GBR Challenge diary

Andy Beadworth talks about the latest goings-on in the British America's Cup challenge camp

The event proved to be a great success. Getting four ACC boats racing in the Solent made for a magnificent spectacle. I am sure our corporate guest would concur, even though two boats were modified to go corporate sailing, the third an amateur budget program and the fourth a full professionally crewed boat. I don't think it was ever really in doubt that GBR Challenge would emerge the victor but it was great for the team to actually prepare and execute our performance in a racing environment. It is a very different mind set to training. Our crew work might be better and we might be faster but we still have to finish. So often in training we reach the limit of something and have to stop to fix it then debrief to learn the lessons, but if you are in a race, you have to finish. It must not be forgotten how much fun it was to share a drink and a tale with the rest of the crews from the other boats afterwards. It was a good regatta and a pleasant interlude from our daily routine which is becoming increasingly pressured with long days, as we try to squeeze in all the logistics as well as maintaining the gym and sailing sessions.

On a personal note it is good to be back on the water after a prolonged break from sailing activities due to a fracture in my hand that was undiagnosed for some time. Eventually I had an operation on my left hand to remove a piece of bone. Although I was sailing with the fracture it was not the perfect situation and after the operation I was off all activity for three or four weeks. Thankfully now I am back in training, on and off the boat.

It was a very frustrating time seeing everybody moving on, training hard, getting better, learning to sail the boats and learning to sail with each other. It will take a little time to get fully fit and back into the swing of things but I am well on the way. The experience did however highlight the amount of improvement that everyone has made in just four weeks. It was very clear to me that the basic level of performance has improved dramatically since I last sailed before the op. Confidence in each other has grown and the crew work is executed more efficiently and assertively. Huge strides have been made towards our goal. As a team I think we are all looking forward to the Jubilee regatta which will be the first time we get a true measure of our ability and performance level against the current best: Team New Zealand and Prada.