It was a busy day today for Team Bermuda.

Measurement followed by registration this morning...which the team breezed through with no issues ....followed by a little work on the boats to get ready for tommorrows racing.

The winds picked up and were quite gusty in the afternoon and Martin thought it best to let the kids rest rather than tire them out in the practice race.

They rented pedal bikes for an hour ..cruised around...then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony began a little late ( Italian time must be very similar to Bermuda time) at around 5:45. Benn and Ceci carried our big flags while everyone else waved mini Bermuda flags The teams lined up by country and were marched through the old town of Riva into the main square where the countries were introduced and speeches were given by officials. The atmosphere was festive with people of the town hanging out of their windows , spectating and cheering the sailors on. The kids had a great time waving Bermuda flags and giving out mini flags to the spectators .

The ceremony finished just after 7 and we headed back to the hotel for dinner. After Martins nightly brief the kids went right to bed ( well...after a quick visit from some of the US team :0)....who are staying at a hotel a few doors down.)

Racing starts tommorrow with 2 scheduled races per day. First start scheduled from 1pm.

The team got out for approximately 3 hours today in about 10-14 knots .
They trained with ARG ( mainly working on speed testing) and Martin felt good with all of their speed in comparison with the Argentinians.
The wind seems to come in from the South, predominantly on the right, and gradually picks up at around 1:30/2:00 when the temperature warms and the clouds blow off.

Everyone seems happy and excited to start racing....

Tommorrow morning we have measurement and registration then the practice race in the afternoon.

Opening ceremony tommorrow night and then racing starts on Wednesday and continues thorough Friday.
Team racing Saturday and hopefully Sunday.
Rest day on Monday
Racing continues on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Prize giving on Thursday night .

Another event happening next week on the last day of racing.....Benn's birthday! Hopefully we can celebrate lots of good results along with Benn's birthday :0)

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Hi Ceci....

Campbell setting up for the day....

light lunch "up High" before racing today....Mikey giving his advice on which side is favored!

BER Team with DOM getting the top angle of the race course from Pregasino.

A relaxing morning for the team.

Slept in a little, breakfast and then met up with DOM and drove up to Pregasino to see let the team see their race course from another angle. A light lunch in a small village and back down for a couple of hours of practice.

It was blowing a steady 18 when the team left the club.
Martins plan...shorter practices, lots of rest and hydration before the regatta starts.




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Photos from Capizzano today.

A little stretching after a long afternoon on the water.

A good practice today with good wind....and no boat damage :0).....dinner in the old town and bed early again.

Tommorrow Coach Martin has given the team the morning off . The plan is to drive up the mountain to let them see the arial view of the course....then back down for afternoon practice.

A guide to the wind patterns of Lake Garda

Ora: the most famous Garda wind blows from the south and builds itself from many smaller winds that meet between Gargnano and Brenzone. It's quite regular and predicatble in spring, summer and autumn. Is's stronger and most reliable in summer because it of the strong sunrays reflected from the watersurface and the mountains around the northern part of the lake. The Ora starts when the Peler drops between 12 and 1.30 pm. and ends, in normal conditions, at sunset. Its wind force varies considerably.

Peler: It's the King of all Lake Garda winds, a "fine-weather" wind. It's constant and steady in June, July, August and September, and begins between midnight and 3 am. 

Peler brings three big waves, the biggest of these three is the second that is ideal for windsurf acrobatics. Bigger waves are to be found a little more south near Torri del Benaco and even bigger near Toscolano. The Peler lasts about 12 hours, but if it builds up stronger than its usual 4/5 Beufort, then it can last until 2 or 3 pm. It brings strong waves and stirs up the deep cold water from the depth of the lake bringing the water temperature down, so delaying the Ora wind to develop. In the late afternoon the water turns flat and a strong current conveys the water back north past Brenzone, Malcesine & Navene. Later in the evening the north wind builds up again.

The team headed out around 11 this am for practice in 8-10 knots of breeze....which has steadily picked up to about 18-22 around 3pm with chop..... It's honking out there!
The typical Ora has come in... A sailors paradise!

They should be out until around 4 today....expecting a tired team tonite.

Good morning from Garda!

A good practice today....the team headed out around noon.
Lunch on the water...and jumped into the second practice race.
Wind was good until the rain came later In the day ....then the wind died.
Tim and Julie drove up to a great vantage point to get an arial view of the course.
Dinner at the hotel tonight , another round of gelato ( there just happens to be a great gelato bar across the street from us) , debrief and then America's cup ( ITA VS NZL) .
Happy tired sailors are now turned in for the night.

Tommorrow repair work on Benn's boat ( he got rammed by another sailor) then practice...maybe see a little of Riva del Garda from the land if practice goes well.... Measurement and registration not until Tuesday am .

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View from the top!

A gorgeous morning in Garda.....and there is definite wind!!!!
The kids seem well rested after their early night.
Got their boats, new sails for Cecil, Mikey & Benn and are all heading out for their first practice.

Finally we are in Riva del Garda!
Pizza, gelato and bed ...to get rested up for a busy week!

Nice team sweatshirts guys!

Hearty breakfast for tired sailors at Cafe Rouge in Gatwick....almost there!

Worlds team is heading off to Lake Garda!

Team Bermuda