The Cambridge University women's team came second in the University Boat Race today after almost sinking in the rough conditions on the River Thames.
Congratulations to the ladies from Cambridge who have come first or second in the University Boat Race for an amazing streak of 71 races going back to 1927.
Here is a terrific video by Yannick Gloster of the big RS Aero event at the Columbia River Gorge last year.
Wait.
What's this?
Who is that sailor in the white cap who comes into view at around 0:33?
Woo hoo! It's me! Look at me Mom!
Conclusive proof that I was actually in front of some other boats some of the time!
Yannick is clearly very confused as to why he is behind me, so a few seconds later he decides to capsize his boat and take a good look at what might be wrong with the bottom of his hull.
Just before 2:00 another sailor capsizes near a buoy. I think it could be me. Thank god it's too far away to read my sail number and make a positive identification. But I did spend a lot of time practicing my capsize recoveries in the last race of Day1.
Hmmm. That kid looks way too happy as he flashes a grin at the old geezer struggling in the water he has just passed.
Check out the whole video for an excellent insight into a regatta that was one of the most enjoyable events of my sailing year last year. It's got me all fired up about going out west again for the RS Aero US Nationals in August.
Thanks to Judith Krimski, our awesome New England Laser District Secretary, for drawing my attention to this excellent video on how to practice starting skills by British Olympian turned coach, Penny Clark.
It shows some starting drills with a Laser Radial, an RS Aero and an RS 200 doing the demonstrations.
Especially nice to see a coaching video for the RS Aero. Let's hope we see a few more in the coming months.
After videos of a Flying Scot and a Sunfish and Lasers blasting around, here is a video of Laser sailing where the sailor actually measured and reported his speed.
After Sunday's video of some Flying Scot sailors having a blast on a day when racing was cancelled because the winds were too heavy, here is some "Insane Sunfish Sailing" from Stewart Draheim's YouTube channel.
RS Aero sailors all over the world have been measuring their speeds on wild planing reaches with various GPS devices and reporting their results in the Speed Freaks Challenge. Ron Fergusson currently holds the Australian record at 15.6 knots, but the UK sailors have been blowing everyone else away, topped by a recent amazing performance by Anthony 'Chunky' York of 23.9 knots!
But it's not only RS Aero sailors who enjoy blasting about on reaches. The video above is from Eric Wojtaszek's YouTube channel and was filmed on the day when the Chaos Cup at Quannapowitt YC in Massachusetts in 2010 was cancelled due to high winds.
So what else is there to do when racing is cancelled because of high winds? Go for a blast. Make a video. Record your speed.
Any guesses as to how fast that Flying Scot is going?
I found this photo on the Laser Fleet 413 Facebook page. I think it must have been taken when I was racing in Newport on Feb 21 - the day of my wardrobe malfunction.
That's me in 157812 - apparently sailing the wrong way. Or at least the opposite way to almost everybody else.
It reminded me somewhat of that famous Irish commentary on the Radial racing at the 2012 Olympics.
