing. I am really looking forward to getting back into the boat after a brake. I cant wait, especially if its going to be sunny!!!!

I had the honour of cyling with Steve Peat yesterday Downhill world champion. We headed out into the local woods and it wasnt long before I was struggling to keep up. His pace down hill was pretty cool making every turn look easy as I slid around in the mood. It was good fun and Im looking forward to trying to keep up next time………

This afternoon I was in Meadowhall shopping centre for a quick appearance at a bikeathlon. I was there to support Dominic Hurley. I met Dom at the Yorkshire Sports awards a few weeks ago and was inspired by his story. What an amazing guy and i wish him the best of look for his Paralympic quest.

Dominic did 10hours on Friday, an 8 hour stint on Saturday and was up for 6 hours today. I felt a little bit lame only doing 90 minutes but it was good to give my support.

For more details see Doms site
www.dominichurley.co.uk

I am looking forward to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards tonight Im sure it will be cracking event.

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Its been nice to get away from the wind and rain in Weymouth for a short to trip to Miami for the Melges 32 Gold Cup.

I was sailing on Red, the Melges 32 team helmed by Joe Woods. The team was a great bunch of guys which made for not only great sailing but good fun. It was my first time sailing on a Melges 32 so it was all quite new with lots to learn, luckily as tactician I didnt have to pull any strings which made life a bit easier but there was still a lot on especially when the breeze was up.
It was easy to see why the fleet is so popular, the boats are quick, the racing super tight and the fleet is staked with talented sailors.

It took me a while to find my feet and get used to the tricky conditions, it was quite shifty with a good swell and the boats powered up. After a slow start and a few mistakes we got better as the the regatta went on. Consistency was the key on the final day as we pulled through the fleet each race to finish with a 6 – 4 – 3.

Unfortunately this wasn’t quite enough just missing out on winning by a point to Ramrod, helmed by Rod Jabin with Gavin Brady calling tactics.

It was still good to finish 2nd in the first regatta with plenty to still work on Im really looking forward to joining the team again in Key West in January.

For Results see
http://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=295

After leaving Weymouth on Monday morning I finally arrived in Busan, Korea Tuesday night just in time for the awards ceremony. It was a great evening and congratulations to Anna and Torben for taking this years awards. It was a great honor to be nominated but I suppose I was a little disappointed. Its not a bad think to be beaten by an amazing sailor who owns 5 Olympic medals though!!!
Have to try harder next year!

After a fantastic evening in London at the National Hostory Museum for the Gold Ball, the British Olympic Associations anual fund raiser it was an early start to catch the first train to Southampton.

A bright and sunny morning greeted the 96 golfers who turned out for the 13th North Sails Golf Day last Friday at Cams Hall in Fareham. John Merricks worked at North Sails and the first Golf Day, organised as it is today with the help of the Seahorse Golf Society, was set up to raise money for a Trust to be started in John’s name.
I had a great day joined and helped to raise funds for Johns Trust, I was in a four ball with Ed Wright, Paul Hobson and Rob Wilson. We all played pretty well scoring just over 30 stableford points each. Unfortunately not quite enough to win though.

I graduated again this week ten years on from my last one,

Former student and Olympic Gold medallist, Paul Goodison, received an Honorary Doctorate of Sport in recognition of his outstanding achievements in his chosen sport on Tuesday, November 3.

Paul is currently ranked as the world’s number one Laser sailor, an Olympic Gold Medallist, and World and European champion. He started sailing at the age of four and has enjoyed an outstanding string of successes since turning professional in 1999.

His first major triumph came in the 2000 Laser European Championships where he won Silver. In 2004 he represented his country in the Athens Olympic Games where he narrowly missed a Bronze Medal, and went on to win Gold in the Laser Class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Paul – who graduated from Solent University with a BSc (Hons) Maritime Studies in 1999 – has been nominated for the ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award and will be traveling to Korea for the awards ceremony on 10 November. He is now working towards further success in London 2012.

He said: “I congratulate everyone graduating. I remember 10 years ago being in the same position before going out into the world. Southampton Solent University was a fantastic place to prepare me for what was to come. It was only really when I was stood on the podium in Beijing listening to the national anthem that I truly believed what I had achieved.”

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After returning from the world championships it was time to let my hair down a little. Having just purchased some new kite surfing equipment I spent a couple of days being dragged around Portland harbour as I battled against the elements.. It was great fun but pretty tiring, one day I managed 5 hours kitesurfing and 2 hours windsurfing, not everybody’s idea of letting their hair down but it was a great release for me after such an intense and fruitful couple of months.

At the end of last month I received an email from ISAF confirming that I had been nominated for the ISAF World Sailor of the Year award. After winning the Olympics it was hard to believe the next 12 months would be so successful. It is a great honor to have been recognised among some of the worlds sailing greats for such a prestigious award. Im really looking forward to traveling to Korea for the awards dinner that will be 10 November, quite a long way to go for dinner though!!!.

After a break from sailing it was time for Sail for Gold. Unfortunately I had injured my shoulder and was uncertain whether to compete. I decided that it would be a good chance to learn more about the 2012 venue. The first few days where really tough as I struggled in the strong winds with my shoulder, it was pretty uncomfortable to sheet and steer. As the wind dropped a little for the finals I sailed with out strapping on my arm and managed to finish well winning 2 of the last 3 races. Unfortunately there was no medal race due to the testing conditions on the final day.

Last weekend was the final qualifier of the year at Weymouth. On the first day we sailed in really strong south westerlies in the harbour, I managed to get in just in time to get a sneaky but pretty scary kite surfing session before dark. On the second day we sailed in the bay on the Olympic courses. I won the only race of the day to win the event overall. After sailing a few of us enjoyed an amazing evening climbing on the west cliffs of Portland to wrap up a great weekend.

I have just been in Scotland for the week training on my mountain bike taking in some of the finest trail centers in the UK, it was not what I was expecting as the sun shone and the conditions where fantastic. I will be at Ullswater sailing club for a talk this evening and at Rutland for a day with the Oppies on Sunday and back in to training next week.

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After a fantastic 12 months of sailing I have been shortlisted for, ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2009. It is a great honour to have been nominated and I am looking forward to the awards presentation and dinner which will take place on Tuesday 10 November 2009. The venue for the event is the Busan Yacht Club, Busan, Korea.

For more details
www.sailing.org/worldcup/news/29898.php

Wow!!! After a tough week in Halifax, Canada I can breath a sigh of relief as I am the new Laser World Champion!!!!!!

Another great result after a challenging 6 days of racing in Sweden.

I probably had the worst possible start to a regatta with a premature start in race one and then a silly mistake in race two loosing places on the line to take 8th. I needed to have a serious rethink after the first day of racing sitting 72nd overall.
Day two was much better for me as I started well and sailed with confidence to take two bullets and move up to 1st overall. I was pretty surprised to be leading overall especially after the disaster on day one.
Day three again was tricky with different sides paying each beat and a strong current to confuse the lay lines. I sailed well again to chalk up two 2nd places to extend my lead overall.
For the last day of qualifying we had to sit ashore before the wind filled in and we launched in a building thermal. I started well and lead around every mark in the first race. In the second race I rounded second in the decreasing breeze, the race was abandoned at mark two which was pretty frustrating but probably the right decision as the wind had completely disappeared at mark 3. After waiting around in the glorious sunshine for a few hours we were sent home.
Day 5 was the first day of finals and the breeze blew up to 15 knots but was pretty shifty and patchy close to the shore. In the first race I pulled through the fleet well to finish 4th. In the final race of the day I rounded the windward mark in 3rd, after a good run the breeze was all over the place as i went from 3rd to 10th and back to 3rd by the finish.
Going in to the final day I had a healthy 30 point lead over my nearest rivals. We only had one race in the fickle breeze as I protected my lead against the Cypriot and Croatian sailors. I didnt sail that well but secured my victory overall in the single race.
It was great to win the Europeans for the 5th year running and continue my roll this year. Hopefully it will keep going for a while longer!!!!!

For full results see
http://www.nordicweek.se/resultat_2009.asp

It felt like Christmas last week as I received my new bike from Orange. I was like a little kid rushing to put it together to get out riding. Its not just any bike its pretty special. Hope have kindly provided some custom bits which look amazing, personalised brakes, hubs, stem etc… all with my name on. I think the coolest bits are probably the brakes that are gold in colour.

A big thanks to Orange for my new bike and Hope for all the bits, cheers guys.

It was off to Wales to give it a real test. Gorgeous sunshine and then rain in the afternoon, Wales never changes, amazing riding and great fun.
I am off to Canada now for a training camp, but im not looking forward to the cold water after the glamorous conditions in Weymouth last week.

Other images included with this entry..