OLYMPIC TEST EVENT WEYMOUTH- LONDON PREPARES 2011

OLYMPIC TEST EVENT WEYMOUTH- LONDON PREPARES 2011

5 August 2011
By nb28monique on 09:25

4th untill 11th of August 2011 London prepares for the Olympic games 2012

I arrived quite earlie already in weymouth on the 25th to be able to train here with the best of the world. Just the Britsch had a big suprise for us as we couldn't get onto the venue till the 30st. So after two days of looking for another place I found at the little harbour Ferry Bridge a place to store my equipment and to entre the water. As also did some other teams like Argetina, Mexico, Thailand and Venuzuela.
But again bad luck. They day after I arrived and when I wanted to get ready I noticed someone had hit my board the evening before so big holes in my board. Lucky and very happy the coach of Argentinia helpt me to fix the board but another day not on the water and stuck to the running on shore.
After 3 days I finaly could go on the water, from this moment I had some nice training days with the other teams. One day we did very short races with many starts and the other day with 8 teams we did long races in very light wind conditions.
Then the 30st we moved the gear over the water to the venue after a short training.
After the registration, where you get your accreditation we where aloud to entre the venue. The new sailing club of Weymouth & Portland was built in 2005 is very nice, well organised and a lot of space.
For the boats there are special places where to put the boats by country. For the windsurfers there is a special tent where all the equipment can be stored in during the event, so doesn't need to be outside all week.
On the 2nd of August I was sceduled for the mesearment. This means I had to go across the street with al my gear to a special tent where they check all the gear, if it has the correct serie numbers, sizes and weight. My board was 18,8 with all the extra's on it and was only 400 gr more then the minimum what was aloud, so not bad at all.

 Day 1- Practise day. Today we had only a practise race this is meant for us to know where the course will be set and for the organisation to see if everything works. For me it was a tof day ar the organisation decided to put the course of the RSX not in between the walls but far outside at Weymouth Bay West. So I went out at the same time as the men and arrived after more then a hour at the course area. I wasn't aloud to go in as the men where still starting. They only went till the upwind mark. After 2 hours waiting and have some support from the rescue crew, the women fleet finaly had there start. We got LR2. My start was oke. It was non planning conditions and about 8 knots. After 1,5 lap everyone decided to stop and go back on the coach boats to shore. One of the rescue boats brought me all the way back what already took 25 min. don't want to think how long it would have taken me without boat upwind back!

Day 2- 4th of August we had the first real racing day. It was a long night, as outside it was all night storm and rain and the tent was moving a lot. Also in the morning it kept raining but lucky for us the rain finaly stopped at the moment we preparing the gear. It was a nice breeze today side shore so wouldn't be to hard to get to the start today, as it was going to be again at Weymouth Bay west, so far away. It took me 25 min. this time. I was again to earlie but at least was able to follow the men's race from the water. Around 14.00 hour we had our start. Today LS2, so two times upwind mark with a slalom at the finish. My start was oke, daggerboard down, mast track position eight, sail closes. All does things Im not used to any of this in the slalom. After 100m everyone went back to planning settings. Oh, no I need to, but lucky everything went in one time, so didn't cost to much time. I decided to go to the right what later was a good desicion. For my level I was racing realy what I could. I was tiered but clocked at 38 minutes my finish. I was sure I made it in time, last but I finshed. The second race started just after I finished I had not enough time to rest but wanted to try. But now I was to tiered and didn't make it on time. Back to the shore I got my "own" support boat. Back on shore I heard the others saying it was tof conditions, very tecnical and tactic racing today and the second race was to long. So overall I was happy about my own performance today. (www.saling.org)

Day 3- Today we where sailing late in afternoon. First start at 15.00 hour in Nothe Bay, just outside the walls……Light wind conditions.
Day 4- Official we should have sailed again on the far outside course, but somehow they changed the scedule and we where planned at Portland Bay for 14.00 hour. So I was quite happy about that. First of all it was later in the day so could rest longer and much easier to get to the course.

Day 5- Today we had a reserve day scedule and as we did all 6 races in the last three days we had a day off, what was nice. Just to rest and also some little sightseeing in the area.

Day 6- Also today we had to sail in the harbour. I had a great start in planning conditions. We had a LS3. For me was going to be very difficuilt to make three rounds on time, with a slalom at the finsish. I don't know how I did, but I finshed on time. Completly tiered but so happy I did. To tell the true it was just 5 sec. left on the watch but I did.
The second race of the day I decided to start and to see how far I would get, but knew I gave everything already. I had not so good start as the first run but was trying to get the layliens of the rest. The first round I wasn't doing to bad, but lost to much in the second round that I could keep up. So at the end I lost to much and didn't make the time. At least I tried and didn't gave up before like some other did.
 

Day 7- Again a day at the Northe, first start planned at 14.00 hour. But already on shore we heard many problems with the men starts. Everything was on late. At 15.00 hour the AP flag on shore went down for the women and I had 45 minutes to go to the start. Some bad luck as at that moment I broke my batten and wisser. The Brazilian coach told me just to try and see how far I could go. So I did. Again we also had many starts, think 5 times Ap flag up in last few seconds. So for sure I trained my starts this day. Then we had to move the course again and we where racing. I was good on the line between Spain and Poland who where 1st and 2nd placed at that moment. Just this time Spain didn't do good so not very good to folllow at this time. Anyway at the upwind mark almost no wind so very tricky course area, very shifty wind too. Then pomping all the way down wind to make another lap after the gate. I was pulling the sail as much I could on the down wind and hanging as much I could under my boom upwind and Yes still the Blue Flag was up after I passed the finsh line. Crazy but for me it's all about the time now.
Second race we had on the inside of the harbour as we had a few tries and didn't work with the wind. Inside the harbour I felt comfortable even with my broken gear I thought this is last race and I will show I can do this. I had not the best start but could hold the laylines of the others longer then the other races. I was very close behind the rest and finshed…
Out of 10 race I made: two times DNF, few 28, two times 27 and even a 25, so on this level I'm quite happy with my results as know I'm just starting and the rest is doing this for many more years then me. Each day closer to the time of the first one. In begin 15 min behind and last races less then 10 min. and more competion with the countries like Argentinia, Denmark and Portugal.

For me this event was a good training for the PANAM games, to check the location and of course to see my level against the rest in the world. The last I know is still far but not impossible. 

A very special thanks to the people in the rescue boats and in the tracking room , as they been supporting me  a lot this week and cheering for me, so guys thanks and hope to see you all next year.

My next competion will be the PANAM games in October.