Team GBR at BMW Optimist Team Cup Postdammer Sailing Club
by Tim Cropley 9 Nov 2011 17:18 GMT
28-30 October 2011
BMW Optimist Team Cup © Ben Musket and Frederique Hendricks
Each year Team GBR send of group of 5 sailors to the BMW Optimist Team Cup held at the Postdammer Sailing Club in Berlin. This is a truly international event with 16 teams from 14 countries including teams from Estonia, USA, Germany, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Switzerland and Finland. It is always comes as something of a surprise to realise that there are sailors, not just from all over the UK, but also, from all over the world Opti'ing each weekend.
Team GBR for this event consisted of: Pippa Cropley, Huw Edwards, Robbie King, David Labrouche and Hattie Rogers. These 5 flew out, after a short 1½ hour delay, to Berlin accompanied by Frederique Henderickx and were met by coach Ben Muskett who had arrived from Denmark.
"Straight to the sailing club for some practice", demanded coach Ben. Boats, and sails quickly sorted and out for some training in what Ben described as ‘interesting' conditions (I think that means no then random wind?). Quick pasta and the sailors are introduced to their very lovely German host, Christiane v. Waldow, who the sailors will stay with over the weekend. Christiane declares that the sailors cannot come to Berlin without seeing the sights and whisks them off to see the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandeberg gate and the War memorial.
And the highlight? "The most amazing donut shop in the world" to universal agreement!
Saturday was light winds with only 7 races completed. Sunday was even lighter and only a single race was completed before packing up and returning to the airport.
Team GBR won 1 race out of their eight finishing 15th out of 16. The racing was very tough with many countries send their worlds teams to the event as practice for the World Championships in New Zealand in December. For the GBR sailors this was a great opportunity to sail in an International with some seriously good sailors. It was also a fabulous opportunity to stay with a local family, see the sights of historic Berlin and make new sailing friends from overseas.