Neilson GBR Cadet World Team arrive in Buenos Aires
by Ian Harris 23 Dec 2016 20:10 GMT
23 December 2016
After long and excited flights from the cold winter UK, the Neilson GBR Cadet World Team arrived in hot humid and noisy Buenos Aires to a mixture of missing bags, baggage handling strikes and no problems whatsoever. Those lucky enough to have allowed an extra week or two have travelled this exiting country and brushed up on their Spanish; they have also given themselves the best opportunity to acclimatise as it is really really hot.
Unpacking the team container at 9am was a smooth operation due to the excellent racking system built by Chris Sparks and Geoff Mayhew. The boats travelled well and arrived undamaged and seriously dry. The team excitedly rigged them in the building heat before cooling off in the Club Nautico Albatros swimming pool placed next to an idyllic bar on the harbour entrance.
Aware of the heat and impending sunburn the team have been careful to protect themselves and stay in the shade. That's easy on land but yesterday and today out on the water that proved a different matter. The team are in the capable hands of coach Pablo Volker, a world Champion 420 and F18 sailor, who knows all the ins and outs of the locality, from how to survive the sun, the tides and the winds, to helping the team find lunch in the local supermarket.
With complicated overcast skies yesterday the sailing had something of everything from double hiked out powering through the steep chop to the lightest of light breezes as two fronts battled it out above. Today the team launched alongside the Australian and the Argentine teams for what will probably be some more light air practice.
Neilson GBR Cadet World Team boats and team kit looks fantastic as does the event commemorative shirt which is going to be a collectors item. With the nations beginning to mingle and the friendships developing the event venue and hospitality of the Argentines and Club Nautico Albatros has been above and beyond.
With Slade, Pogues, Wizard (and some slightly newer Christmas songs; never as good) blasting across the dinghy park in the 30 degree heat, the excitement and the nerves are building. With plans being made for Christmas day, and measurement starting on Boxing Day the first important race is looming large.