No racing

Robert Deaves reports from another frustrating day at the Finn Gold Cup in Moscow, Russia

Today in Moscow, the sailors at the Finn Gold Cup drank coffee all day and waited for the wind. The coffee kept coming but unfortunately the wind didn't. One start was attempted at 18.00, but was soon abandoned as the wind started playing games again.

In order to get three races in today, green flight had their start time brought forward to 11.00 with the yellow flight due to start at 12.30. As no more races could be included in the flight allocation system, they remained the same as yesterday. The first hydrofoil of the day to the day marina took only the sailors of the green flight. However when yellow flight arrived an hour later, green flight were still waiting for the wind to come, sipping coffee and enjoying the sunshine.

It was a lovely sunny day, although the air was cold. It remained hot in the sun but the air remained still. The only sounds to fill the air were the chatter of Finn sailors, the throb of motor vessels as they briefly sped past and the thunderous roar of the neverending stream of planes arriving at the nearby Sheremetyevo Aiport.

The little cafe in the large tent at the day marina did a roaring trade in coffee and soft drinks as the sailors waited for seven hours. The race team were determined to get some racing in and were going to wait it out. However, the wind just wasn't playing ball.

Finally at 16.00, the PRO postponed racing for the day for the yellow flight. The green flight, still a race behind, had to wait another hour. The AP came down and everyone assumed that that was that. However nothing replaced it so the fleet rapidly uncovered their boats and headed for the race area. After half an hour, with the race about to start, the wind clocked 40 degrees. Another 10 minutes of wind shifts and the race officer, now running out of enough daylight to complete the race cancelled racing for the day.

The planned lay day in Moscow on Friday is now a distant hope as there are still four races to get in before the finals start on Saturday. With only two races sailed so far and a maximum of three per day to be sailed, it looks like racing will go into Friday.

Each day in Moscow begins with breakfast on board the cruiseship moored alongside the Moscow Sailing School between seven and nine. After that the sailors get ready for the first hydrofoil shuttle at 9.00 down to the sailing centre at Mikhalevo Village some ten kilometers and 30 minutes fast ride away. If you miss this one, the next one is at 10.00, although this is cutting it fine if you are sailing in the green flight, a much longer sail out. The main deck on the cruise ship is always crowded at 8.55, but they normally manage to squeeze everyone on. Yesterday morning there were so many Finn sailors at the front that they had to be asked to move aft so that the bow would lift enough to get the craft on the hydrofoil!

The boat passes through Klyazminskoe lake first, which is quite developed with many small marinas, waterside houses, yacht clubs and restaurants. Then we pass through the long canal with its shores lined with fishermen and hundreds of small makeshift fishing tents and shacks. Occasionally there are elegant buildings, gates and churches - some of them quite impressively extravagant - no doubt country residences for some of the country's rich and famous.

After 20 minutes at high speed we emerge into the Pestovskoe Lake where the racing is held. Mikhalevo Village is on the far shore about 0.5 km up a sheltered channel. The whole lake is surrounded by spruce and birch trees - apart from the dam to the south-east - with only the odd village or building breaking up the shoreline.

One of the sailors here at his first Finn Gold Cup is Lithuainian Giedrius Guzys. Giedrius has sailed the Laser since 1996 and competed in both the Sydney and Athens Olympics and this event is his first International event in the Finn. He is only sailing here due to the ease of using one of the supplied boats, as he has yet to secure funds to buy his own. Currently in 50th place, he is thoroughly enjoying his first exploits in a Finn.

He says, "I have no Finn so this is a great chance for me. The class is really friendly compared with the Lasers. Perhaps because the sailors are generally older, they are more gentlemanly and create a very nice atmosphere."

Giedrius, currently studying vetinarian immunology, continued "We have no Finn sailors in Lithuainian sailing internationally, so our national Finn association is really happy to have me here and support me. I hope to get a Finn soon and do the international circuit. I am using some of my Laser techniques, which at first seem strange, but I am gradually getting used to the feel of the boat. I also feel very comfortable here as I am racing against many friends I made in the Laser class who have also moved onto the more technical Finn. Sailors are a special social group, with a similar path of life which gives us all something in common. I think that's important to sailors."

He concludes, "The organisation here reminds me of the Sydney games with the travelling to the day marina and the official opening ceremony. Everything is also so well organised. I am having a great time."

Probably the lightest sailor in the fleet is the Russian Timofey Zhbankov. At just 76 kg, he is here for the experience, and is finding the transfer from his usual Laser Radial - where his best result was a third at the Europeans - interesting. However he did find his way to lead round the top mark in the only race competed yesterday, which should do his confidence no end of good. Before this race is scored - when green flights catches up - he is lying in 77th place after the windy first day.

Tomorrow (Thursday), the wind is forecast to be 8-12 mph all day long, so the fleets should catch up with green fleet sailing three races and yellow fleet sailing two. The groups will then to reaollocated for the final qualification race on Friday morning.