A wasted day. Or was it...?

Today was to be the first day of post-qualification racing at the regular World Championship, but after many hours of waiting on this balmy, rather humid day, no sailing was done.

The free time allowed me to chat with some new acquaintances and reconnect with old ones. It is remarkable being around so many talented and dedicated athletes and coaches. Hard to believe I had in-depth conversations with 4 Olympic representatives (at least two who earned Silver or Gold medals)!

Today I also fitted my new upper mast section. The on-site rep was kind enough to grant me full access to a stack of nearly 20 brand new European sections. I selected three, weighed each with my digital cooking scale (delta between heaviest and lightest: less than 2 grams) then grabbed the heaviest/hopefully stiffest and left. At some point one just has to make a choice and hope for the best. I carefully wedded the new upper section to my existing lower, then cycled it through some gentle bending to let it work-harden. Hopefully it will reward this gentle breaking-in with many years of reliable, fast racing!

Full house, 158 boats

At this, the regular, or "Standard" World Championship, 158 sailors use brand new boats and masts supplied by the manufacturer. The only things sailors are allowed to bring are their own sails, tillers/extensions (to steer with) and control lines. Even with "only" 158 boats, the site is quite full. One wonders how the facility will accommodate 350+ Master sailors (most of whom will bring their own boats) later this week?

8 buck Canuc-Crocs!

I gave up on sailing a little early to hunt for a massage but not early enough: the massage school was closed when I got there, so I settled for some shopping instead. Prices were quite high (especially for organic fruit) but I did have one big score: a pair of knock-off Crocs for CND$8! It's nice to have a decent pair of footwear, as I'm doing a lot of walking.

Life is simple for me at regattas: eat, sail, eat, maybe a movie (tonight, the high-concept Magic Mike XXL--I must've been one of 3 guys in the theater, the rest were very appreciative ladies), then bed. Further "simplifying" life this time is having my phone not working in Canada: no calls, no texts, only email access via wifi to clients, family and friends back home. Was amazed how addicted I'd become to navigation and Google for answers and at first was a bit off-kilter, but have begun to figure out the town and feel much more at home.

Looking out the screen door of my truck, I see and hear leaves blowing in the trees. Tomorrow should be breezy, so off to bed I go for some much-need rest. Good night!