Ever Optimistic
26/04/08 13:04 Filed in: April
Report from Brasilia (20th April 2008)
The weekend here saw the Optimist sailors training for an important championship coming up some time soon. (The language created some difficulties so I did not get the details). About 20 Optimists went out in a nice warm breeze at 10.000 am on Sunday morning. Adult staff setup the Optis for the children, the children give them a quick check before taking to the water. Several inflatables accompanied them and the instructors put them through their drills.
For me and a couple of high school students we went out in Lasers. The students had 4.7’s, one very new. I had a standard rig Laser, unfortunately supporting a few defects. I noted a large crack in the gooseneck fitting before taking to the water, so decided not to strain the boom too much. After about half an hour I couldn’t keep up with the 4.7s, so I tagged along behind, getting further behind. She was not handling well and after one gybe water came well over the bow, strange I thought, it’s not that windy and the waves are only small. I concluded a short while later that the hull must have taken on water. I headed straight back to the club, the handling characteristics becoming increasing worse and some more water coming over the bow in spite of my efforts to move further back. I was most thankful to eventually make it back.
I floated the Laser onto the trailer OK but two of us couldn’t pull it more than half out of the water. Pulling out the rear bung and opening a rear hatch cover verified my suspicions, heaps of water inside, so I waited while it drained and taking her inside to de-rig. Still it was a good day, near 30 degrees, a little cloudy to start with and tomorrow Monday was to be a public holiday here.
I caught a taxi back to central Brasilia, checked the market out and a few shops and saw a little beach volleyball as teams were preparing for the “Independence Day” celebration on Monday. For me Monday was to be back on the farm with my hosts; some animal work to be done and some more urea to apply to the pasture. We had visitors too, so the day had a good social component.
To the future I am off to help buy more heifers later in the week and next week and visiting an Agricultural Show for two days in the Minias Gerais state. The sailing will have to wait.
Ross Wrenn
26-4-08
The weekend here saw the Optimist sailors training for an important championship coming up some time soon. (The language created some difficulties so I did not get the details). About 20 Optimists went out in a nice warm breeze at 10.000 am on Sunday morning. Adult staff setup the Optis for the children, the children give them a quick check before taking to the water. Several inflatables accompanied them and the instructors put them through their drills.
For me and a couple of high school students we went out in Lasers. The students had 4.7’s, one very new. I had a standard rig Laser, unfortunately supporting a few defects. I noted a large crack in the gooseneck fitting before taking to the water, so decided not to strain the boom too much. After about half an hour I couldn’t keep up with the 4.7s, so I tagged along behind, getting further behind. She was not handling well and after one gybe water came well over the bow, strange I thought, it’s not that windy and the waves are only small. I concluded a short while later that the hull must have taken on water. I headed straight back to the club, the handling characteristics becoming increasing worse and some more water coming over the bow in spite of my efforts to move further back. I was most thankful to eventually make it back.
I floated the Laser onto the trailer OK but two of us couldn’t pull it more than half out of the water. Pulling out the rear bung and opening a rear hatch cover verified my suspicions, heaps of water inside, so I waited while it drained and taking her inside to de-rig. Still it was a good day, near 30 degrees, a little cloudy to start with and tomorrow Monday was to be a public holiday here.
I caught a taxi back to central Brasilia, checked the market out and a few shops and saw a little beach volleyball as teams were preparing for the “Independence Day” celebration on Monday. For me Monday was to be back on the farm with my hosts; some animal work to be done and some more urea to apply to the pasture. We had visitors too, so the day had a good social component.
To the future I am off to help buy more heifers later in the week and next week and visiting an Agricultural Show for two days in the Minias Gerais state. The sailing will have to wait.
Ross Wrenn
26-4-08