Final training for Neilson GBR Cadet World Team in Buenos Aires
by Ian Harris 26 Dec 2016 20:21 GMT
23 December 2016
Another hot and humid day in Buenos Aires after a night of stupendous thunderstorms, this Boxing day is the final chance for the Neilson GBR Cadet Worlds team to tune up before measurement tomorrow and the 50th Cadet world championships begins. Christmas Day was packed with fun races run through an assault course incorporating the playgrounds outside Club Nautico Albatros and a couple of shopping trolleys. The team gathered in the clubhouse in the early afternoon and the barbecuing of some wonderful Argentine steak began, a delightful change to Christmas Turkey. Strangely no sprouts could be found.
Our local coach is Pablo Volker who has won two world championships here at BA knows his way around the local waters and tides. He also know what it takes to drive a small dinghy though the local chop and has been educating our sailors in the ways of the Argentine experts; we hope that this insight will give us a chance here as no-one has beaten the Argentines at a Cadet worlds held here before.
Although hot, the wind has been up and down and generally all over the place. "it's not usually like this here" says Pablo, we hope it changes as the event could be what an Australian sailor dubbed "a lucky dip". With the chop playing such an important role, it is only 2m deep and even the smaller sailors can usually stand on the bottom on the race course, you can see how important it is to keep the boat moving out of the tacks and pinching the sensitive Cadet stops them dead –you can almost hear Mike Mac saying "if in doubt let it out - ease, ease, ease."
So after training today, again in the lightest of breezes, it's all hands to dismantle the fleet for measurement. Rumours abound about the measurer and how stringent he is, having already called a few buoyancy aids out of date, the team toolboxes are ready just in case.
After measurement the Neilson GBR Cadet team and parents head off into the middle of Buenos Aires for an Ambassadors reception, where we will be received by Mr Mark Kent at Embassy House. The following day is the practise race and the opening ceremony where efforts have been made (see below) to make it as Christmasy as possible!
The 12 Cadets of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my cadet coach said to me - trim the spinnaker so carefully...
On the second day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 2 tied-in bailers and trim the spinnaker carefully....
On the third day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 3 Neilson hoodies, 2 tied-in bailers and trim the spinnaker carefully...
On the fourth day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 4 protest hearings, 3 Neilson hoodies...
On the 5th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me a 5 metre tow rope, 4 protest hearings...
On the 6th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 6 Cadet World wrist bands, a 5 metre tow rope...
On the 7th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 7 tubes of sunscreen...
On the 8th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 8 crews a-hiking...
On the 9th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 9 lovely roll tacks...
On the 10th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 10 port-tack flyers...
On the 11th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 11 tackticks tocking...
On the 12th day of Christmas my cadet coach gave to me 12 replacement burgees...