Hugh Styles Diary

Team GBR's man in the Tornado looks back at a disappointing Europeans for him and Adam May

Situated on the Algarve coast of Portugal the five day event provided a good variety of conditions for the 67 boat strong fleet. This was the first major regatta of the season the other one being the Tornado Worlds in September in the US.

With such a strong fleet racing was going to be tight, but for the first day of racing we were all left waiting. The wind changed direction so often and by so much that the race office eventually had to abandon racing until the following day. So everyone was first and everyone was last!

Day two dawned with the wind from the south west and building. Racing began on time with three races scheduled into a 12 knot breeze. Normally one of our favoured conditions we had troubles all day and never got a break or managed to work an opening and unfortunately ended the day in 21st overall. Not the sort of start to the regatta we were looking for. It is always hard when you feel that you have underperformed. We wiped the slate clean in our minds and focussed on the job at hand, steady consistent racing, getting ourselves some solid results in the top ten.

Thus day three and a similar wind again from the south west and initially a little stronger. We made a good strong start in the first race and rounded the first mark in the top five, where we stayed till the finish. This gave us a good confidence boost and we went into the next race good and positive. An okay start and an okay first beat and we were in with a shout at the first mark, but this time with a little more to do than in the first race of the day. We made good gains through the race and eventually finished in seventh. A much better day and one that put us on a good positive footing for the next four races.

Friday and racing in a westerly breeze which was blowing slightly offshore, very shifty and gusty. The two races were like a game of snakes and ladders, it seemed that no sooner you made a gain on one leg of the course then that was taken away from you on the next. We sailed smart and even though we had a problem at the windward mark when we had a boat on port blocking us which we had to avoid, we still managed to finish 10th.

The second race was much better for us leading the whole fleet half way up the first beat. We were not so lucky and those who had been on a bit of a winger out to the left came roaring in on the port layline and we rounded 10th-ish. We gained on the next round but then an error at the windward mark ended with us hitting
the mark and having to do a penalty turn. We ended tenth again in that one too. A solid day but a little frustrating to have made some costly mistakes.

This put us just out of the top ten going into the final day with two races scheduled. Lighter winds greeted us initially, a sea breeze which was gradually building, the first race was very tight but we sailed well and achieved a solid ninth, pulling through the fleet all the way through the race, very pleasing. The second race was in a little more pressure and we excelled, after a solid first leg we gained and gained finishing the race in sixth, but as we crossed the line we saw that we had been scored on course side of the start line at start time. This was a crushing blow after sailing so well, to have it all taken away from us at the last.

The OCS was disappointing as we didn't feel that we had been fairly judged over the line, but there was no getting back from that decision we had to accept it. This meant that we were eighth overall in the European champs and first Brit which was a consilation. We had sailed well at times but just needed to have more consistency throughout the series and to eliminate the silly errors.

We are now looking forward to the next few regattas and to getting more racing practice in. SPA regatta next in Holland where we should have a new spinnaker pole to test which we hope will improve the spinnaker hoists and drops.