The sun came out this morning in Terrigal and, contrary to the weather forecast, it wasn't raining. Hmmm. Maybe I won't cancel our trip to Australia after all. Tillerwoman has commanded that it's not allowed to rain when she is in Australia.
The committee boat that was wrecked in the storm was carted away on a trailer. A "comfortable catamaran" was loaned by someone from the host club to replace it and a practice race was sailed in a 10-15 knot sea-breeze, according to the Laser Worlds regatta website.
Nobody finished the race.
What?
How did this superstition about not finishing the practice race start? I don't get it. Apparently if you win the practice race you will not do well in the regatta. So most sailors duck out before the finish line.
Actually it may not be a superstition. I can now report that I won the practice race at the Sunfish Worlds in Cartagena, Colombia in 1997 and I have never won a race at a world championship since. Spooky, eh?
The current Laser world champion, Tom Slingsby, (he's the dude in the hat in this post) didn't even go out to the course. He obviously believes in Rulo's Rule.
A number of entrants in the Laser Worlds are trying to use this regatta to win their country (and themselves) a place in the Olympics this year. One of these is Raul Aguayo from the Dominican Republic who won the Caribbean Laser Midwinters in Cabarete a few weeks ago.
Raul is scary fast in a Sunfish too. Back in 1997 he was also sailing at that Sunfish Worlds in Colombia. He must have been pretty young then. Like me he "qualified" to sail in the silver fleet. Somehow I beat him in two races. In the last ten years he has improved more than me. I didn't beat him in any races in Cabarete this year.
I wish him well in Terrigal.
3 comments:
I think Tillerwoman has it all figured out; force of will and personality is all that can control the weather. In these parts (Boston), I alone have prevented the onset of winter these last 20-30 years by wearing sandals year round. Or, umm, maybe it hasn't worked yet, but it will. Eventually. I hope.
Personally, I think Raul has made most of his improvement in the last two years, and especially between 2006 and 2007. He REALLY stepped up his game! Good for him! Better for us - we have to meet his challenge!
Maybe if I could get a beer company to sponsor me too?
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