Training Log Archive: hilarity

Event: Mauritius Ocean Classic
 

About 50 of us were relegated to the inside of the reef - the 'inexperienced' paddlers and the majority of the women's field. !! If I hadn't been sick I would have pushed my case for the outside the reef course as I met the criteria of one international event and 20 downwinds in my life.

Anyway, this was a hard slog in water about a foot deep (not joking) with rocks all over the place but gorgeous scenery. The start was a typical ocean race shamozzle as they made us all paddle upwind until the SUP start, when they had us turn and drift back to the 20m wide start line. In 20kt+ winds we were all fighting to stay behind the start and about 10 of us ended up wide of the buoy trying to avoid rocks and each other.

So when the horn sounded one of the other boats outside the start line (a double) turned directly in front of me and headed for the buoy! I know Dean Gardiner starts have a certain degree of flexibility (right, Wally?) so I wasn't worried about being wide of the start, but now I had to backpaddle to avoid t-boning this stupid double.

The rest of the way was pretty slow and with numerous rock crunches, but I did manage to beat Karen who was telling anyone who would listen that she would have done a lot better if she hadn't picked up weed - twice - when I passed her there was no weed on her rudder!

Anyway, I won't be going back next year in case conditions are that mad again and I'm not allowed to do the realrace! And I' m probably cured of paddling, I ended up 46th of about 55 in the race for the inexperienced. I'm just not built for this!!

C • Flexible starts 1

Went the other way from the resort today, about 5km until we found the rock fall that has closed the road from the finish to the start and made things very tricky getting people car shuffled.

Managed to hack uo something yucky which helped with my breathing but my throat is now so sore that I think I'll be skipping the race, doesn't look like much fun anyway. I just want to be at home!

I'm sick and shouldn't have been out there but I got partnered with Oscar Chalupsky! 4km cruise down to the start for us slow folks, then our fast partners found us and tried to tow us back into 20kt winds.

I'm much sicker now, hopefully I improve tmrw.

Flu or something. Achy , coughing, tired and I don't even want to drink cocktails!

C • cocktails will make you feel better 4

Nous chercerons la commencement de la competition. Je ne suis pas sur si nous avons vraiment le trouver mais quand meme nous avons un bon cycle.

I decided I needed some remount practice, just in case, and Karen and Wesley joined me. I sorted out the side saddle method easily, then got blown over rocks on my fourth remount and scraped up my legs and feet. Typical.