The GP14 Class Association just announced that they sold their 70-boat allocation for the 2017 GP14 Nationals in 29 days! This makes it now officially the most popular since 2004, which was a couple of years before I joined what is now the Welsh Harp Sailing Club.
This year, the National are at Looe Sailing Club, in Cornwall, on 6 Aug - 11 Aug 2017. I hope to stay with relatives in Cornwall that week. I suspect that bookings will be hard to come by in Looe that week.
This will be my second Nationals. The first ever time was in 2015, in Brixham, Devon, when the fleet was about 45 boats, and the sailing was in Tor Bay. This time, the fleet will be significantly bigger, and the venue is more open. The World Championships were held there a few years ago, and the waves were the stuff of legend.
Joining me in 13941 will be Simon Carman. Simon has crewed for me a couple of times this year already. He has previously done some sea sailing as a youngster, and is just returning to the sport. So he has loads of experience and confidence. Although we were back of the fleet at the club racing the last couple of outings, I think we will gell together well as a team. His wife, Gill, also sails, but it is Simon who is the real "competitor".
Our plan is to build on our teamwork on Saturday morning practice, and club racing. We are also hopeful that we can do Tuesday racing during the summer as well. It will all be time on the water, which will help us get our techniques honed. For sea experience, I want to go back to Tollesbury this year, and maybe Poole, which is the week before the Nationals.
I've been back at the gym, with help from Andy Howell, who has been a Personal Trainer for me for a number of years. The emphasis for the next few months will be on cardio and building "recovery time".
The Welsh Harp Sailing Club has had an amazing turnout for the Nationals this year. A total of 12 boats are signed up. The list includes some of the best sailers in the club:
- Tomasz Szkola
- Steve Cooper
- Maciej Matyjaszczuk & Jim Dimond
- Edward Coyne & Szymon Matyjaszczuk
- Andy Wadsworth & Andy Shrimpton
- Roger Walton & Helen Allen
- Lesley Kaye & Nick Masters
- Richard Connett
- Ruslan Scutelnic ("Scooter") & Alexandru Scutelnic
- Lydia Evans
- Alistair Lambert & Karen Wilson
I think that makes WHSC the biggest club represented at the Nationals this year.
The social events will be something to look forward to, as well.
I intend to keep a blog going as we head towards the big event...
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