Andrew Campbell in a Star

Watched Andrew Campbell sail the medal race in the Star event at Medemblik this afternoon. More precisely, I watched his gps track, and those of his fellow competitors, on the internet.

Why? Because he sailed a Laser for the US at the Olympics and is now trying to get to grips with the Star. 

This image is just after the start. I reckon he's on the right side of the line but there was a recall and he turned round. He fought his way back up to fifth or sixth, to give him fifth overall. Exciting stuff. Mark Mendelblatt in the green boat was OCS, Robert Scheidt of Brasil, who knows his way round a Laser too, won the event.

Catharina

Catharina
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Polo keeps a weather eye out as more than 600 tonnes of cattle feed glide past aboard the 'Catharina' early in the morning.

Welkom in Drenthe

Welkom in Drenthe
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

As you cross from Groningen into Drenthe you'll now see a new sign. The first couple of days it said 'Waiting...' [in English, thank you] but now it says 'Welkom in Drenthe'.
We do feel welcome; the Groningen side of the border has a number of Mooring prohibited signs whereas this side there are bollards to tie up to. We've spent a pleasant couple of weeks here, but will be heading back to the Noorderhaven on Wednesday.

Sunday surprise

Sunday surprise
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Em's at a Sea Scout camp this weekend, so Claudia and I decided to sail the 16m2 today. We woke fairly early but got up gently. It was promising to be a lovely day as we drove over to the workshop to pick up the boat.
The club was surprisingly busy as we pulled into the car park and Wiebe ran over. Start in 20 minutes, he shouted. We looked at each other, laughed and said, let's give it a go.
Nineteen minutes later we'd craned the boat in, raised the mast, got changed, hoisted the sails and pushed off. The start line was close to the club and as we rounded the buoy Claudia was standing on the boom threading the luff line through the cringles.
With 10 knots gusting 14 we had a great sail, plenty of trapeze up the beat then charging back downwind. We were happy to finish fourth, get the sails down and drink a well earned cup of coffee.
After walking the dog and eating our sandwiches we went back out and practised tacks and gybes. I'm used to sailing the Laser by the lee downwind but 'Truus' stops dead anywhere past 180 degrees and is fastest with the wind blowing backwards over her boomed out jib. Lots of new things to think about.
More practising tomorrow morning - on my Birthday! - before going to pick Em up from camp.

New guitar

New guitar
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Em gives us a song on her Birthday guitar.

Then you sit and wait for friends to turn up

Then you sit and wait for friends to turn up
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

We've taken the barge down to Oosterbroek, near Glimmen, for Em's Birthday. Here we've scrubbed the decks, filled the batteries, made cakes and lemonade, hung out the flags, walked the dog and now Em sits down to wait for everyone to arrive.

Nothing cooler

Nothing cooler
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Ther can't be a much better feeling than being almost ten and having grown enough to ride the mountain bike you were given by your big nephews - as fast as you possibly can.

DTP Optimist B

DTP Optimist B
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

And here they are, the B team - Charlotte [with ears] Em and Floor, with Julia in the background, the only one to pack the boat up first and then fool around.

Pattern making

DSC00115
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Ever wondered how a sailmaker makes a pattern for one of those strange shaped canvas things that cover something shiny on a yacht. Here's Mr. Gaastra with a sheet of plastic and a roll of sticky tape demonstrating that anything can be easy if you know how to do it.

Six not quite good enough reasons to sell the Laser

Six reasons
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

6. The club harbourmaster knows someone looking to buy an old but fast Laser.
‘Yellow’ will never again be worth what she is now. It could be now or never.

5. I’ve been sailing with the radial sail so far this year and it isn’t working.
The radial sail and 67 kilo’s might go together like a horse and carriage if you sail on the sea but here on a Dutch puddle the sailor with the tallest sail gets round the mast first, even when it’s really blowing.

4. I won the club Laser championship last year.
I have to admit that I achieved this by turning up more than everyone else; the secret to Sunday series success.

3. I had a Laser in the early eighties and never really enjoyed it then.
That was back in the days of heave down the kicking strap before you start. Certainly this time around, with all the new strings it’s become an easier boat to handle and much more fun to play with.

2. It’s not a foiling Moth.
In an ideal world, sun, sea, white beaches, plenty of wind, money and time off, I’d sail a Moth. It isn’t, so I don’t, and probably never will.

1. We now have six small boats
Laser ‘Yellow’, wooden Optimist ‘Muis’, fibreglass racing Optimist ‘Kwark’, wooden 16m2 ‘Truus’, steel dinghy ‘Kees’ and inflatable dinghy ‘Quicksilver’.
How many small boats can a family have?


But... almost every Wednesday evening, after work, I drive to the club, rig in 10 minutes, sail for two or three hours withbetween 5 and 25 fellow Laser sailors, pack up, drink a beer, discuss trim and tactics and then go home and sleep like a log. No reason to sell old ‘Yellow’ yet.

[I do have a Radial sail and Australian lower mast on offer though]

I forgot to mention that this list is one of many sailing lists that can be found on ProperCourse.

Pin end start

Pin end start
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Here is Em in 2223 sneaking in on port tack for a great start at the much favoured pin end on Sunday morning. The Optimists got in three short races early on Sunday morning but by the time we were to start the wind had dissapeared completely.
Later we sailed unofficial windward leeward sausages with six 16m2's; good light wind practice, while Em and Esther were swimming and eating ice-cream. It felt like the middle of summer.

Sailing club floor

Sailing club floor
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

On Saturday morning, before collecting Em from the water scouts, Albert and I laid new flooring in the HSP building at the sailing club.

Time capsule

Eric's girls
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Eric brings his daughters almost every week to see how we're getting on with thier new 'house'. While cladding the walls in the kid's cabins last week I noticed that Lieve had signed one of the pices of wood I was covering in her cabin. Maybe someone will find this in fifty or sixty years time.

Team Sadler

Though I had entered us in the Sunday morning 16m2 series as Team Sadler so that Em may sail with us if she wants to, I ended up solo on the results sheet. 

Never mind that. We got to the club on Sunday morning to find Truus happily afloat and chomping on the bit. I paddled her to the jetty where we rigged, met the other 16m2 sailors and headed out to the start. I made a pig's ear of the start, trying a quick gybe and tack as if I was in a Laser. Different game, heavy keelboat tactics. The first beat went better though and we rounded in second. We swopped the first three places most of the way around until Dienke sailed a lovely beat from Oost to West and left us fighting for second and third. 

Even the rain while hoisting out and tidying up couldn't spoil what had been a great weekend's sailing.

A cold Freddie

A cold Freddie
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Friday evening Eric and Paulien fetched bread, cheese, beer and stuff from the supermarket and we sat in the cockpit of the Willem Johannes and enjoyed the weather, the place and each other's company. That's what boats are for.

Truus' night out

Truus' night out
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

We launched Truus on Saturday afternoon, then walked the dog and drank a cup of coffee while she hung in the crane. The wise men at the dock thought anywhere between an hour an a night before she closed up. With brilliant sunshine and a 9 to 10 knots whe decided we'd put our trust in the 1970's Elvestrom self-bailers.
It took a while to work out which corner of the mainsail went where - now we have three boats with four cornered sails - but we were soon out of the crane and off up the lake.
We had a delightful sail, even drinking tea nd eating sandwiches while running goosewinged back down to the clubhouse. Claudia got the trapeze harness on and was soon flying through the air with the greatest of ease.
We were able to leave Truus in an empty spot in the harbour so that she could continue to close up overnight. I thought I'd been clever in choosing a spot I could check up on the webcam, but it turned out she was hidden behind a chimney.