Walvis Bay delivered the best speed contest for the last three years. The winds maybe strong and constant, yet hardly ripple the other wise flat waters lapping the speed strip. So I guess the misery of the opening round could be forgiven, though I’m not sure I can say the same for the stunt at prize giving, who decides when old is old anyway.

Speed sailing is no different to any other sport, its run by rules, so why break the biggest of them all, the wind minimum. The forecast was perfect for the next days; and this one was coming to a close, so what possessed them to open the course.

The next ninety minutes was torture, just getting on the plane was a struggle. Finian took the win, but even he was magnanimous enough to confirm it to be way below the official racing conditions. The following mornings skippers meeting was a little fraught, the push for a result to keep sponsors happy had overtaken the rules.

You wouldn’t have thought so at the time, but its amazing how quickly bad feelings get blown to the back of the mind. The next days changed disaster to perfection as the winds kicked in at full strength and put the battle for results in the hands of the riders.

Bjorn won the week with five out of seven wins. On paper it looks like a walkover, but somehow it doesn’t tell the true story. Every round was hard fought with the lead constantly changing; everyone was having their moment, yet Bjorn would still pull it back in the extensions.

He also managed to pull one over me at prize giving; all but one trophy had been given. Walvis Bay has a Gecko Trophy; Bjorn won it last year, and would have taken it again this year, until he switched the rules. The Gecko is for the fastest oldie, but somehow Bjorn doesn’t think he’s old at 36, funnily enough I’m of the same opinion at 46, I just never got a choice.

Apart from being told I’m officially old, my week wasn’t so bad. Having had some bad form in the last two rounds I was starting to get fight back, not yet consistent as I like but going in the right direction. I would never have imagined it, but the weight loss hasn’t been good for the result sheet, most of the top guys are heavier than me with there weight jackets on, plus I haven’t got used to sailing lighter.

Fourth place in the fifth round was my best finish, but it’s the knowledge gained during the event that I see as my best result. I’m not about to start eating my way up the rankings, but something has to change in my training. We had a great crew from England, but it was John Smalley that kept pushing me the most, enough to take me in the last round leaving us eighth and Ninth.

John’s sailing has changed phenomenally, living in Maui for awhile really paid off, but the biggest gains were made by working out, how the system works and how to work the system, I’d tell you more but he wasn’t to put those words together himself, so come back later for his view.

With so much happening, I’ve got to apologise for the pix, I did stop part way through one round to catch a few shots, but somehow I just never got the time. Maybe I’ll get more during the Nautical Mile comp we have for the next few days.