Alex & John

A new Boat, A new Season

2008-10-12T20:14:00.011+11:00

Today was the start of the 2008/2009 18 Footer season. And boy did I know it. John and the boys have been working until 1am getting the new boat ready! So what's new. The only good thing about the long hours is that I have SO much work on so I too had to work... That was until Starwars convinced me to come out and watch the start of the race. Great decision - it was a stunning day on the harbour! Bring on summer.

Anyway, for all of those who care, some pics of the new boat...

They won the start...

PS - if your wondering about the results, it was a handicap race. Typical ridiculous handicaps with those in charge insisting 'it's all automatic'! Either way, the boys sailed well.

Life after the WIN

2008-09-25T22:00:00.007+10:00

Well, can you believe it? John actually won the 2008 Moth World Championships!!!!!!

It was all very exciting and a great result!

The whirlwind of that last day of racing ended with us taking home a HUGE trophy! The next morning at 5am we attempted to pack the car then drive to London Heathrow to start our holiday in Greece. We got a bit lost... but made our flight which was lucky. They even let us on the plane with the mountains of bags and the big box with the trophy! What a circus.

Anyway, what can I say. Greece was AMAZING. Two weeks on the trusty "Apollo" catamaran and our fellow passengers - the rest of the Harris clan. Many stories, wonderful moments and about 1,200 photos. Then two days in Athens.

Then home.

The bad news is that after such a fabulous trip it has taken me a solid 2 months to get over the post-holiday depression.... back to reality as they say.

I guess it's not all bad - we are off to America on Saturday to visit Andrew, Sandy & Oscar! Yay!

Anyway, I will post photos when I get time.

P.S. sorry for not updating the blog - my fault (not John's). There have been a few complaints... and I did not even think anyone reads this this!

Stay tuned...

The Moth World Champ, me and the HUGE trophy! On some remote Greek Island...

Santorini

Athens

PRESS RELEASE: 11 July 2008 – Aussie White Wash at Moth Worlds!

2008-07-11T21:02:00.000+10:00

Australian John Harris has sailed away with the 2008 title as World Champion in the Moth Class with one race to spare. With third being his worst result, he has come away the clear winner.

After having a go on fellow skiff crew member Scott Babbage's Foiler Moth 18 months ago, he decided he had to take it on. Thirteen months after purchasing his own boat, and competing at the 2007 Moth World Championships at Lake Garda, Italy, he has made it to the top of the foiling game.

John Harris is a past 18 Foot Skiff World Champion, and has secured numerous Australian Championships on Sydney Harbour.

2nd and 3rd place were also taken by fellow Australians Andrew McDougall and Mathew Belcher consecutively – making the Aussies easy winners in the Ashes series for 2008.

It was an Aussie white wash at the worlds with the Poms being annihilated in the Ashes series – particularly painful on the Brits home turf.

The final day of the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships featured the last 3 races of the series, in conditions similar to yesterday. The fleet were sent out in the morning for the first 2 races in conditions averaging 18 knots gusting to 27. After lunch, winds were stronger at an average of 20 knots.

Top five places in each of today's races were as follows:

Race 1: 1st John Harris (AUS), 2nd Scott Babbage (AUS), 3rd Mathew Belcher (AUS), 4th Andrew Brown (NZL), 5th Alex Knight (GBR).

Race 2: 1st Andrew McDougall (AUS), 2nd Bora Gulari (USA), 3rd John Harris (AUS), 4th Mathew Belcher (AUS), 5th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI).

Race 3: 1st Andrew McDougall (AUS), 2nd John Harris (AUS), 3rd Elco Boers (NED), 4th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI), 5th James Owen-Smith (AUS).

Top British spot was secured by Alex Knight (GBR) who finished 6th – with no mention in any of the form guides he snuck in as a dark horse on his Bladerider. Second Brit was Graham Vials (GBR) in 7th spot, also riding a Bladerider. Competition favourite Simon Payne (GBR) finished 8th overall and ex-Olympian Adam May (GBR) finished 14th in his new British made Velociraptor.

USA favourite Bora Gulari was unable to complete the series due to other sailing commitments, however, he thoroughly enjoyed his time here at the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships and secured 20th spot. He is particularly looking forward to sailing in home waters in at the 2009 Moth World Championships in The Gorge, Portland USA.

Sam England (AUS) dominated the female competition, coming 16th overall, giving many of the men a good run for their money. The other ladies in the fleet finished as follows: Florence Beal (SUI) 55th, Helen Rollinson (GBR) 64th, Clare Dallimore (GBR) 77th, Katherine Knight (GBR) 79th.

French celebrity Sebastian Josse (FRA) finished 23rd and is looking forward to the next World Championships in Portland, USA.

The Swiss contingent was led by Arnaud Psarofaghis, who had an impressive result of 4th overall. At just 19 years of age, Psarofaghis is showing strong potential for future events.

The Junior competition was strong with some fantastic talent coming up through the ranks. Sten-Mark Bachmann from Estonia finished 11th overall which is extremely impressive at just 16 years of age.

Top 10 Final Series Places were as follows:

1st John Harris (AUS)
2nd Andrew McDougall (AUS)
3rd Mathew Belcher (AUS)
4th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)
5th Scott Babbage (AUS)
6th Alex Knight (GBR)
7th Graham Vials (GBR)
8th Simon Payne (GBR)
9th Glenn Raphael (UAE)
10th Andrew Brown (NZL)

Other placing's in the event were as follows:

1st Masters title (over 45yrs) had Andrew McDougall (AUS).
1st Female sailor was Sam England (AUS).
1st Junior (18 years and younger as of 31 December 2008) – Sten-Mark Bachmann (EST).
1st Non-Foiler (Skiff, scow) – Russell Wheeler (GBR).

European Champions:
1st Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)
2nd Alex Knight (GBR)
3rd Graham Vials (GBR)
4th Simon Payne (GBR)
5th Sten-Mark Bachmann (EST)

The full results are available at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy web site at www.wpnsa.org.uk/results

Photo of 2008 Moth World Champion John Harris by Thierry Martinez – www.thmartinez.com
For more information on the moth class please go to the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org
For more information on CST Composites and their products go to www.cstcomposites.com & www.carbonfibreexpress.com
For more information on the World Championships event contact the Media Officer – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com
For information about television material contact producer@sailing-tv.tv

PRESS RELEASE: 10 July 2008 - Australia's Successful bid for the 2011 Moth World Championships

2008-07-10T21:28:00.001+10:00

The International Moth Class Association has selected Belmont, Australia as the venue for the 2011 Moth World Championships.

Situated on Lake Macquarie, 90 minutes North of Sydney, Belmont will provide ideal conditions for the large fleet of Moths expected at the regatta. Belmont 16' Skiff Sailing Club will host the event, and given it's recent experience with the OK Dinghy World Championship in 2006, other large regattas and the upcoming A Class World Championship, the 16' Skiff Club will have the experience and resources to put together a successful championship.

A long standing record of 95 boats competed in the last Moth Worlds on Lake Macquarie in 1995, yet that record should be smashed in January 2011 given the explosive interest in the Foiling Moth fleet, and the ramping up of production from builders around the globe.

The local Australian Moth fleet has been re-energized by their successful bid. Australian 49er Olympians Chris Nicholson and Nathan Outteridge have both expressed interest in competing as have Rohan Veal and Emmett Lazich with a move to rejoin the class and recapture their World Champion titles past. Given recent successes from Australian 18' Skiff sailors John Harris and Scott Babbage, several other 18 sailors may make the now well-worn transition into what is arguably the highest perfomance dinghy on the planet. Given the swelling ranks of talented sailors and newcomers to the class, their ascension to the front of the fleet will be hard fought.

Summer conditions on Lake Macquarie are usually hot, dry and sunny, with regular North-East seabreezes regularly over 20 knots. These conditions will be ideal for the expected fleet of well over 100 foiling Moths.

For more information, please see the International Moth Class Association of Australia www.moth.asn.au or the Belmont 2011 Moth World Champs web site http://mothworldsbelmont2011.blogspot.com or contact Phil Stevenson at phil@moth.asn.au

PRESS RELEASE: 9 July 2008 – Moth Class News and a Speed Challenge

2008-07-09T02:46:00.001+10:00

The fourth day of the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships has been cancelled due to too much wind with gusts over 30 knots continuing.

However, the sailors spirits were lifted late yesterday afternoon when the event organisers allowed them out into Portland Harbour for a 'Speed Challenge'. Each boat was given a Velocitek to record their fastest 10 second average in over 25 knots of breeze.

Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) came away with the impressive 10 second average speed of 26.1 knots; James Owen-Smith (AUS) came in second with 25.9 knots and Martin Gravare (SWE) third with 25.4 knots. The photos attached tell the story of a fun afternoon had by all.

The big news for today was the four hour International Moth Class Association Annual General Meeting. Class President Mark Robinson is delighted by the unprecedented interest coming from all corners of the globe. With 18 nations represented at the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships, and a raft of fabulous proposals to host future events coming from various countries, the room took the time to vote on which options would be in the best interest for the growth of the Moth Class.

The next three year's Moth World Championships were confirmed at this meeting, as follows:

- 2009 Moth World Championships will be held in The Gorge, Portland USA from 5th to 14th August 2009.

- 2010 Moth World Championships will be held in Dubai, UAE in April 2010.

- 2011 Moth World Championships will be held on Lake Macquarie, Australia in January 2011.

Further, the 2009 European Championships will be held in Kiel, Germany in June next year.

The WPSA Race Committee have amended the 2008 Championship sailing instructions to allow racing tomorrow to commence as one fleet. This will make for some spectacular sailing with almost 100 boats lining up on the start line.

The forecast for tomorrow's weather is for kinder conditions of under 20 knots, so they are aiming for at least 4 races tomorrow, and as many as possible on Friday, the last day of the event.

Photos by Thierry Martinez – www.thmartinez.com
For more information on the moth class please go to the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org
For more information on CST Composites and their products go to www.cstcomposites.com & www.carbonfibreexpress.com
For more information on the World Championships event contact the Media Officer – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com
For information about television material contact producer@sailing-tv.tv

John Harris.

The wild conditions.

The fleet launching.

The Sights and funny stuff....

2008-07-08T22:39:00.013+10:00

Well, it's 3pm and we still wait... because it's still too windy AGAIN! The race committee will see what the situation is at 4pm today. Considering I have been here since 8am, that makes it a very long day.

Not to mention - what do I write about???? That's 4 days of no sailing!

Everyone is getting extremely bored and frustrated.

There are, however, interludes of funny stuff. Check out Simon Payne's blog titled "The Revenge of Gaia".

Also, some pics below of the sights.

Our home: Tompot Cottage and the crew - John, Scott, Karina & Ben.

PRESS RELEASE: 8 July 2008 – The Moth Waiting Game

2008-07-08T02:57:00.000+10:00

The third day of the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships has been cancelled due to too much wind with gusts between 20 and 32 knots continuing.

Sailors are now getting disappointed after four days now of not being able to get on the water, and the forecast for tomorrow is not looking good. The race committee is more hopeful for Thursday and Friday, however, the number of races for the championship is rapidly diminishing.

At the sailor's briefing at 9.30am, the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy race committee indicated that the sailing instructions have been amended to reduce the number of qualifying races to four with one drop. However, with the end of the race period closing in fast, they will be more willing to send sailors out in the upper limits of the wind spectrum of 25 knots.

With many hours being spent sitting around the boat park waiting over the last few days a favourite pastime of Moth Sailors is checking out each others boats and innovations.

One of the leaders in current thinking of how to make the foiling Moth faster is Adam May (GBR)

Adam has been sailing foiling Moths for about 4 years and is the current secretary of the International Moth Class Association. He joined the class after finishing 6th in his Olympic campaign in the Tornado in Sydney 2000, then missing selection for Athens in 2004, he jumped to the foiling moths. His resume includes designing a number of moths over the years, the latest being the Velociraptor, with each of his 4 different designs competing at this regatta.

"Apart from the exhilaration of sailing these boats, I really enjoy the camaraderie of the people involved. Competitors willingly share and discuss ideas about design, boat settings, and moth sailing in general… There are very few other boats I'd want to be involved in, and I plan on attending numerous Moth World Championships because after two 3rds I'd like to think I can better that result, and have many more years in the class considering there are some inspirational older class members still foiling around at over twice my age".

Photo by Alexandra Harris – alex@sailingbits.com of the CST branded Moths ready to set sail.
For more information on the moth class please go to the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org
For more information on CST Composites and their products go to www.cstcomposites.com & www.carbonfibreexpress.com
For more information on the World Championships event contact the Media Officer – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com
For information about television material contact producer@sailing-tv.tv

PRESS RELEASE: 7 July 2008 - Moth Girls Brighten the Gloom

2008-07-07T21:41:00.003+10:00

The second day of the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships has been cancelled due to too much wind with gusts between 30 and 40 knots continuing.

Sailors are getting extremely anxious after three days of not being able to get on the water and resorted to watching the movie Top Gun and running an impromptu seminar by boat manufacturers on the future development of the class.

The Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy race committee will re-assess the conditions for tomorrow.

Despite the last few days of sailing cancelled, Sam England (AUS), Clare Dallimore (GBR), Helen Rollinson (GBR), Katherine Knight (GBR) and Florence Beal (SUI) are the five female foilers in the event who are especially happy to be at the regatta.

The girls are looking forward to taking on the guys in the racing and think they can give them a run for their money. Sam England (AUS) "It's a physical boat to sail, but heaps of fun. Both the sailing and the social aspect of the class are better than most classes, and as long as your willing to put the time in, it's a great class for female sailors because you don't need to be heavy, just fit and have the skills."

The moth class is as diverse in sailors (the youngest is 17 the oldest 65) as it is in boat designs. New boats coming on the market include a low cost entry level version of the Bladerider – the FX – and cut down sails have long been an option in high winds. Katherine Knight (GBR) has a 7 square metre KA sail that some of the guys are looking enviously at given the 40 knot winds.

Photo by Thierry Martinez – www.thmartinez.com
For more information on the moth class please go to the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org
For more information on CST Composites and their products go to www.cstcomposites.com & www.carbonfibreexpress.com
For more information on the World Championships event contact the Media Officer – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com
For information about television material contact producer@sailing-tv.tv

Top Gun

2008-07-07T20:05:00.015+10:00

Gold!

Apparently it's tradition to watch Top Gun while waiting to sail in the Moth class - so that's what we do, while we wait. Again.

30 to 40 knots again today and sailing has been cancelled. I am not sure how long I can keep my enthusiasm up! More press releases about... nothing.

Anyway, after we got the official word it was cancelled yesterday we went up to the Portland light house - pics below.

Waiting...

2008-07-06T22:05:00.008+10:00

Yesterday we waited.

Today we are waiting....

Too much wind. Which is interesting, particularly for a place that is renowned to be light wind!

We woke this morning to the sound of pounding seas, rain and howling wind! At that point I decided I would not be going out in a Rib, but stay in the club and watch from the window. (Apparently this is summer!!!!).

It's about lunchtime now and in hind-sight, it's a shame the race committee did not send the fleet out mid-morning because there was a window of opportunity of about 18 knots, gusting to 23. I wish they had started. What am I going to write about in my press release today???

Unsure as to if they will sail tomorrow either! First the forecast was good (15-20), but apparently the latest forecast is for it to be blowing. Again.

Oh well.

Remember to keep up to date with the WAGS reports at www.int-moth.org.uk

See below a few pics taken yesterday while the sun shone.

The 'Media Centre' in the cafeteria.

Boat work in the hanger.

Bladerider Boat work Centre in the hanger.

The boat park.

Simon Payne, 2006 World Champ and current regatta favourite playing with his Moth!

PRESS RELEASE: 6 July 2008 - CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships – Weymouth UK 5-11 July 2008

2008-07-06T21:47:00.001+10:00

The CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships has had the first day of scheduled racing cancelled due to too much wind with gusts between 30 and 40 knots.

Sailors are getting anxious after 2 days of not being able to get on the water.

The Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy race committee will re-assess the situation for tomorrow.

The event organisers are pleased to report there will be television coverage of the event and material is available to broadcasters. Coverage will also be available on www.sailing-tv.tv.

For more information on the moth class please go to the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org
For more information on CST Composites and their products go to www.cstcomposites.com & www.carbonfibreexpress.com
For more information on the World Championships event contact the Media Officer – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com
For information about television material contact producer@sailing-tv.tv

PRESS RELEASE: 5 July 2008 - CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships – Weymouth UK 5-11 July 2008

2008-07-05T20:35:00.001+10:00

The largest ever fleet of foiling moths have assembled for the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships.

With 99 entries from 18 countries, it is the second largest fleet of Moths to attend a world title event and Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy is a hive of activity with sail measurement and much preventative maintenance taking place.

With such a large fleet, the boats will be split into two groups for the first three days of the qualifying series to determine who will be selected for the Gold and Silver fleets. The final two days will be a sail-off to determine the event champion.

Unfortunately the invitation race scheduled for today has been cancelled due to too much wind. Conditions from Monday are forecast to be more conducive to foiling with 15 to 20 knots, with conditions further easing later in the week.

Regatta favourites Simon Payne (GBR) and Scott Babbage (AUS) have been performing solidly in the lead-up sailing, however in the breezier conditions some other contenders have been performing well in practice races including John Harris and Andrew McDougall from Australia and Arnaud Psarofaghis from Switzerland.

French sailing champion Sébastien Josse has taken time out from his busy schedule preparing for Vendée Globe [the round world non-stop single handed sailing race] campaign to join the Foiling Moth ranks on his Bladerider. "I am going there to sail a bit, but mostly to learn because there are loads of little tuning and tricks to know that I would take hours to pick up because I am not very experienced sailing a foiling moth. After a week of sailing I will know the basics. I get on well with Rohan Veal [2007 world champion] and I count on him to give me advice so that when I get back to France I will know how to handle the boat more. Anyway, the physical training is good training for the Vendée Globe".

The International Moth Class Association President – Mark Robinson is excited with influx of new competitors to the Moth class "there is so much interest in the event and the word is spreading about the foiling Moth. It is very exciting to be involved in the Moth Class at this time".

Photos by Alan Henderson – www.fotoboat.com
For more information on the moth class please go to the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org
For more information on CST Composites and their products go to www.cstcomposites.com & www.carbonfibreexpress.com
For more information on the World Championships event contact the Media Officer – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com

PRESS RELEASE: 27 June 2008 - CST Composites Moth World Championships - Weymouth UK 5-11 July 2008

2008-06-27T21:52:00.000+10:00

PRESS RELEASE: 27 June 2008

CST Composites Moth World Championships – Weymouth UK 5-11 July 2008

Over the next 7 days the largest ever fleet of foiling moths will begin gathering in Weymouth for the CST Composites Moth World Championships.

A fleet of 80 – 100 boats is expected with competitors coming from all corners of the globe.

As more sailors master the tricky art of hydrofoil sailing there is expected to be much greater depth at the top of the fleet than at Lake Garda in 2007 when foil master Rohan Veal walked away with the title.

2006 World Champion and defending European Champion Simon Payne recently showed his good form with a clear win in the UK National Championships held in Weymouth. Payne has been putting in a big effort to win back his title and is sure to be a contender this time around. Payne says "I feel OK about this event, I understand there are factors I can't control and contenders I've never met, but compared to last year I feel well prepared and I'm happy to be coming into this event after winning the UK nationals."

Others who will be vying for top honours include Australian Champion Mat Belcher and last years World Championship runner up Scott Babbage who says he feels much better prepared than this time last year. "I am coming off 4 months preparation rather than only 2 months last time around. I have much more confidence in my equipment making it through the event, however, I don't think I have the same speed advantage that I had last time – that's going to make it difficult to better my last year's number 2 finish".

With development of hulls and foils becoming more focussed on fine-tuning over the past 12 months many of the top competitors have turned their attention to their rigs in a constant search for speed.

The new CST 40mm high modulus mast has quickly found its place on most boats at the front of the fleet with the windage gains over the previous 51mm masts being exploited.

The fit between event sponsor CST Composites and the Moth class is a natural one as Manager Clive Watts notes: "CST has been affiliated with the Moth Class for many years and shares a common interest in development, innovation and performance. The timing of sponsoring the 2008 World Championships coincided perfectly with the introduction of our new high modulus spar technology and new online store www.carbonfibreexpress.com "

For more information on the moth class please go to the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org
For more information on CST Composites and their products go to www.cstcomposites.com & www.carbonfibreexpress.com
For more information on the World Championships event contact the Media Officer – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com

Moth Training

2008-06-02T15:45:00.002+10:00

Yesterday John went for a sail, and yes, I was requested to take some pics. Below are two (of the 200) photos I took.

Note the new CST Composites mast and boom, and sponsorship from CarbonFibreExpress.com

Despite it being winter, it was a beautiful day, with a hundred or so other yachts racing in the CYCA Winter Series. We live in a stunning city!

Sydney harbour, Rose Bay, 1 June 2008.

PRESS RELEASE: The CST Composits International Moth World Championships 2008

2008-05-15T11:24:00.002+10:00

PRESS RELEASE
15 May 2008

The CST Composites International Moth World Championships 2008 will be held between the 5th and 11th July at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in the United Kingdom.

The event is tipped to have the largest fleet of Foiler Moths ever assembled.

The 2007 Champion and ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2007 nominee Rohan Veal will not be competing in the event to defend his title, however, there is still almost two months until the event so this could change.

There is wide speculation doing the internet rounds as to who will win this year, and by all reports the top 15 competitors are all in with a good chance. This should make for a spectacular regatta with the final winner worthy of the crown.

Being held in the UK, there will be a strong contingent of Pommies doing their thing, however, there will be competitors flying in from around the world – Australia, Austria, USA, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and many more. Event organisers are predicting over 100 boats which will make for a spectacular event.

With the Aussies taking out the Ashes in 2007, the Pommies look to be attempting a come-back. Competition will be stiff.

Apart from the usual rivalry between countries, the big competition will be between the different boat designs – will it be a Bladerider whitewash like last year? Or has Prowler done enough design changes to take them on? Or will the new Velociraptor blow them all away at it's first outing? Then there are the Home Builders who always do the class proud with their creative designs.

Contenders for the crown include Simon Payne (GBR), 2006 World Champion and 3rd in 2007; Scott Babbage (AUS), 2nd in 2007; Adam May (GBR), 3rd in 2006 and designer of the Velociraptor; Andrew McDougall (AUS), 6th in 2007 and designer of the Bladerider; newcomer Bora Gulari (USA) who is putting in hours on the water; Graham Vials (GBR) who is always a contender for the title; another newcomer Mat Belcher (AUS) who recently won the Australian Championships despite being new to the class.

For a taste of what is to come, please see attached photo from the 2007 International Moth World Championships held on Lake Garda, Italy.

If you would like any further information, please visit the International Moth Class Association web site at www.moth-sailing.org or contact the Media Officer for the event – Alexandra Harris at alex@sailingbits.com

Photo by Alexandra Harris, Lake Garda Italy 2007.

Off the Air

2008-05-10T09:54:00.003+10:00

Yep, that's been me. Off the air. Working. Head down as they say (I hate the rest of that expression).

Anyway, the mayhem at work should hopefully begin to normalise soon.... hopefully. After 15 May we will be dealing with the stragglers and trying to finish off the season. Then it's into the new financial year.

Enough about work (even though that's pretty much all I have been doing!).

SailingBits.com is coming along which is great! Keeps us interested and we have more new products to add too! Exciting stuff.

We are also on the count-down to going to Weymouth UK at the end of June... that 'holiday' can't come soon enough. It's been a long and exhausting year. I can see the light at the end of that tunnell now...

My parents have also moved to the country so I am trying to get up there at least once a month to see them, get away and ride my horses. It's just too far for me to drive on my own after an exhausting week at work, so I have been lucky enough to travel with various friends and family (because yes, John goes sailing every spare minute of every day... lucky me!).

Getting way to the country is good for the heart. And being. I wish I could get away more often!

Anyway, a reminder that (because I am the Media Officer), The CST Composites 2008 International Moth World Championships will be held in Weymouth UK between 5th and 11th July 2008. I will be there so be sure to tune in for updates!

Crash Test Dummy

2008-04-13T18:15:00.003+10:00

That was me today.

I finally had my first go on the Moth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We rose early, I danced around with excitement, then we arrived at the sailing club to what was forecast as 10-12 knots. But there was nothing. After some waiting, a coffee with Matt, then more debating, the southerly filled in and we decided it was time to hit the water.

Lucky for me Matt decided to come along and help out, so the two of us putted out into Rose Bay in the tinnie while John sailed the Moth. Then it was time for me to jump on.

You know what - it's hard!!!!!!!!!!!

As far as I was concerned I was crap. But apparently I did OK. I can tell you there were a lot of crashes, swimming and drinking about 10 litres of Sydney Harbour. But it was also FUN!!!

WOOOHOOO!!!!!! With a big smile on my face as we took off. Literally.

John sailed two-up with me so I could kind of get the hang of it and help me when we (frequently) capsized. Climbing back in I am too short to grab the mainsheet... although I am sure it's just my lack of technique.

Anyway, we had a few good rides in the gusty 12-14 knots. And now I understand what John means when he says that sailing a foiling moth is the opposite to normal sailing!

As soon as it's out of the water it just takes off... at speeeeeeeddddd. And the strangest thing of all is that it's totally silent. There are no waves gently kissing the hull... there is nothing (apart from me going wooohooo!). Then the crash!

There are no photos to prove that I took it on. But I sure have the bruises to show!

I can't wait to have another go!

My new job... as Moth Worlds Media Officer!

2008-04-02T19:18:00.001+11:00

Yep, I am not really sure how it happend... but it did. And you know what - I'm up for the challenge! It will be lots of work but I think it will be fun.

I'm into it - got my lists and spreadsheets going already!

Of course I expect everyone to read the daily race reports and will be sure to upload photos.

I probably don't need more work on top of my 12hr days... but oh well.

The biggest problem is having time to read all the various Moth web sites and blogs that are updated almost daily! Besides, I will need to be up on all the goss before I get there...

Stay posted.

It's been a while...

2008-03-14T13:21:00.003+11:00

Sorry!

Yes, it's been way too long and I guess the blog enemy FB kind of took over...

Anyway, the good news is that this past few months has been a lot of work, work, work. That is not to say that we didn't have a fabulous Christmas in Orange with the family; or that the 18 Footer Worlds were not a big event; or that I have not been taking thousands of photos with my now not-so-new camera. All of this is true but the sad fact is that we have not had time to attend to our Blogging committments!

The good news is that the blogging should start up again - especially with our upcoming trip to the UK and Greece in June & July. Can't wait!!

The purpose of the trip was primarily to attend the 2008 Moth Worlds in Weymouth UK. However, we will be tacking on 2 weeks in Greece with the rest of the Harris clan which will be fabulous! A once in a lifetime opportunity to cruise the Greek Islands.

On the Mothing front - after lots of debate, John has got a new Bladerider... and I can't wait to have a go!!!!

It is a bit controvertial because Scott Babbage and Simon Payne have both gone with the Prowler camp this time. Oh, and also apparently Rohan Veal won't be sailing this year which means he won't get to defend his convincing world title crown.

Anyway, stay 'posted' for more updates and pics.

Disaster Looms for the Reef

2007-10-13T14:41:00.000+10:00

I wake to Saturday morning's papers and tea - bliss!

However, as I page through the SMH Good Weekend (Oct 13) I come to the article by John van Tiggelen "The Tropical Time Bomb". Having recently visited the Whitsunday's and been disappointed with our snorkeling experience and lack of colourful coral, I decided this would be a particularly interesting article to read.

It is clear from the article that disaster looms large as the Great Barrier Reef dies. The scientific research indicates that global warming, rising sea temperatures, the occurrence of extreme weather events and increased ocean acidity are all symptoms of the world's reluctance to cut greenhouse emissions.

Although I am a fan of hot weather, it appears that we are having extreme weather events and hotter summers which is causing the coral to bleach.... and die. Further, rising acidity from the oceans absorbing carbon is resulting in coral reefs around the world to die and disintegrate.

It appears that in my lifetime the once Great Barrier Reef is in danger of being wiped out and this is a disaster.

I think back to my 12th birthday (some 19 year ago) when Mum packed me up to fly to Queensland (all by myself!) to spend a few weeks with my cousins. On that trip we did many amazing things, including camping at Mission Beach and taking a trip out to the Reef.

My memory is of vivid colours and it being far, far more beautiful and colourful than any photograph could ever capture. The fish, giant electric blue clams, sharks and many different types of coral. Incredible is the only way to describe it.

However, perhaps I am one of the lucky ones to have this memory. Perhaps it will never be like this ever again? I pity anyone who have not witnessed the beauty.

I would deeply love to visit the reef again to 1) and see how it has changed, and 2) hopefully experience the vivid colours and ocean life I remember so fondly. I hope I don't have to wait too much longer.

But more importantly, I hope the reef will be there for future generations to experience as I have.

We must all do our part to cut greenhouse emissions now - please.

Hamilton Island (and the Harris')

2007-10-03T22:32:00.000+10:00

Well, a fabulous holiday.

On Friday we arrived on the island to perfect weather, a welcoming committee of Clare & John and buggies to sweep us away to our apartment... and stunning views!

Days walking, beaching, reading and cocktails. Evenings of champas, dinners and cards (OK, Pete & Matt won 500, but wait till the next Harris holiday!).

The day on the boat to Whitehaven beach was a highlight - white sand and delicious water. The boys took up with a game of cricket (Matt flogged them), then cooled off with a beer in the water courtesy of Andrew our Captain for the day - what service!

We were then spoilt with a BBQ lunch on the boat followed by snorkeling. Unfortunately we didn't see those electric colours for which the reef is so famous - a lesson for next time. If you want to see the Great Barrier Reef you must go to the outer reef. But we had fun all the same.

Monday afternoon was cloudy so we took up the putt-putt golf challenge which was frustrating but amusing! Well done my boy John, but the real champion of the afternoon was Tiger - the 8 year old who by-passed us all with his hole-in-ones!

Tuesday it was time to venture back to Sydney, but not before sneaking in a few cocktails by the pool...

I look forward to my next trip to the Whitsunday's (perhaps cruising for a week with friends? I'm working on it).

The view from our apartment!

Hamilton by pictures

2007-10-02T20:19:00.000+10:00

The stunning view from the top (on our walk).

Swimming...

Beachtime for Beanie.

Visitors for lunch.

John the birthday boy in full Japanese birthday attire.

Soph with Japanese birthday hat and Matt!

Matt & Soph.

Beanie & Pete.

John & Clare.

Beanie, Matt, Soph & Clare - on the boat.

Waiting for lunch to cook.

After a hard morning swimming on Whitehaven.

Stunning!

The beautiful Whitsundays.

Sleepy Soph & Matt.

Mmmm.... Peter.

On the way home after a long day of swimming and snorkelling.

Zooming in the buggies!

Finishing off a great holiday with some cocktails by the pool...

More Farm Pics

2007-09-12T18:50:00.001+10:00

Boof!

John and I.

Joey and I when we went for a walk up the back valley...

Farm things...

The garden gate.

The smell of rain in the country...

Dad.

Mum.

The boy.

We went to Janine & Peter's place to see the dog.

Joey & I brushing Beauty and Jack!

Mum in the kitchen

Joey relaxing by the fire... ready to play 500

Dad on the tractor!

Joey meeting Beauty

The Horses

A Change of Pace

2007-09-10T19:45:00.000+10:00

With APEC turning our city upside-down, we took advantage of the long weekend and escaped to the oldies property - Velyama. A very early Friday morning saw us pick up Mum then Joey for the long drive west.

First stop was Katoomba in the Mountains for coffee and to pick up fresh bread for the weekend - oh, and some pastries and cakes for the trip - yum! Hominy Bakery is definitely worth a visit.

Next stop vineyards!

Yes, after some in-depth research by Joey, we stopped off at our first vineyard for a 10.30am wine tasting.

1) Logan Wines - we had some very nice wines and came away with loot! Worth a visit.

2) Andrew Harris Wines - I am not a fan. Although their top wine the Vision would be good with a hearty roast.

3) Huntington Wines - now this place always gets written up as one of the best Mudgee wineries, but in my view it was terrible! And I am not alone in that assessment. Don't wast your time with these wines - move right over to the next one (Lowes).

4) Lowes Wines - what can I say - FANTASTIC! Great wines and we were served by the lovely winemaker. A number of their wines are also grown organically, but the tip of the iceberg is that they are one of only a handful of vineyards in Australia to produce wine with the legendary Zinfandel variety (famous in the US). All the wines I tasted were great and we walked away with a lovely mixed dozen! We will all be back.

After a tipsy morning wine tasting we continued onto the farm to see Dad and have a late lunch, play with the horses, then some slept while Dad and I moved fallen trees (it's bee a while since I rode on the tractor). We finished the day with a lovely dinner, some wine and a few games of 500. Joey was new to this card game but came through with the goods! (We make a good team).

Saturday morning we were up early for a trip to Gulgong to get the paper, more supplies and horse drench. Then on the way home went via Peter & Janine's place to check on the Marama dog (anyone want one? I do!).

Joey made her famous Tex Mex 7 layer dip for lunch - yum! We all proceeded to eat too much. The afternoon was spent relaxing because it started to rain! Later in the afternoon the rain stopped and we went for a walk up the paddock to the Iris patch and kangaroo spotting. Another beautiful dinner and wine followed by a few more games of 500 - did I mention John had a shocker?

Sunday morning was beautiful and we spent it walking around the garden with Mum, then with the horses - but unfortunately we did not get to go riding this time. Jack was not himself. He had a large scratch on his back and was a very unhappy boy. Next time. Although we did manage to go for a beautiful walk up one of the valleys - peaceful.

After lunch it was time to make our way home to the big smoke. Just not long enough! But here are some pics...

Velyama

The Garden

Fanatical Facebook

2007-08-26T18:50:00.000+10:00

Well, would you know it. The world is Facebook (FB) mad! I have to say that almost everyone I know (apart from a few rebels who will come around I think eg Sophie?), lots and lots of people are on FB. And although the newspaper reports that it is a 5bn waste of time. I disagree. What's 5 min a day to stay in contact with your friends and family? Harmless.

However, needless to say the Blog has been left untouched.... Although it is not all FB fault. The main culprit is WORK. Yes, that time-sucking pass time which drains you of any and all brainpower and energy! OK, it's not that bad, but it is very busy (as usual!).

Apart from work we have been doing other things - last weekend we went to Orange to visit the Bracey's - I will put up some pics when Tiffany sends them to me.

Also, there is SailingBits.... More to come on that topic!!

Italy by pictures #4 - Sailing

2007-07-27T20:23:00.000+10:00

Long time no blog! Yes, its a long time since I have had anything useful to say apart from being ridiculously busy at work! Shame it must interrupt a life of travels and sailing...

Enough of my whinging. Some more pics. Check out the UK Moth web site - yep, my photography is famous...

http://www.int-moth.org.uk/PhotosWorlds07Alex.htm

Oh, and there will be more photos to come (Scott had them and is back from Italy) so stay tuned!

AH

Rearview Mirror

2007-07-13T21:50:00.000+10:00

So, the Moth campaign is done and dusted. Seeing as 98.7% of Moth sailors have blogs I thought I should at least make a post on the whole affair.
In summation, an awesome event in an awesome boat. A superb location and a great bunch of sailors and WAGS!!.
I liked Adam May's top ten write up so I am shamelessly plagerising his format.

Top Ten

1. Rohan Veal - in another class to the rest. Faster, Fitter and better boathandling led to an obvious conclusion - lots of gunsmoke. Had his Bladerider completed sorted, foiling high but stable. An A-grade performance.

2. Scott Babbage - a swag of silver for Scott - 2nd in the Pre-Worlds, 2nd in the Worlds & the 2nd most widely read Moth Blog (although arguably the best..)Best of the rest on a short preparation. Had the benefit of awesome uphill pace but could not keep the mast in the sky for enough of the time downhill to challenge Rohan. With more time next year will be challenging.

3. Simon Payne - had the worst possible start to his title defence when the rumoured to be bulletproof Prowler suffered a Gantry failure resulting in two DNF's. Chipped away from there to gain a great result although he could not match the pace of the top Bladeriders - who knows had it been a touch lighter and a touch flatter...

4 Sam Pascoe - could not be accused of backing off, he was generally going quick, just that he was also often flying through the air in a cartwheel. His balance on his unicycle sometimes outshone his balance through the Torbole chop. A few gantry adujstment issues and control cable failures probably stopped an even tidier scorecard.

5. Graham Vials - Sailed really well but did not get a lot of love from his boat. Another with less than perfect preparation - with more time put in and a sorted boat will be tough to beat next year.

6. Amac - had a full time job keeping team Bladerider going but also managed to squeeze in some sailing. Always looked out of control on the water but more often than not was doing one of the best jobs out there. A couple of gear failures were costly. Must take satisfaction in a job well done on the Bladerider control systems, which when they worked to their capacity were top of the line. Whatever happened to the youtube video showing off his tacking style though? It was there... then it wasn't. Bladerider Censorship Department?? Maybe that finally answers the question of what Simon Nelson actually does...

7. Jason Belben - did not seem to revel in the big conditions downhill, perhaps the setup was not quite perfect, but sailed well and consistently through the ten races.

8. Adam May - took limited preparation to a new level, launching a new boat on regatta eve. The "weapon" was full of good ideas - reducing windage and some neat touches, and the built in wing frames have to be the best way to go, though just a touch awkward to transport! Adam could be off at Weymouth in some flatter water - especially if he gets time to do some training.

9. John Harris - Before the regatta I set the goal of finishing Top Ten - this looked very unlikely when upon arriving at Garda I could not sail more than a few meters downwind without finding myself hurtling through the air... A new vertical foil helped control issues massively and tehnique improved also. Sailed a terrible race in Race 9 but otherwise was happy.

10. Les Thorpe - squeezed the best out of his Hungry Tiger. Had it going OK in a straight line but tacks and gybes were sloooow - foils not quite up to the current generation. Made up for this with minimal swimming and minimal gear failure.

When I ordered my Moth I did so with the intention of sailing the Worlds, selling the boat and then thinking about any future Mothing. Well, having been bitten by the foiling bug it would be hard to walk away...Super challenging sailing and super rewarding - I had more capsizes in 6 weeks of Moth sailing than I have had in 14 years of 18' skiff sailing. I am not sure what next year will bring but I am certainly keen to have a crack at Weymouth.
In a perfect world I will get a boat around December and after the JJ Giltinan start doing some training - hopefully I can get to a level where I can be of use as a training partner to Scott!
Anyway a couple of months now of work, thumb twiddling, socialising and cycling and then into the 18....

Italy by pictures #3 - The Sailing

2007-07-08T21:09:00.000+10:00

Some of my sailing pics...

Scott doing a mark rounding...

Rohan port-tacking the fleet... impressive stuff!

Race Start.

P.S. check out the professional photographer Oskar Kihlborg's photos (click log in then type Moth and search).

This is John having a crash!

The whole Moth Regatta!

Italy by pictures #2

2007-07-08T16:55:00.000+10:00

We are home. And what a mission it was! Almost 48hrs of after leaving Torbole we arrived in Sydney and went straight to work. I only just survived this week at work... and poor John has ended up sick.

I should note that we had a 10 hr stop-over in Zurich so went into town and looked around. Beautiful city, although being a Sunday everything was closed!

Here are some more pics from the trip. For photos from the first part of the trip check out the post Italy by pictures.

Our day in Zurich.

Meet some of the WAGS...

The WAG RIB boat AKA team photographers...

The WAG report drew a crowd daily...

Gin who 'ran' team Bladerider.

Kylie, Karina & Kylie soaking up some sun at the club.

Lia - chief WAG Report Editor.

Karina.

John with one of his broken foils!

In the boat park.

Torbole, Lake Garda (where the regatta was held and our home for almost 2 weeks).

Sirmione at the South end of Lake Garda.

Lazise on Lake Garda (from my trip to the South end of the Lake)

Photos from my walk up the Mountain above Riva.

Riva del Garda - beautiful!

An evening in Riva with Andrew & Sandy.

Boating with Andrew & Sandy... in style!

Visiting Andrew & Sandy at Villa Feltrinelli... unbelievable...

Some of the WAGS getting lost in the bush... and getting a ride with an Italian construction worker!

The Moth arrives in Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy

The wrap up

2007-06-30T19:36:00.000+10:00

Regatta over.

John finished 9th overall - which is within his top 10 aim for the regatta. Just missed out on 8th etc but he didn't have a good race today. Oh well, he beat most of the other Aussies with far less experience - fantastico!

For official results see Circolo Vella Torbole web site

Well, the presentation, then party, then home... leaving at 6am tomorrow! Ouch!!

See you all back on home turf...

Nearing the end...

2007-06-30T10:24:00.000+10:00

Last day of regatta today.

Yesterday spots 2 and 1 were decided. Rohan (AUS) smashed the field with 8 wins so far and Scott (AUS) secured 2nd spot. Team Bladerider are smashing them all!

The good news is that John is battling it out for 5th or 6th spot - amazing considering most of these other Mothies have been sailing these boats for years and years and years.

The last 2 days have been windy and choppy with 3 races a day. Consequently John has been stuffed at the end! Today will be 2 races to finish the series.

Thursday I went boating with Sandy and Andrew again and it was a bit chilly! I later found out that because of the unusual conditions (see entry below), the water temperature had dropped by 13 degrees over night!!!!!!! Yep, just because of the wind. Not only does this make it cold, but the foils cavitate in cold water = lots of capsizes!

Yesterday the water was significantly warmer than Thursday and back to normal. I joined team WAG on the RIB. I turned up looking like I was about to do the Hobart in wet weather pants and jacket. They laughed, but as soon as we got out there they all followed too! Laugh all they want.

We had the photographer in the boat so were in the thick of the action. And I got heaps of pics too.

Very exciting that Robbie T is turning up this morning to join me in the RIB. He is a potentially new Mothie...?

Anyway, I will let you know the wrap-up after today's racing... later!

Its not normally like this...

2007-06-28T10:27:00.000+10:00

Well, that's what the locals say.

We have spent the last 2 days waiting for racing to begin but to no avail.

Normally, in the morning the wind blows from the North until about 11.30am when it dies. Then it comes honking in from the South. By 1pm when racing is supposed to start, there is a solid wind and the waves are beginning to build.

On Tuesday we woke to find the breeze had not changed directions during the night and was still blowing strongly from the South. Consequently there were enormous waves breaking over the pontoon. This is not Mothing conditions. The race committee postponed until 4pm so we sat around.... About 5.30pm they called it off for the day. If they wanted to they could
actually start the race at 6pm because it does not get dark here until 9-10pm.

Yesterday we woke to a cool morning, clouds and some sprinkles of rain. Later in the day the clouds lifted and Moths were sent out to start racing. Meanwhile, I was picked up in a gorgeous wooden speedboat by Andrew, Sandy and the Captain to have a great day on the lake drinking Champagne, having lunch, sunbathing on the Day Bed and swimming.

Unfortunately racing was postponed for a few hours, then all of a sudden the race committee sent everyone in - quickly. They were expecting a huge storm and 60 knots.

We quickly cancelled the day of boating and I went in to help John and Scott unrig the Moths before the mayhem began. Lucky we didn't get 60 knots (although Andrew & Sandy got hail on the way back to the hotel in the boat!). Once again, we spent the rest of the day sitting around the club waiting to see if racing would be started later in the day... it never eventuated due to the "unusual" weather.

I must qualify that "sitting around the club" is actually quite fun! We watch the Americas Cup, chat, and update the WAGS website. Yep, we now have our own web page on the UK Moth Site. Lea who is chief Editor is hilarious! And all the Mothies and WAGS are really nice. Of course the English are a bit mad, but there are lots of Australians too.

In terms of non-Mothing exploits, after getting lost in the Mountains on Monday, some of my fellow WAGS (Karina & Kylie) decided we just had to find that Waterfall. So on Tuesday morning we made another attempt - and made it! Of course we were expecting some beautiful waterfall in the mountains with pond where we could have a dip in the crisp, clear water... No. We are in Italy. The Waterfall is a tourist attraction!

Tuesday was also the day Andrew and Sandy arrived at Lago di Garda and we went to visit them in their AMAZING hotel on Tuesday evening. They are staying in the town of Gardnano which is about 40 minutes drive from Torbole where we are. The hotel is Villa Feltrinelli which is where Mussolini lived... It is a castle on the lake with incredible
grounds, antiques everywhere, marble, flowers, trees, gold, fresco's... the list goes on. Imagine the most incredible Ville from a James Bond movie - then x10.

We spent the afternoon catching up over Champagne and caneps, watching the light fade over the lake. Then we had an incredible dinner. We had a great night!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right now its 10am in the morning on Thursday and the boys are at the club. I will go down soon and Andrew, Sandy and I are going out on a boat again to watch the racing and take lots of pics.

Oh, did I also mention the awesome camera I got? Its a Canon SLR with a 200 mm lens. My new toy! Sandy very kindly picked it up for me in Sydney.... and its first day of use yesterday I gave it a serious work out! I will try and post some more pics soon.

Regatta Report - Lake Garda, Italy

2007-06-25T22:52:00.000+10:00

Apologies for not updating the last few days - I have been very busy!

Firstly a sailing update.

Today was the first 2 heats for the Moth World Champs, and the day started very well. For only his 2nd race in a Moth ever, Debaser ended up in 5th spot! Nice work babe.

Unfortunately, as I soaked up the sun on my deck chair I looked out to see a sorry looking John being towed back in by the rescue boat during what was supposed to be the 2nd race... Yes, a DNF. The rudder broke adding to the mountain of other breakages so far. If the boat stays together, he will do very well.

Overall, Team Bladerider did ridiculously well. Race 1 they got all of the top 5 places. Race 2 top 3 places also went to Bladerider.

Down at the club I have made friends with the other WAGS (wives and girlfriends), so check out our daily report at UK Moth Site
(it is very amusing).

Remember, for more sailing updates check out the UK Moth site and Scotts blog above.

In terms of touring news, I have done some MONSTER walks. On Saturday I walked up a massive mountain - just me, the Ipod, and the occasional sweaty German with Hiking Stocks. When I got to the chapel Santa Barbara there was a nice German who took a photo of me for evidence. You should see this Mountain! It is huge . The track is very steep and rough and the side drops off 2,000 metres into the lake... a little scary at times.

Today I convinced 4 other WAGS to come for a walk "to a Waterfall"... and we got a little lost. We ended up walking around a mountain, up to some georgeous little villages, past a waterfall (well, we heard it anyway) then back to Riva. All up, a 4.5hr walk! I will note, however, that it was a team effort in getting lost, also assisted by the friendly Italian road worker who gave us a lift out of the bush and onto a road in the middle of nowhere. At the time we thought he was doing us a favour! Very amusing and we made it back to the club in time to catch the sailing from our sun beds.

More fun to continue over the coming days, so stay tuned! (and please keep your fingers and toes crossed for John and Debaser!)

Progress!

2007-06-23T07:03:00.000+10:00

The big news is that John made HUGE progress! And, I am very happy to say that I told you so! You see, all week John has been freaking out saying that he cant sail in the difficult choppy conditions. Meanwhile, I have maintained that it was a problem with the foil set up and not his sailing. Well, surprise, surprise - I was right! And I even got an apology from him after all the grumbles what would I know etc.

The consequence of a broken centreboard yesterday meant that he had to get a new one - and it works like a dream!!! No somersaults at all today! Very happy.

While John was having a successful day sailing, The Panda, Ipod and I went for an adventure...

Fist stop was Malcesine with Scott and John to buy boat stuff and have a coffee. Beautiful little town on the lake.

Then after dropping the boys back at the club, I took off towards the other end of the lake.

Next stop was Garda (the town) where I indulged in looking at the local market and the town.

Then onto Lazise which was unplanned because all the guide books don't give it much of a mention. But as I drove past it was so beautiful - a walled city on the edge of the lake. I walked through the streets while eating my watermelon gelato.

Final stop for the day was Sirmione. It is on a thin spit of land that juts out into the lake. There are hot springs there which have attracted people to this spot for centuries. I explored the the Roman ruins of Grotte di Catullo, the Old Town and Castle Rocca Scaligera.

One thing that is striking is the difference between the North and South ends of the Lake.

Up North where we are staying in Torbole (near Riva), there are huge mountains all around and the Lake itself is extremely deep.

Down South the countryside is quite flat and the Lake is shallow. Also, it is quite built up with a lot more people.

Well, that pretty much sums up the day apart from dinner with John and Scott which is non-stop Moth talk..

Italy by pictures #1

2007-06-22T15:59:00.000+10:00

Its a little cooler this morning, but the locals assure me it will be hot again - yay!

Yesterday was a cracker at the beach, and today its off to see more sights for me. I am more confident with driving on the wrong side of the road now, so I am going to venture further around the lake (as I chant stay to the right, stay to the right, stay to the right...)....

The good news in the sailing arena is that yesterday John made some progress with the sailing - he is not too far off the pace up wind (provided he hikes!), and downwind he assures me that its 4 minutes between summersaults instead of 2 minutes - this is progress.

Oops. Technical issues. Cant add all pics yet... Will update with all the others when we get home.

In the mean time, there are places to see in Italy!

The beach at Monterosso on the Cinque Terra where we spent some time soaking up sun!

On our 12km walk between the towns at Cinque Terra - the view was spectacular!

Our trip to the beautiful Portofino...

Torbole on Lake Garda where we are staying and the regatta is being held...

Relaxing on the beach at Torbole on Lake Garda where I can even watch the racing!

Italy so far...

2007-06-21T18:57:00.000+10:00

Well, we have had a fantastic trip so far!

It started off extremely well with an upgrade to business on the Sydney - Singapore leg, but then it was all down hill. Our flight was - Sydney, Adelaide, Singapore, Bankok, Zurich then to Milan.... I almost lost it at one stage....

Once at Milan, we had to pick up the car. And what a car it is! A Fiat Panda - 1.2 litres of pure performance! It is quite exciting belting along at 150km down the highway with trucks and Audi zooming past, beeping, flashing lights etc. The joys of driving in Italy.

After 36-40 hrs of travel we arrived at Monterosso on the Cinque Terra. Stunning.

The next day we stretched our legs with a 12km walk up mountains and down clifts with a walk between the 5 towns. Breathtaking views, beautiful little towns. Unfortunately for John he spent the next 3 days in pain and struggled to walk! He claims walking is a different fitness to cycling...

After the walk, a day chilling out on the beach was in order. Demolished a few books and soaked up the sun. Bliss!

On Monday we went to Portofino which was stunning. The town is really beautiful, the harbour was full of super yachts! We walked out to the light house and went to a museum. It was a great day and definately worth a visit. Except that the going rate for a Bellini is 25 Euro!

The following day we had to make our way here to Lake Garda - again an eventful 4 hours belting down the highway in the Panda! (John loves the Panda. His favourite game is Panda spotting... we have seen everything from 4x4 to the very old... Oh the Panda!).

So here we are at Torbole on the shores of Lake Garda. This place is stunning and I would definately come back. We are only a very short drive to Riva which is a beautiful town. Not only that, there are beaches here!

Anyway, we arrived to find Scott had purchased a swanky new Canon camera - which I consequently hijacked and have become the team photographer. You can see some of the pics off Scotts camera at www.flickr.com/photos/scott-b/

Unfortunately I have not yet downloaded the photos off my camera, but stay tuned!

In the mean time, Team Bladerider has been eventful. See Scott's blog for an update. Basically, there have been a lot of foils breaking which is a problem because there is still 4 days until the racing even starts! Lets hope they can get more sent here before its too late....

On the lake, the wind is blowing but by the afternoon the chop gets quite big. The problem is that John does not know how to sail down wind in the chop - he is the king of cartwheels! Consequently he spent all night awake thinking about it... Hopefully he will work it out soon!!!!!!!!!

As to who will win - I think it will be the English guy Simon Payne. He has a Prowler boat (the opposition!). The consensus is that the Bladerider is quicker up wind, but the Prowler is quicker down wind...

We will wait and see.

A WIN!!

2007-06-10T22:24:00.000+10:00

Finally! I come through with the goods (again). Yes, it is true, I won Settlers... right under Andrew's nose. However, I give it to him - a cracking dinner of roast chook!

It has been an entertaining evening. Apart from winning Settlers (did I mention that?), Andrew and Sandy have set up a Blog too. So consequently Andrew has been going Blog mad!

I assisted with my expert blogging skills and being photographer so Andrew could get that one Ethan Hawk photo - smashing (check it out! http://andrewandsandy.blogspot.com/).

A little unhappy that we will miss out on next Sunday night's Andrew dinner and smashing them all in Settlers!!!!!!!!!!! Again!!!

However, it's not all bad because we will be in ITALY!! YAY!! SOOOO excited. Only 2 more days of work then the big flight, then Italia!!!

Later.

Yoga

2007-06-10T17:11:00.001+10:00

I wanted to add a note about Yoga because it is such an important part of both John and my lives.

It helps keep me fit and flexible, but also helps me focus and has a mental calming effect. The beauty of it is that it does not matter what age you are, everyone can enjoy and benefit - from the young to the old and everyone in between!

Our fellow yoga'ers are Sandy and Andrew - but we will miss them terribly when they leave for the US at the end of the year!

At the moment, our teacher is Cassandra McGann who practices Ashtanga yoga. She does a type of yoga that is very strong, yet flexible and calming. If you are interested she can be contacted at cassandra_mcgann@hotmail.com.

She also teachers at the Boy Charlton Pool on a Saturday morning - see http://www.yogabc.net/. The other teaches at BC are also very good.

I encourage anyone and everyone to make it part of their life...

The Birthday

2007-06-08T13:52:00.000+10:00

Well, Wednesday was John's birthday! Happy birthday my boy!

It started as a normal day - coffee with Andrew then work. But in the evening we had a lovely dinner with Sophie, Andrew & Sandy. A big thanks to them for helping to make it a special day - and to all the friends and family who phoned, sms and emailed. We are lucky to have such great people around us!

(Note - pictured: Andrew and John in his 'gay little hat' and warm bike riding jacket - both presents from Andrew and Sandy.)

This upcoming long weekend will be devoted to keeping warm and dry, getting ready to go away to Italy and John getting very frustrated that he can't take the Moth out in 40 knots of wind (I can't wait)!

Kick-off

2007-06-01T20:19:00.000+10:00

Fancy that! I have a Blog!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, sorry, "we" have a blog - don't we John!
Hilarious!
Anyway, I have managed to set it up, add some friend's blogs, some other web links and a photo! And so my blogging has begun...
Stay tuned.

Gardens with Mum

2007-05-05T21:25:00.000+10:00

With Mum and Dad abandoning me soon (with their imminent move to Hobart), I thought I'd take up the offer of looking at gardens in Bowral with Mum and her friends. See pic: Christine who is in love with my horse Jack, Jenny who is an amazing sewer and Mum.

It was quite a good day (I was a little surprised). The gardens were quite beautiful and different. I liked this feature arrangement of the succulents in a pot - contrasting colours and foliage. Lovely!

We had lunch at Jenny's house which was really nice. She lives in a fabulous renovated old house which is beautifully decorated.

Bladerider Moth!

2007-04-28T21:52:00.000+10:00

The new love of John's life has arrived... the Bladerider Moth!!

I have to admit, it is very, very cool. But I'm still waiting for him to let me have a go! Meanie.

Anyway, see here some pics of the boat from Woollahra sailing club with fellow Bladerider 'team member' Scott. For more on the Bladerider Moth, Team X and awesome pics and video's check out the web site: http://www.bladerider.com.au/

Tassie and Bathurst Harbour

2007-04-23T16:43:00.000+10:00

Well, John and I had a fabulous trip to Tassie from 19th to 22nd April.

Our fellow travellers were Andrew and Sandy who had been down there for the week doing various great walks and bike rides (well, Andrew was doing the bike riding anyway). Of course we were down there to visit Clare and John and their beautiful house on the water in Hobart. And this is how it went...

Day 1 - 20 April 2007
We woke early on Friday morning to drive to the airport to do a day flight into Bathurst Harbour with Par Avion Wilderness Tours (http://www.paravion.com.au/). I was a little nervous because I am not a great flyer at the best of times (aka Qantas or Virgin), so this little 10 seater plane was scary! Luckily our pilot and guide for the day - Cameron did a great job. With John and I packed in the back of the plane we took offfffffffff........... Wow what a view. It was a magical clear day in Hobart and the view was fantastic! I took lots of photos....

We flew over the mountains that were magical with the mist shrouding the valleys. It was amazing to watch the mountains change. One thing that was sad to see was all the deforestation and commercial timber plantations. Apparently it is an important part of the local economy, but it is devastating and very sad to see. As we cleared the last of the mountains Bathurst Harbour was in the distance. We flew closer and I got some great shots. Landing was interesting on the dirt runway... a little scary but Cameron did good once again.

We disembarked then made our way to the boat that took us up the small waterway to the harbour. Beautiful. It was only about 10am and incredibly still. The reflections were like nothing I had ever seen! Perfect.

We spent most of the day on the boat then got off a few places to look around - Balmoral Beach, out at the Break Sea Islands, then looked at some of the huts where these crazy people used to live! If you get down there, look for my entry in the Visitors book - April 2007.

Oh, there are still two people who live there in the most remote part of the world, and they operate a tin mine. When they give up the lease it will revert back to the National Parks and Wildlife, but in the mean time, can you imagine! The only way in and out is a 5-7 day walk or flying. Even then, the planes can't fly in and out very often due to the bad weather.

We were extremely lucky with the weather. Sure, it was cold, but we had mostly clear skies or some cloud. Very lucky.

I feel truly privileged to have had the opportunity to visit one of the most remote corners of the globe. To be one of a relatively few people who have ever been there - incredible.

The consensus (myself, John, Andrew and Sandy) was that the tour was good, but it would have been better if we were allowed to go on a few long walks. Understandably, there were a number of older people on the tour so walking was not their strong point....

Day 2 - 21 April 2007
Andrew and John left very early to ride up Mt Wellington. They had been talking about this for months! Sandy picked up some breakfast for them and followed them up the mountain.

I walked into town to meet Bronny for breakfast and go to the Salamanca Markets (the best markets in the world in my view!). We had a lovely time chatting and catching up! Although I had not seen her in months, we have been friends since pre-school and we just chatted like old friends. I am so happy for her because although it is hard moving to a new place (she is so brave!), she has done fantastically well and I am so proud of her! She has a great life and great friends down there.

We walked through the markets and I made various purchases including some organic Alpine Strawberry seeds. I will plant them in July when we get back from Italy.

About midday I left Bronny and went back to the house - on the way passing the house Mum and Dad will be moving to! (see pic with me standing in front of it). Who would have thought my oldies would move next door to my inlaws!! (The world is a strange place sometimes).

Anyway, back to the story at hand, when we got back to Clare and John's we boarded the Incat boat and whizzed down to Brunie Island. We all piled into the tiny rubber duck and made it to shore without loosing anyone, walked through some bush, and would you know it, there was the Brunie Island Smoke House! (see pictured - we sat on the verandah and ordered too much food). Tasmania is amazing like that. In the middle of nowhere and there is this fabulous little pizza joint! Great pizzas too.

An afternoon snooze for the girls while the boys went to Shippies for a drink, then we finished the day with a fabulous dinner at Henry's.

One thing is for sure, you eat fabulous food when in Tassie!

Day 3 - 22 April 2007
In the morning John Snr took us out to Incat so Andrew and Sandy could have the tour. Of course it is different every time we visit - fascinating. John and Clare's boat the Wyllaway was also there ready for the re-fit.

That afternoon, we unfortunately had to say farewell to Clare and John and flew back to Sydney.

What a wonderful long weekend!