What an amazing sailing season in 2018
It started off by winning all the main trophies in the Thames A rater at Bourne End Week including the Overall championships and Queens Cup in late May
Thanks in the main to my crew Simon Blake and James Warren, who knew my mind was elsewhere with organisation of my Commodores Cup team entry;-It was difficult sometimes to keep focused with so much to organise.
Adventurer,GBR 4013
That was 2 weeks later followed by success in Captaining the Celtic Team to victory in the Commodores Cup. A very tiring week on the Solent based from Cowes raced in everything from flat calm to gale force conditions.
This event started in 1992 after the demise of the Admirals Cup and is for International 3 yacht teams and was the first time a Scottish team had won the trophy:- it ranks right up there with everything else I have done as it is one of the most meritorious trophies to win in World Yachting
Significantly we had a lot of young people (under 25s) in the team who were certainly not overawed by the competition.It was one of my proudest moments lifting the trophy which I did in a “towel kilt” as I had not wanted to push my luck by having my wife bring down the real article.
It was one of my proudest moments lifting the trophy which I did in a “towel kilt” as I had not wanted to push my luck by having my wife bring down the real article.
Celtic Team,Commodores Cup winners
We had been invited to a wedding in Sicily, which was during Cowes Week which is almost the first thing inked into the calendar every year:-so we were declining the invitation. Debbie looked at me at the Celebration dinner after the Commodores Cup and said.
“Well you really don’t need to do Cowes Week this year Do You?
I had no excuse and and went to a marvellous Sicilian wedding in full kilt as demanded by the groom’s mother:- very hot and sweaty.
The year was capped by winning the Braganza Bowl at Tamesis in the A Rater in winds of 35 knots.
We capsized before the start of the first Race but still managed a second position and eventually won the series overall.
Yup a great year.