PANAM Games Gaudalajara (Sailing Puerte Vallarte)

On 7th of October my travel to Puerte Vallarte – Mexico started. It means 4 planes and  more then 24 hours traveling, with a hotel in Curacao.

8th of October -Evrything went pretty well, even had a crazy taxi drive to Adventure sport Miami for spare parts of my equipment, sadly they didn’t had all I needed. In Mexico city the Organisators of the PANAM games waited for all the athletics and helped them with filling in forms and passing all the lines, very nice.
At Puerte Vallarte aiport it was a bit diffrent, first there was someone who was there to check you on the list but After the coach of Chili and coach of Guatamala told to find there own transport it was also my turn to take everything out of the bus and find my own way and hotel at night.

At the end the police organzied a cheap but nice hotel for only 200 peso a night what comes to 15 $ a night and next to Sheraton in down town Puerte Vallarte.

They even brought me to there as one of them had a big pick up where all the gear went in.

9th of October- Today I woke up bit late as was so tiered from all the travelings the last days.

I decided to have a big breakfast in the hotel and after I took the bus to the marina to see where the venue was going to be.

At the marina nobody knew anything about the PANAM games, so I started to walk around and not much later I saw a big shopping mall. Here I stayed for a while to see on the internet where to go etc. And found out it was not going to be at the marina but at the Yacht club much higher to the north, so decided to go back to the hotel and instead of taking the bus I walked back first along the road and not much later on the beach.

In the evening I met the guy of the hotel and we went in down town for a drink, not much later we met the mexican’s who just fisnished there National championship. We went together to a Cuban bar, after some drinks and dancing everyone went back home, also me.

10th of October.- After a nice long sleep I had breakfast in the hotel and after 1,5 hour waiting Demita and Adrean picked me up from the hotel, they took me and the gear to the venue what was almost one hour drive, crazy. At the venue I used had my gear on the spot when they told me to move it all inside because of the hurican warning.

In the mean time Federico one of the Mexican sailors I met a year ago and since seen a couple of times he organzied a place to saty at his grandmother’s house for the night as nobody could explain me where the village hotel was.

So I got a biscilce to wonder around and to have my own time, to go back to the house.
It was funny as I met the people only for few minutes in restaurant and then arrived at there house. After a good shower we watch some tv and tried some confersations as was difficuilt with the Language, me not speaking sapnish and tehy not spekaing English anyway at the end we manged some.

I went earlie to bed as was so tiered

11th of October

Federico picked me up at 9.00 to go to the venue and from there to the hotel.
As now I knew there was going to be transport.
There was still warning for the hurican so couldn’t do much at the venue anyway.

They told me at 10.00 would be a bus. I think it was almost 11 am when it finaly arrived. In the hotel a 5 star everything went pretty smooth. Martin the coach from Ard and Phillipine was ther just at the desk, so was nice.
I got my accrediation and from there my hotel room, very nice looking towards the sea.

In afternoon we did some gym and after I went to the shopping mall to wonder around a bit.

12th of October

Today

13th of October

Today I had measerment. After moving everything out the shelter and checking the board I noticed my board was in not so nice shape. I seen many holes all around the edge. I tried to make a start on the repairing but gave up after a while. Today I had the measerment, so first went to do that again moving the stuff from one place to the other. I was happy Russell was helping me. At the measerment they told me I had to take all my advertising. I din't like as some I like because they say Bonaire. Anyway I kept the big flag of the Antilles in the sail.

The rest was fine all the numbers and years of the material where oke. Then I found someone after a while who was whilling to help me with my board just he had to go out first so i waited all the time couldnt do much just a bit prepairing with marking the spots and sandpaper the board. Just when the last bus was arriving the guy came with the epoxy. I just told him quick where to fix the board and then I run to catch the last bus back to the hotel. 

Many holes....:-(

Measerment

14th of October- Today me and Russell wher egoing to the opening ceremonie in Guadalajara. The bus supposed to leave at 8 am but at the end it was 11am from the Paradasie village hotel. It was a 5 hour drive, but waswas for sure an amazing thing to do. When we arrived we met Remco, our Chef de Mision from the Antilles Hollandaises. He toook us to the dininghall where we got food and drinks before going to our room's. I was sharing the room with the coach of the teakwando and Russell with the guys who do swimming.

When we where settled in our room's we had to go outside with the whole team and after a while waiting we walked to the big stadium. When we entred the stadium it was amazing 50.000 people cheering for us. After we did the full round we had to sit down and waite for all the other countries to get in also, it was great. Then started the big show, with many singers and dancers, also some speeces even from the presiden of Mexico. At the end an atleth started the flame of the games. Beautifull, I never would have liked to miss this great openening.

15th of October- It was already time to go back to our venue in Puerte Vallarte. We woke up quite earlie had some quick breakfast and went to the buses. They told us to be there at 8 a.m but I think after checking what the other people did (they took the plane back) we finaly left around 10.00 o clock. 
It was crazy the busdriver with his big touring car bus had to drive us Russell and me back. Then Russell told him while we where waiting that I had an important race today, so he drove faster then he supposed to do and so we arrived after 4 hours. I was happy as now I had time to see what was going on with my board. To tel the true not much. It was still on the same spot where I left it and still one big hole there. So Oscar the coach from Cuba saw my problem and helped me a lot we worked another 3 hours on my board to close the big hole but also to make the surface realy nice and smooth. Again I wasn't able to go on the water as the board had to dry again. :-( But for sure it will be oke for tommorrow, the practise race.

16th of October- today was for me the first day I finaly could go on the water. It was a bit funny to get out of the harbour there wasn't so muchs wind at the current was pushing you back in so you had to play a lot to get out. Also many tacs as it was upwind. Anyway I made it, then I got a ride from MArtin with the coach boat to the starting area. We also picked up Philipine and Ard.
There was almost no wind so even for the practise race the prospone flag was up. After I think one hour waiting and looking a bit to the current, position of the marks, Adrian the coach of Demita MEX called us all together and so we started all together men and women. Not to waiste our time in the hot sun.
A little bit after they also started official the  practise race but we where after the first mark going "home".
Back on the shore it was a little challange also to get back on the pier so I decided to swim the last meters, not nice when you see sings with don't trough food in the water because of alligators....
I cleaned the gear and went back to the hotel.

17th of October

18 of October. Today we had the prospone flag on shore so we could waite in the shade and not on the full sun and no wind on the water. 

At 13.35 the flag went dwn and i had exacly 40 min to get to the start, I had everything ready so in 5 minutes i was in the channel try to get out. I was 14.00 hour at the start and a bit later we got prospone there.

Then we where racing not much after. I was for the first time on the line and not sure if i was OCS or not. I saw USA and BRA making a round back at the starting line but i took the risk. MEX came from portside what wasn’t great.
I continue racing and was rounding the marks all in last but becuase of the bad start of most it was very close together this time. It was very light wind, it was good we had some gust at the end of the course otehrwise we never would had made it in target time....but i finished.

Martin came with some water and food but had to leave quick again.

Then my second start it was more wind then otehr races so i tied a bit the sail but still on dagger board.  I massed realy up at the start. I got stuck behind the startboat and even my board made a 360 turn while I didn’t want to the rest already far ahead I tried to keep up and somehow I got a lift on the right sde of the course that I made i talmost in once to the leeward mark and was supriced to see all the others around me and even crossing CUB- ARG and CAN. At the Leeward I even round before ARG and CUB. Then it was bit mass, I had hard time to get into planning but finaly did but was already passed by the other too, Downwind I could plan nice and finnsihed full speed over the line, was a nice feeling after all the pumping.

Third race was crazy after so long and hot day already. It was very light again.  The hobbies and the RSX men where already finsihed and went back to the harbour. We got some time to recover and then it was us again. I had a very safe start not so good but fors ure no OCS and no DQF. Again I was passing some of the others. This time ARG and CUB, big suprice as don’t eeven know how i did. At the mark again very close so gets better each race. Because of the realy light wind we made a very long course It took me almost 55 min in the crazy hot sun and hardly was able to stand straight on my legs after my finsh but I did and in time behind the first, but wondering if this rce was counting.

Back in the hotel I had nice shower dinner and a meeting with Ricardo as he was helping me ons ome questions of today. The starts and some wind directions.

19th of october

20st of October

Today was the lay day and we had already the 6 race we had to do, we had a day of. I went together with Russell, Remco and Martin to the beach volleybal games at down town Puetre Vallarte.

We watched two games and then we took a taxi back to the hotel. Remco had to check out and I didn’t want to sit in the full sun all day even if the beacvolley was goin gto be very intresting later in teh day.

 I stayed in my room for a while to relaxe and at 1400 hour we had lunch together and I had a meeting with Remco about my goal etc.

Later I have been watching a bit tv playing on internet etc. It was a real relaxing day.

21st of October
Today we had again a racing day. 

22nd of October

23rd of October
Medail race. As I as not in the top 5 I wasn't able to take part in the medail race. I went in the monring to pack all my bags ready for the long trip back home and I asked to one of the coaches if I could go in the coach boat to watch the medail race. This was oke so after chatting with some people we went on the water. Today all the classes where in another course then before so the current wind where slightly diffrent then the other days. First it was the J24 then the Hobie and after the RSX. It was nice to see the races this time from a coach boat. We where pretty close to the start and finsih line but at the upwind mark we couldn't see the position of the boats. 
It was not fear in the race they had nice plannng conditions, something I was hoping for all week.
In the evening the price giving was in town. It was very nice and after we had a great party in the Cuban bar and was good I had my bags ready for the trip, as it was pretty late and earlie to leave. (5 am)