It was the last race day today, just one race.
The current was strong going over the line and there was 8-15 kts of wind.
The race oficer had no choice but to use a black flag on all 3 races, which was good as there weren't many black flagged.
Scott and Ollie in race 15a had a squarish line and a steady wind, Scott finished 9th and Ollie 33. In race 15b there was a ridiculious right shift off the start which left many stranded including Matt, this was totally unpredicable!
In race 15c, Arran went well up the first leg to be early mid fleet at the windward mark, and Josh was well up the fleet too.
Arran had a difficult last windward leg going too far right to finish 48 whilst Josh went further left to finish 35.
Overall, a lot learned from this Worlds, Asia seems to be dominating things right now
Scott 50 - 14th European.
Ollie 63
Arran 143
Matt 145
Josh 179
Out of the top 230 optimist sailors in the world.
Prize giving tonight, beach in the morning, flight to KL tommorrow afternoon and fly home on Sunday morning.
Alan
Follow the progress of the GBR Optimist Team at the 2010 World Championships in Malaysia.
Friday, 7 January 2011
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Good Day for GBR and Bribery
Today was quite a good day for GBR Optimists. Spurred on by Annabel and Megans 420 Worlds win our guys went out determined to have a good day.
The first 2 races were wind against tide and the race officer set the line with 25degrees of pin bias?
The wind was 10-15 kts to start off with- something of a hurricane in these parts, but still very warm.
Scott had a 6 and 7 and as the wind faded to a wimper with strong wind with tide finished with a shocker.
Ollie had a mid fleet followed by nearly a 10 and a great 2, robbed of a bullet on the line.
Arran had a goodish day, a teen and a 20's followed by a race to forget in about .25 of a knot.
Josh was still struggling to get off the line, but had a great start in race 3 and was closem to the lead, the wind died and with it his result, still it was an awsome start.
Matt, got stuffed up on the starts and was DFL in the last race on the last leeward gate Scott had gone left for his shocker and banged right for a 21ish and a big get out of jail smile.
The Bribery- today I had to pay ythe sailors if they were better than a particular place and they had to pay me if they were worse than a particular place. I just about broke even!
Just off for a team dinner.
Alan
The first 2 races were wind against tide and the race officer set the line with 25degrees of pin bias?
The wind was 10-15 kts to start off with- something of a hurricane in these parts, but still very warm.
Scott had a 6 and 7 and as the wind faded to a wimper with strong wind with tide finished with a shocker.
Ollie had a mid fleet followed by nearly a 10 and a great 2, robbed of a bullet on the line.
Arran had a goodish day, a teen and a 20's followed by a race to forget in about .25 of a knot.
Josh was still struggling to get off the line, but had a great start in race 3 and was closem to the lead, the wind died and with it his result, still it was an awsome start.
Matt, got stuffed up on the starts and was DFL in the last race on the last leeward gate Scott had gone left for his shocker and banged right for a 21ish and a big get out of jail smile.
The Bribery- today I had to pay ythe sailors if they were better than a particular place and they had to pay me if they were worse than a particular place. I just about broke even!
Just off for a team dinner.
Alan
Thursday 6th
Well it was forecast that there would be no wind today, but we have just returned from the club to our hotel (and operational wi-fi!!) having had 3 races sailed in good wind apart from the last beat or so, when it went very light and the big shifts set in again, like we had earlier in the week. Shortly after racing finished it started to spot with rain.
Some great results by the team today including 3 top 10 finishes one of which was a Ollie securing a thrilling 2nd place after a spectacular duel with one of the URU sailors in the third race. Scott also managed a 6 and a 7. Ollie had earlier managed an 11 too. Haven't seen provisionals for all the races yet and no overall results yet, so won't guess them here in case I get them wrong, but the guys also managed a number of results around 20 or so. If you want some fun then the tracking replays of race 14 should be entertaining - watch Mr Whitfield's final beat and compare his leg time with everyone else's - well done Matt who pulled off a well-deserved 23rd from the jaws of doom.
The AGM concluded today with voting for the 2012 Worlds going in favour of DOM (but only just 33/30) against DEN. And the 2012 Euros will be in ITA near Venice. The Euro Team Racing Champ will once again be held in Ledro, and we have invites for Chennai (IND) and the 2012 Africans in TAN (Tanzania). So there are plenty of great events to look forward to.
The GBR delegation are going out to dinner tonight at an authentic Malaysian restaurant.
We have one more race to come on Friday, so please keep everything crossed for the sailors.
Some great results by the team today including 3 top 10 finishes one of which was a Ollie securing a thrilling 2nd place after a spectacular duel with one of the URU sailors in the third race. Scott also managed a 6 and a 7. Ollie had earlier managed an 11 too. Haven't seen provisionals for all the races yet and no overall results yet, so won't guess them here in case I get them wrong, but the guys also managed a number of results around 20 or so. If you want some fun then the tracking replays of race 14 should be entertaining - watch Mr Whitfield's final beat and compare his leg time with everyone else's - well done Matt who pulled off a well-deserved 23rd from the jaws of doom.
The AGM concluded today with voting for the 2012 Worlds going in favour of DOM (but only just 33/30) against DEN. And the 2012 Euros will be in ITA near Venice. The Euro Team Racing Champ will once again be held in Ledro, and we have invites for Chennai (IND) and the 2012 Africans in TAN (Tanzania). So there are plenty of great events to look forward to.
The GBR delegation are going out to dinner tonight at an authentic Malaysian restaurant.
We have one more race to come on Friday, so please keep everything crossed for the sailors.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
GBR sailors taking a keen interest in local geology
Photo from lay-day showing the fascination with which the GBR sailors approached the 450 million year geological marvel that is the Cave of Legends..... maybe someone had told them it was on the bottom of the sea!
And this is "Coach" demonstrating the emergency drill for Safety at Sea, especially in the unlikely event that "Johnson & Johnson" (our two mighty engines) had burned the whole 60 litres that was allowed for the trip. Note that it's very important to keep calm. We're sure that Alan was just about to do up the lifejacket and tell everyone where the emergency exits were, basically over the side and swim for the beach...
And just to prove that it ain't all R&R here in sunny Langkawi, Alan, Jen and the team have been very busy prepping boats and briefing and debriefing.
Cheers from Langkawi - it's dinner time....
Graham
And this is "Coach" demonstrating the emergency drill for Safety at Sea, especially in the unlikely event that "Johnson & Johnson" (our two mighty engines) had burned the whole 60 litres that was allowed for the trip. Note that it's very important to keep calm. We're sure that Alan was just about to do up the lifejacket and tell everyone where the emergency exits were, basically over the side and swim for the beach...
And just to prove that it ain't all R&R here in sunny Langkawi, Alan, Jen and the team have been very busy prepping boats and briefing and debriefing.
Cheers from Langkawi - it's dinner time....
Graham
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Wednesday 5th
Well here we are - back at the club for another race day. The team all enjoyed the lay-day and did better in the team racing than anyone had dared to hope for.
Sorry about the frequency of posts recently - been having major network issues at the club. Alan has good access from the Grand Continental, but everywhere else has been suffering, including the tracker which has now recovered rather well.
The good news is, there is WIND today!! And we mean real wind - not very powerful because of the heat, but at least the air is moving so the Oppies are going quite well. You'll be at least as up to date as us on results if you have been watching the tracker which also seems to have recovered rather well. If not, the Race 9 is complete and we had results ranging from low 20s to 50s [S 23, A 31, O 33, M 51, J 57]. Race 10 has also finished and the GBRs had a mixed bag of results - can't remember the positions we counted so won't try to guess, but will post when we can. Race 11 is just underway. Keeping everything crossed for the guys.
We had a great trip yesterday on the lay-day as ably documented by Alan's post last night. Graham has recovered from his virus - and no longer looks (quite so much) like a small monkey. Will try and upload some pictures if the network holds up - but I don't want to push my luck. Will also try and get some good pics of the team members - keep an eye on the album - may be a long time before we can upload as the photos really do stress out limited network connectivity.
Ann and Graham went to the IODA reception last night which was a Thai meal with the hottest spicy food that either of us can recall. In the UK "Thai" food is quite mild compared to the Thai food here. Unfortunately the evening was a sit-down dinner which made it more difficult to get round to speak to lots of different people - but in Malaysia it is impolite to pass food around - so it's customary to sit down to eat.
Ann attended today's AGM session and we have conducted most of the voting. Graham will cover tomorrow's session.
Will post this now whilst I appear to have network and will try photos later.
Graham
Sorry about the frequency of posts recently - been having major network issues at the club. Alan has good access from the Grand Continental, but everywhere else has been suffering, including the tracker which has now recovered rather well.
The good news is, there is WIND today!! And we mean real wind - not very powerful because of the heat, but at least the air is moving so the Oppies are going quite well. You'll be at least as up to date as us on results if you have been watching the tracker which also seems to have recovered rather well. If not, the Race 9 is complete and we had results ranging from low 20s to 50s [S 23, A 31, O 33, M 51, J 57]. Race 10 has also finished and the GBRs had a mixed bag of results - can't remember the positions we counted so won't try to guess, but will post when we can. Race 11 is just underway. Keeping everything crossed for the guys.
We had a great trip yesterday on the lay-day as ably documented by Alan's post last night. Graham has recovered from his virus - and no longer looks (quite so much) like a small monkey. Will try and upload some pictures if the network holds up - but I don't want to push my luck. Will also try and get some good pics of the team members - keep an eye on the album - may be a long time before we can upload as the photos really do stress out limited network connectivity.
Ann and Graham went to the IODA reception last night which was a Thai meal with the hottest spicy food that either of us can recall. In the UK "Thai" food is quite mild compared to the Thai food here. Unfortunately the evening was a sit-down dinner which made it more difficult to get round to speak to lots of different people - but in Malaysia it is impolite to pass food around - so it's customary to sit down to eat.
Ann attended today's AGM session and we have conducted most of the voting. Graham will cover tomorrow's session.
Will post this now whilst I appear to have network and will try photos later.
Graham
Day off - time for the swamp
Lankawi has a Geo Park which Graham, Judy and Ann went to, early on. So we went there as a large group on our day off, in convoy with the Voller saga car at the front, while we took up the rear. Basically it went like this:-
You haggle for a big long narrow boat with a few hundred horses on the back, you then get in and drive around at about 30 knots through coastal mangroves, towering limestone cliffs and towers and visit various 'Temple of Doom' type places. 'Man U' had travelled far and our boat had a Man U sticker on it - how sad is that.
First there was the tame 1 metre lizard, perched on a rock, which didn't move so maybe it was plastic ?
Then it was onto the radio controlled eagles, two varieties, Sea eagle and brown eagle. There were lots of them and they gave up a tea break to turn up for a great display of grabbing bits of chicken from the water- poor chicken. Then it was onwards again to find a viper up a tree, we didn't but we did find a 'don't touch' hairy catapillar. We sped on through this virgin jungley mangrove, avoiding other boats by carving around them and washing the base of the mangroves with our wake.
Finally we arrived at the improbable 'Crocodile Cave' it was impossible not imporbable becasue the tide was in and although our youthful driver [ the top kick boxer around these parts , tried to force a passage through but it wouldn't go without destroying the canopy. Then a 57 point turn and off through the mangroves to the other side to see the other side of the long open cave.
Rushing on banking the corners passing environmentally endangered species until the 'Bat Cave' appeared. Mrs Robin was taking the entrance fees about 20p, and we wandered through the cave in the dark. We couldn't find Batman but we did find a pile of bats high up in the roof. Then it was back to the boat- did I mention the monkeys- yes there were plenty of them too.
We had been going for about an hour and a half, and the boys were sunning themselves on the bow.
Round some more bends and we passed some sorry going ocean going yachts of yesteryear which were moored and rotting away.
Then we arrived at the 'Hole in the Wall' fish farm, and for the next 20 minutes we were treated to a local boy feeding odd looking fish and less odd looking fish including Tuna and Stingrays. The boy and Ollie fed the Stingrays by putting their hands in the Stingrays mouths and letting go of the tasty morsel of fish- all a bit fishy if you ask me, but these were tame and had their stings removed.
After the fish farm it was back on the boat again and oh did I mention Julie Vollers hat overboard- we did go back and get it after another 57 point turn.
Finally we popped out into the open sea, the Andaman Sea no less, and toured around the coast passing fabled lumps of rock and then went to one last cave- yes another one this time the epic 'Cave of Legends', we landed on a sheltered beach, avoiding the nice 007 Bond style walkway and jetty and climbed the stair to the earth shattering edifice. Actually the boys preferred jumping in off the boat which was much more fun.
Clearly time was running out on our two hour trip which was now about 3 hours long, and you've guessed it just after watching local fishermen bringing jaws sized prawns out of their nets we started to have engine problems. We dropped doen to a measly 10 knots and still had some miles to go. Finally we spluttered to a complete standstill still out to sea in flat water about 1/2 a mile from our jetty. I put on a lifejacket and started to remember as much as I could about survival at sea etc but after a while rescue was at hand in the form of another boat with a convenient can of fuel.
Seriously if you are ever in these parts its a great trip, but pay extra for the Python expierence, it was on strike for more pay while we were there and a big miss.
Back a the jetty we could buy delightful plates with pictures of our faces as mementos of the trip- give that one a miss. We did try the local love joy jungle drink- thatwe recommend!
4 Seasons in 1 Day
We happended to notice that the 4 Seasons hotel closeby, and we couldn't resist a viewing, it was awsome, truly awsome and stunningly unpretentious, every view was perfect with a manicured white sand beach, check out the website.
I conducted surgery on Josh's foot, which had a small rock stuck in it, and we even had our own personal assistant and we were given cold towels, for our faces- maybe we weren't clean enough?
It was only about £400 a night room only, rather more for a sumptious breakfast. But you could get a good Pizza for tenner.
We took some well framed pictures then scarpered in case we were charged for breathing or the cold towels.
In convoy we drove across the island, passing paddi fields and rubber plantations, Jen and I were dropped off at the world famous 'Bon Ton' restaraunt, the Prawns [ monster prawns] wrapped in Bannana leaves and crisp white wine was something else. Everone else went to lesser places for a very late lunch, and some form of swimming. We later heard that Arran had been parascending on the Vollers beach and survived to tell the tale
Everyone reappeared for dinner, and we have had a good chat about racing, the forcast is good- there might even be some wind, oh and the boys need to wash their underpants.
I have just had to stop Sinclair Jones trying to kill Christopher Wilford outside in the corridor.
Its late, missed lots out. Posted with errors
Oh yes Graham and Ann have gone to the IODA dinner, a sort of a 'beer fest' for adults.
More news tommorrow.
Alan
You haggle for a big long narrow boat with a few hundred horses on the back, you then get in and drive around at about 30 knots through coastal mangroves, towering limestone cliffs and towers and visit various 'Temple of Doom' type places. 'Man U' had travelled far and our boat had a Man U sticker on it - how sad is that.
First there was the tame 1 metre lizard, perched on a rock, which didn't move so maybe it was plastic ?
Then it was onto the radio controlled eagles, two varieties, Sea eagle and brown eagle. There were lots of them and they gave up a tea break to turn up for a great display of grabbing bits of chicken from the water- poor chicken. Then it was onwards again to find a viper up a tree, we didn't but we did find a 'don't touch' hairy catapillar. We sped on through this virgin jungley mangrove, avoiding other boats by carving around them and washing the base of the mangroves with our wake.
Finally we arrived at the improbable 'Crocodile Cave' it was impossible not imporbable becasue the tide was in and although our youthful driver [ the top kick boxer around these parts , tried to force a passage through but it wouldn't go without destroying the canopy. Then a 57 point turn and off through the mangroves to the other side to see the other side of the long open cave.
Rushing on banking the corners passing environmentally endangered species until the 'Bat Cave' appeared. Mrs Robin was taking the entrance fees about 20p, and we wandered through the cave in the dark. We couldn't find Batman but we did find a pile of bats high up in the roof. Then it was back to the boat- did I mention the monkeys- yes there were plenty of them too.
We had been going for about an hour and a half, and the boys were sunning themselves on the bow.
Round some more bends and we passed some sorry going ocean going yachts of yesteryear which were moored and rotting away.
Then we arrived at the 'Hole in the Wall' fish farm, and for the next 20 minutes we were treated to a local boy feeding odd looking fish and less odd looking fish including Tuna and Stingrays. The boy and Ollie fed the Stingrays by putting their hands in the Stingrays mouths and letting go of the tasty morsel of fish- all a bit fishy if you ask me, but these were tame and had their stings removed.
After the fish farm it was back on the boat again and oh did I mention Julie Vollers hat overboard- we did go back and get it after another 57 point turn.
Finally we popped out into the open sea, the Andaman Sea no less, and toured around the coast passing fabled lumps of rock and then went to one last cave- yes another one this time the epic 'Cave of Legends', we landed on a sheltered beach, avoiding the nice 007 Bond style walkway and jetty and climbed the stair to the earth shattering edifice. Actually the boys preferred jumping in off the boat which was much more fun.
Clearly time was running out on our two hour trip which was now about 3 hours long, and you've guessed it just after watching local fishermen bringing jaws sized prawns out of their nets we started to have engine problems. We dropped doen to a measly 10 knots and still had some miles to go. Finally we spluttered to a complete standstill still out to sea in flat water about 1/2 a mile from our jetty. I put on a lifejacket and started to remember as much as I could about survival at sea etc but after a while rescue was at hand in the form of another boat with a convenient can of fuel.
Seriously if you are ever in these parts its a great trip, but pay extra for the Python expierence, it was on strike for more pay while we were there and a big miss.
Back a the jetty we could buy delightful plates with pictures of our faces as mementos of the trip- give that one a miss. We did try the local love joy jungle drink- thatwe recommend!
4 Seasons in 1 Day
We happended to notice that the 4 Seasons hotel closeby, and we couldn't resist a viewing, it was awsome, truly awsome and stunningly unpretentious, every view was perfect with a manicured white sand beach, check out the website.
I conducted surgery on Josh's foot, which had a small rock stuck in it, and we even had our own personal assistant and we were given cold towels, for our faces- maybe we weren't clean enough?
It was only about £400 a night room only, rather more for a sumptious breakfast. But you could get a good Pizza for tenner.
We took some well framed pictures then scarpered in case we were charged for breathing or the cold towels.
In convoy we drove across the island, passing paddi fields and rubber plantations, Jen and I were dropped off at the world famous 'Bon Ton' restaraunt, the Prawns [ monster prawns] wrapped in Bannana leaves and crisp white wine was something else. Everone else went to lesser places for a very late lunch, and some form of swimming. We later heard that Arran had been parascending on the Vollers beach and survived to tell the tale
Everyone reappeared for dinner, and we have had a good chat about racing, the forcast is good- there might even be some wind, oh and the boys need to wash their underpants.
I have just had to stop Sinclair Jones trying to kill Christopher Wilford outside in the corridor.
Its late, missed lots out. Posted with errors
Oh yes Graham and Ann have gone to the IODA dinner, a sort of a 'beer fest' for adults.
More news tommorrow.
Alan
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