A great but challenging month!
Written by Frances Peters | 08 April 2013
Well we're back from our first 49erFX regatta out in Palma. It has been a great month, but it wasn't an easy ride, nor a cheap one with the Mediterranean surf claiming 2 masts and a mainsail from me!
I was crewed by Merlin sailor Pippa Taylor for the event. She stepped in for Katrina Best who was unable to sail due to a knee injury.
The event brought a range of conditions but the wind and waves that we were given on a number of days certainly didn't make for a soft introduction to Skiff sailing!
We went into the regatta with the sole aim of learning as much as we could, and that we definitely did! It was fantastic to be on a start line with 35 other boats and to be racing in the pack. Leeward marks were a shock to the system as it seemed 10 boats were consistently trying to round the marks at the same time, resulting in some very high pitched squeals resonating from the racecourse!
The event really highlighted to me the importance of boat handling - in the breeze, you could guarantee yourself a good result just by keeping the mast in the air! We can rest assured we weren't the only ones finding it a challenge out there, but there is definitely a lot of work to be done.
Overall, it was a great start in terms of learning opportunity, and I loved the challenge!
Now looking forward to a few days rest back home. Next stop: Hyeres, where I will be pairing up with my RS800 crew from last year, Nicola Groves. Seem to remember we were pretty good at being about 10th in the 800, let's see if we can beat that!
Watch this space... x