ISAF Women's Olympic Skiff Trials Day 2

17th April 2007

The second day of the ISAF Women's Olympic Skiff Trials was characterised by moderate breeze in the morning in beautiful sunshine, and less breeze resulting in tow-ins for many in the afternoon.

The allotted trial crew for the Cherub Daemon were Maki and Mitsui, the nominated team from Japan. These two rigged one of the Daemons themselves under the guidance of the Cherub Daemon team. They then assisted with the short and easy lift to the water right around the other boats waiting patiently to use the slipway.

Maki sailed as crew in one Daemon and Mitsui sailed as helm in the other with Cherub Daemon team members filling in. Once out of the harbour the next half an hour was spent showing them the ropes and demonstrating the T-foil system, both upwind and down. Before long these two 470 sailors took a Daemon between them and reported thoroughly enjoying twinning upwind and down in the building breeze, and experimenting with the unique twist-grip T-foil control, allowing them to push this ultra-light skiff hard in the lumpy water. Soon our new friends were whisked away to their next assignment by an official ISAF RIB and then the process started again with another pair of nominated sailors. Who could ask for more than bright sun, blue sea, fabulous breeze and a Cherub or two to burn about in? (with a RIB to carry the drinks)

After lunch (taken serially in the Hartley Laminates sponsored RIB), one of the US nominated sailors named Elizabeth enjoyed a marathon tacking and gybing session with a Cherub Daemon team member and the other boat was snatched for joyrides by the liveried members of some of the other teams - Naughty!

All too soon the breeze switched off and little tow from the RIB got the sailors home ahead of the rush to pack up in good time to go back to the hotel and look at the pictures, video clips, and, of course, our Velocitek sponsored GPS tracks.

More breeze is forecast for tomorrow, the third day of these four day trials.

PS Max speed recorded today was 14.7 knots (See the GPS track at: http://www.sailingsource.com/cherub/appletGPSAR/gpsar.html)