Wow it’s been non stop since the 27th of September that this is the first time I have been able to sit down and reflect on the past week and my achievement at the Worlds. I must admit I feel mentally exhausted, it was a tricky regatta with shifty fluky winds, and long postponements “Not the normal conditions for Athens” as the locals kept telling us.
Luckily I had gone out a couple of weeks early to do some training and enjoyed the typical Athens conditions of beautiful sunshine and lovely sea breezes. As soon as the regatta started the rain fell and the wind died away.

I had a great start to the Championships lying second after the first day, which gave me the confidence to sail my own regatta and keep it together in the tricky conditions. All week I stayed in the top three, and was lying third going in to the final day, but was only two points ahead of Bjørnar from Norway in fourth.

The first race on the last day I found myself down the fleet at the first windward mark, but luckily Bjørnar had a worst first beat and was behind. Things got interesting however when there was some confusion over the course to be sailed. Bjørnar being further behind benefitted the most from the confusion and moved in to first, I was lying fifth, but managed to take a couple of boats just before the finish to cross the line third.
This put us on equal points going in to the last race and only three points off Heiko in silver. I needed to beat Bjørnar and finish in the top eight to secure bronze. At the first windward mark I was ahead but outside the top eight, I knew I had to pull something out of the bag on the second beat. I took advantage of a right shift and moved in to sixth at the windward mark and was still ahead of Bjørnar. After a nerve racking run, where Adam my coach lost a bit more hair, I crossed in sixth with Bjørnar in tenth and took Bronze. Heiko finished one place ahead securing silver, with Thierry from Holland sailing a superb regatta to take Gold.

There was little time to celebrate, as we had to load the boats up that night, ready to catch a flight back to the U.K before getting a connecting flight out to Miami and Fort Myers for the 2.4mR Open Worlds.
I’m not complaining though, enjoying a day off sitting by our pool in the Florida Sunshine!

Other images included with this entry..