Europa Cup Day 1 ‘F*cking Cold, 30 – 40 knots, survival!!!’

Hi all,

Today I woke up at 9am and had a quick breakfast before heading down to the Aabenraa Sejl Club at 930am. The wind was strong and gusty and rocketing down the bay. I was getting buffeted about on my scooter and I knew it was going to be damn cold and damn windy.

Got to club and rigged up and left my sail down till 1025am (only 35 mins from the start). Funnily enough I was the 4th guy to launch saying something about how much no one wanted to get out there. As I left we found that it was 10.5 degrees and averaging about 20 – 30 knots with it forecasted to build to 40 knots by midday. Oh yes it did …

The first race I decided to start on pin and punched out to the left as the wind began to shift more and more left. Once I reached the layline I tacked back and footed hard across the fleet. Chrsitian Steiger (SUI) tacked underneath and we both easily rounded 1st and 2nd with the next boat being about 50m behind. Good start!!!

The reach went smoothly with me extending my lead but getting some huge gusts and waves kicking up. The downwind mark came in to view and I felt the dread climbing as I went to round it in 30 + knots. I stayed up on a broad reach and tried to nurse the boat down. About 100m after the mark my windward side began slipping down a wave and i sheeted on and went to push the tiller away only to have it hit and lock on the cleat for the traveller !!! MASSIVE CAPSIZE … ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

After getting the mainsheet tangled around my leg and being underwater for about 10 seconds I managed to get it sorted and get it back up. People were coming around and capsizing all over the place but a group of about 5 boats managed to keep it up in a lull and I had a tough chase on my hands.

I managed to come back to 5th by the 2nd upwind and then finally pulled a solid downwind in 30 knots + to round in 3rd for the reach. I held third and was only 2 boat lengths behind the leaders at the finish. Solid …

In between races I was actually shaking and chattering my teeth. This is a big call but I have never been so cold in my life. 10 degrees in air before wind chill and 11 degree water and very strong wind … frozen and muscles tight … stretched it out and started doing punching sets and arm swings + other stretches just to keep warm … insane

Next race went for much the same gameplan but the fleet split and the guys on the right got a massive lift for about a minute that really helped them. I tacked back and rounded the top mark in 8th and again started the chase. I rounded the reach mark in 8th but then saw 3 guys in front of me capsize. I passed them by but got smashed by this high 30s gust that just picked up my boat and almost almost capsized me. I tried to nurse the boat down but ended up doing a broad reach and then grannying to another broad reach to round the bottom in 4th. Happy days.

The next upwind I made ground and rounded in 3rd but the danish guy from here was quick and seemed to have his boat way more under control then me. He rounded just ahead of me and we reach battled to the final upwind. I made some gains on his but then got swamped by a freak wave that broke over my broadside filling my cockpit. He just clear tacked over me on the lay to the finish. I tacked and chased. My cuningham came loose and i went to sort it for just a moment and suddenly my mast was touching the water big gust … Anyway the 5th boat Jeemin Ha had caught up and so I had a short drag to the finish. My bow crossed first but I couldn’t lay the line and had to tack so I’m not sure what happens there but i think I got 4th.

Was pretty consistent results but really need to start to work on my survival stuff again. Particulary downwind … the race winner from GBR Robert Godwin just managed to keep it up run after run and he got two bullets.

Anyway more racing tomorrow and should be about 15 knots lighter (still 15 – 20 knots haha). Stay tuned …