Helena Lucas

SELECTION ANNOUNCED

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:47:38 GMT

Had the amazing news on Saturday that I had been selected for the Paralympic team. I was sworn to secrecy until Wednesday when it was officially announced and had a crazy morning of photos and interviews. It took a while for it to sink in, but after you have been asked about 20 times, “so how does it feel to be representing your country at the Paralympics and in front of a home crowd” it certainly becomes reality.
My phone has not stopped buzzing with texts, e- mails and calls, which I really appreciate, but i’m glad to have escaped from Weymouth and disappear on the Volvo dealership tour for a couple of days. I am seeing my parents tonight and planning to spend the day with them tomorrow, as looking at my training programme I don’t know when I will get the next opportunity.
I feel so proud to be part of team GB and to represent my country at a home Games will be something really special!

NEW VOLVO!

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:52:13 GMT

Got my new car yesterday. Easy to find in the car park!

SILVER IN HYERES

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:41:36 GMT

We have been overdue a windy Hyeres for a few years now, but we got it this time!
Great turn out in the 2.4mR class, with all the top sailors attending. It gave me a real feel for how I was going against my major competitors.

Got off too a good start with a second in the first race in 25 knots. It was a photo finish with Meg, she caught a big wave just before the finish and piped me on the line. I don’t think the boys liked being beaten by two girls in the breeze though! Downwind was exciting, I certainly had a couple of close calls. Third of the fleet swamped and did not finish, so the race officer decided to call it a day and send us in.

It was an early start the next day, I was in the dinghy park at 7:30am! The wind had eased down to18 knots and I won the first race, with good speed around the course, especially downwind. Our second race was abandon due to the windward mark drifting. We then got sent in and brought back out later for two races on a different race course. It was shifty conditions and I didn’t really get a handle on it in the first race, but the second race was better and really close coming into the finish between the first five.
We didn’t get in until late and I didn’t leave the dinghy park until 7:30pm long day!

Woke up the next morning to dogs being blown of chains! We were cancelled for the day, so took to the other favourite past time in Hyeres, Go Karting! Awesome!

Another long day on Wednesday with an early start and late finish. We got three races in though and I moved up to second by the end of the day and that was the end of racing for the 2.4’s with Thursday and Friday being blown off.

It would have been nice to have got more races in, but we managed 7, which was not bad considering the conditions.

Really pleased to have got silver, it’s a big step in the right direction for selection.

PRINCESS SOPHIA WORLD CUP

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:27:47 GMT

Great week, in the sunshine in Palma. We had a really strong 2.4mR fleet with only Damien Seguin from France missing from the top ten.
I had a great start to the regatta with a first and second so leading after the first day. The second day was shaping up nicely with a third in the first race, and lying third at the bottom mark in the second race. Unfortunately I got caught out on a big right hand shift on the second beat and lost 5 places!! The positives were I was sailing fast and just a bit unlucky.

I carried on the rest of the week having a really solid regatta and went in to the last day a solid second, nine points ahead of 3rd. Thierry Schmitter from Holland had also been sailing well and had a comfortable lead in to the last day. We had some fantastic sailing conditions on the last day, 15 knots, big waves and awesome surfing conditions down wind!

Me, Thierry and Heiko quickly broke away from the rest of the fleet and had a good tussle at the front. Thierry won and I was second which secured our positions overall. I had Silver with a race to spare. So the last race was for fun!
Unfortunately my electric bilge pump broke, so I was doing a lot of pumping with my hand pump and had to back off a bit. I was also concerned not to break anything before Hyeres, still great fun down wind.

Pleased with the result, sailing fast ready for Hyeres!

IFDS WORLDS PORT CHARLOTTE

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:59:13 GMT

It’s been a Tricky week. The prevailing north easterly we had during the Pre Worlds in December never materialised and it was a week of fickle southerly winds. I got off to a good start with a 3rd in the first race and was on track for another in the second race until the last beat when I hooked something on my rudder and went painfully slow to be overtaken by 5 boats. I just didn’t seem to be getting the lucky breaks. In race 6 I got caught on the wrong side of a 40 degree shift and despite the race officers team advising him to abandon the race and restart it, he decided to ignore their advice and allow the race to continue.
I did have some good races though and a great day on Friday when I bounced back to have a 2nd and 1st. I finished the regatta with a 2nd which pulled me up to 4th overall.
Although really disappointed not to have medaled, the boat was going well and I showed i’m more than capable of finishing in the top three.

Relaxing and cycling in St Pete at the moment. Just did a 76 mile ride today which got rid of some of the frustration. Looking forward to heading south to Miami on Thursday and the start of Miami OCR next Monday

A Win at Pre Worlds Regatta in Port Charlotte

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:30:50 GMT

Charlotte Habor Yacht club, put on some great racing over 3 days. There was a good turn out of around 20 boats, with some good competition.
The Dutch were there on mass and so were the Canadians and obviously the American’s.
I got off to a good start on the first day, and finished the day in 2nd overall. A first and a third in the races the next day, put me in a great position, just one point off Paul Tingley who was leading and 3 points ahead of Bruce Millar in third. There was a considerable points margin of around 30 points to fourth place, so it was going to be a show down between the three of us.
We had some really close racing and battles down wind, with Bruce just getting the better of me in the first race and Paul a few places behind.
The second race I decided to try and sail my own race a bit more and not get so involved. It paid off, I finished 4th with Bruce in 5th and Paul once again a few places behind. I had now moved in to the lead and had 3 points on the other two, who were tied on points.
In the third race, I came off the line in a good position going fast, however a big black cloud and the warning of a thunderstorm, resulted in the race committee abandoning the race and cancelling racing for the rest of the day. I must admit I was not too disappointed!
It’s great to have won the Pre Worlds, and gives me confidence going in to the Worlds in January. Out here for a bit more training before heading home for Christmas. I can’t wait it’s been a long trip but a good one!

St Pete Regatta

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:29:08 GMT

Great training regatta. The race committee certainly packed the races in, with 4 a day, making it a long day on the water. Had some good results and a great last day with 2nd, 1st and 3rd. Always great to finish on a high! Finished 4th overall and 3rd Para. It’s a shame I had a couple of bad races in the middle which probbably cost me a top 3 overall. Anyway the racing was really close and the points tight and I was pleased with how I raced on the last day.

So have had a couple of days off, well kind of. Ended up doing a 75 mile bike ride with Rob yesterday, epic, but awsome!

Picking Ian (Barker) up from the airport tonight and trundling on to port Charlotte for the next regatta, then a bit of training before flying home on the 17th for Christmas.

We had some great training days here in St Pete, where the dolphins came and played, apparntly there are even more in port Charlotte.

Training in the Sun Shine Sate

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:22:24 GMT

Arrived in St Petes on Wednesday, Just in time for Thanks Giving on the 24th. Bruce and Barb, (although Canadian), put on a great dinner, turkey with all the trimmings! I spent the morning rebuilding my bike after very careful packing for the flight. Luckily I think it paid off and it looks to be all in one piece! Took me a bit longer than planned, but got there in the end.
Container unloading today which went well. The boats rigged, a little bit of tweaking tomorrow and she will be ready to rock!

Planning to go for a cycle tomorrow moring before heading down to the club. Cycling seems to be a real trend here with loads of people out on their bikes, so hopefully tag along and find a good route.

2.4mR National and Inland Champion

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:38:00 GMT

It’s been a while since I was at Rutland sailing club, probably 2004, which was the last time I did the 2.4 Nationals. However once again Rutland sailing club had kindly offered to host the Nationals and I found my self doing the familiar drive up, with a little assistance from the GPS when my memory failed me.
I have a lot of fond memories from my Youth Squad days sailing and training on Rutland water, so it did feel strangely familiar driving in to the dinghy park even though it had been a while.

We had 2 races scheduled for the first day, luckily it was a late 2:30 start as there was no wind in the morning. I won the first race and was 2nd in the other one, after going back at the start and playing catch up. Day two and four races were scheduled. I won the first two and was second in the afternoon races.
With only two races on the last day, I kind of had the regatta sewn up and with a race win in the first one, had won with a race to spare. Meg was a comfortable second, so we decided not to do the last race and head in and start packing up.
I was keen to get on the road as I had a busy day on Sunday moving in to our house on Portland.

It was a great few days with some fun racing and I certainly collected a few trophies!

The Big Move

hlucas@stephenthomasdesign.com (Helena Lucas) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:49:08 GMT

The last few months have been great having Steve (my husband) back at home in Southampton, after he finished his project out in Turkey. It’s great having a normal married life in our lovely home and has allowed me to focus more on my sailing, rather than jumping on a plane whenever I had a spare week to see him.
However things have got even better, with Steve being offered a position at Sunseeker managing the build of their flag ship 46m Super Yacht. Sun Seeker are based in Portland at Osprey Quay right next door to the Olympic sailing venue so it’s an ideal oportunity for us to relocate in Portland.
We have found a fantastic house to rent, with awsome views over Lyme Bay and Portland harbour and are we really looking forward to moving in at the beginning of September.
I can’t wait, no more commuting to Weymouth and lots of sailing and training, which will be much more fun having team mates to go cycling with.