Mudeford Sailing Club

‘Wreck of the Year’ 2009 goes to ‘boot camp’

By Christine Wright

Derek Burdell’s Buoy Six Award is a handsome cartoon, illustrating the mishaps that befall sailors.  The antics are just delightful but, however good it looks hung on my wall, there is a strong desire not to achieve a repeat performance and ‘win’ this again! To be honest, it supported my case for slipping away to Minorca for a week’s sailing, I mean serious training.

A number of you have enjoyed this sort of week away and its benefits, but for those who have yet to, this is how it goes ...

Location:  a short flight from Gatwick to Mahon, then coach to the Minorca Sailing ‘village’ of Ses Salines on the north coast. Accommodation: a choice of apartments, hotel rooms, villas to suit various budgets, tastes and group sizes. Go alone – no problem.  Before I had even disembarked the ‘plane, Peter was telling me the routine, what to expect, etc.  “How did he know I was part of the group?” I asked. “Well” he said, “it was the way you leapt out of your seat into the aisle shouting ‘starboard’!”  Seriously, I guess I just looked keen.

First evening: a ‘welcome’ get-together and meal to meet with fellow sailors/windsurfers and tutors/coaches, etc. and to hear how the week is planned.  Many were back for their annual visit, some had been coming the same week for years and were reunited with friends they had made previously.

Day One: work begins!  The structure of the week’s tuition and programme explained:  choice of activities – windsurfing, laser and asymmetrics; beginner, intermediate and advanced, as numbers dictate. Make a different choice each day if you wish or just stay by the pool. Sailing mornings focused upon group training; afternoons – two races or free sailing, then at 4.30 an hour or two of one-to-one or of trying something new.  Excellent tutors and rescue support all the time.

So there I was with the Advanced Laser group which each morning focussed on a specific element – upwind technique, downwind, sailing by the lee, race starts; the usual training format intermingled with one-to-one elements and observations, sometimes captured on video.

Now I am grateful for everything that Dave has taught me or for what he and others have said, that I have forgotten, but the advantage of ‘boot camp’ is that I had nothing else to think about – no domestic distractions at all.  It’s not just about the ‘blond moments’ guys - I was captive, focussed and it was great!

So busy mornings then lunch by the villa pool - not bothered, just fuel would do - and back on the water for the two afternoon races at 2.30. ‘Team Swiss’ were great competitors and filled the ‘gap’ felt by the absence of those from home - that of good humour, skill and gentle, competitive rivalry.  Sharing the leeward mark with asymmetrics in full flight was exciting – ‘starboard’ calls covered for the sense of sheer panic or rather fear!  Thankfully, and by popular demand, as the week progressed, we raced apart.

Then, there was time for a play on something new with or without tutor support, or one-to-one tuition, both of which I did. RS200, Laser SB3 and RS500 – tried them! Out of the harbour into 3-4 metre waves on an SB3 was fabulous.  On the ‘wire’ of the RS500 – well, if there’s a proficient someone out there who needs crew, call, because the trapeze could be my new love!

Then it’s evening - a meal as you wish.  Port Fornells is easy 15 minute stroll away – many restaurants offer a ‘set menu’ for around 10 Euro.  Easy on the wine! Minorca Gin smells deliciously intoxicating and is served in huge spherical glasses that would house a goldfish well.  A definite ‘no’ after a day on the water – be warned!

What else did I learn: lots and I gained a sense of being more consolidated within. It was a joy to be sailing all day for a whole week, in good company, with warm sunshine in the glorious setting of this natural, almost tide-free, harbour.

It’s a great venue for individuals and families alike – must be really ‘alive’ in the school holidays and with crèches and sailing groups for quite young children, a parental haven as well. Fancy being 4 years old in charge of your own-sized windsurfing board ... what a dream! 

Would I go again?  Well, my leave application has already been approved! Do I have any pics?  Sorry, no – too busy! Oh, except I did take this one of a mostly ‘packed up’ site just before alighting the coach to the airport – well, it proves I was there. (The Ed. will no doubt have a pic. of something to compensate for my failings – it’ll be under the ‘mishaps’ category, 190530!  History section?)

Happy Sailing!

Christine

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