NZL EUROPEAN OPTI TEAM 2008

REPORT 1 - 29/06/2008
As with the North American Team we were also delayed leaving Auckland resulting in a 41 hour trip to Riva del Garda including a good selection of European airports!!!
        We arrived at 1am but the kids handled it pretty well and had boats sorted and on the water for a nice 2 hour sail later that day.
The promised 'Ora' wind arrives promptly at 1pm am each day and has varied between 12 and 18 knots. In the morning the 'pella' is blowing the other way down the lake and there are lots of windsurfers out very early enjoying this.
        The kids have been doing there drills and then joining in the races with the other countries. We have been really fortunate in that the German team has offered to share their coach boat with us so we are able to get Winton out on the water to support the kids. With the temperature around 31 this is great although they are only scheduling 2 races most days.
The introduction to the German Team came from one of theirs sailors 'Lief' who sailed in the P Class Nat's at Torbay and is about to come down to NZ to attend McCleans College and sail a 420. He has earned himself some good brownie points!
There are great vantage points for watching the sailors ranging from cafes for the Mums to some great mountain biking trails through tunnels and along an old road ledged around the huge rock face along the side of the course. Pete has ridden up there and you can look straight down on the course from a great height. He estimates the sailors were outnumbered by the windsurfers 5 to 1 and there were at least 120 optis out there!
The Team stayed in a very old hotel within the old medieval part of the town for the first 3 nights but have now been moved to another one just a short distance away. They still eat at the old one in the town square which is run by a very strict Italian 'Mama' so they have to behave. The house red is very passable!
        It is a 5 minute walk to the yacht club through the square, past the restaurants and ancient towers and forts.
Today we all went down the lake in a ferry to another old town and then up a gondola to 2000m for amazing views up and down the lake. A great morning ending with pizzas and gelatos in the old town before the ferry trip back through all the windsurfers and another 2 hours on the water.
Tomorrow is the practice race which we will be using to get the kids in routine for race day.
All are having a great time in this amazing part of the world. Kids are relaxed but really looking forward to the racing.

Ciao