I’m sure there will be plenty of media coming out of our 2009 Worlds as well, if the current lead up is any indication.

It’s an interesting contrast to something like the current 29er Worlds which I have been trying to follow online for the last week. It’s been a bit tricky to say the least. The results have gone up reasonably quickly on the fraglia site and the event web site, but there hasn’t been much else. Not too good for the 10th Worlds for a big class with 180+ boats competing.

This example is probably what results when trying to report on an event with such a low-flow of information. On the penultimate day of a Worlds where the top 3 are all Australian, an Australian news site publishes the release with a lead photo of 49ers racing, then a few other shots of boats not actually racing on Garda, and another of 29ers at a different Garda event, with a 1-sentence comment.

WTF?

In a few days the event will be over, and a few days after that nobody will care anyway. They’ve missed the boat this time.

Surely timely media output is basic requirement for World Championship level events these days? Or am I just too demanding?

I’m sure there will be more. Maybe the GFC is having it’s impact on the Mothosphere?

In the meantime the 29ers have 180 registered for their Worlds at Garda in late July. Not a bad effort. I’d expect they’ll top 200. It would almost be worth running a practice race with every boat on the startline just for the photo opportunity.

I’ll finally be stepping down from the 29er World Exec at the AGM in Garda after some 5 years. Given I somehow picked up IMCA World and IMCA Australia, I think I’ve got enough to do.

In 18′ news…. John and Pete had one of the best races of the year – without me on board. At least we can be happy with the new rig… the regular sheethand… not so much.

In Mothing news, I took out Rohan and Mark’s Bladeriders from Sorrento while the Australian (and foreign) Moth fleet was off racing in Wallaroo. After spending a few weeks in a coach boat watching 9ers, it only brought home how incredible the Moth is to sail. I even managed to pull off a bunch of 2-up foiling gybes with one of the 29er helms in about 15 knots. Nice.

And in the 9er news… I’ve been down coaching at the 29er Nationals and Worlds, from Safety Beach and Sorrento respectively. After some good, solid sailing from the heavy-weight Perth boys, Australia thankfully managed to hold onto the trophy in it’s own waters. The regatta proved a good test, and would have surely been disappointing for a lot of the teams who came in with high expectations. But then there can only be one winner… and unfortunately for Byron & Will, nobody will remember who came second.

And if you hadn’t noticed, Nathan & Ben pulled off a great win in the 49er Worlds. Awesome to watch and a great boost for them towards the games.

…

And once that event is over… season 09 for the 18s… and Nathan’s new campaign to cut Seve’s lunch.

What is it?

It’s the place to get a bunch of custom gear for high performance boats like 18 footers, 29ers, 49ers, Moths and the like. The list of products is small, but slowly expanding.

Why?

I’ve talked about it for a while, but a trip to the legendary BestWind on Lake Garda brought the message home. Sailing gear is expensive. Great gear is really expensive. Really great gear is almost impossible to get if the sailing world doesn’t revolve around you. So John, Alex and I started throwing around a few ideas, and out popped SailingBits. We’re pulling together the good ropes, gear and toys that we use and like, with the aim of getting it to anyone, anywhere as cheaply as possible.

Alpha?

The catalogue is a bit sparse on launch date, but you’ve got to say go at some point. We’ve done a little bit of testing, and I know there are a bunch of ‘look and feel’ glitches, but it works. If you want to test it out and give some feedback on how to improve it, go ahead. Next stage is the ubiquitous web 2.0 beta phase.

Ideas?

We’ve gone and included some left-of-centre products… like the super-grippy and super-cheap Atlas gloves for 29ers and 49ers – which I use all the time. We’ve also got some good-value nappy-style skiff trap harnesses from Ocean Gear. Then we’ve got all the Moth tricks that we put on our boats for the Worlds, like the vang-system with high-load thimbles which work infinitely better than the commercial high-load blocks. And then there’s almost every piece of string for your 18′ skiff… including new tacklines.

But there’s always room for more. If you know of some great gear, or have some gucci components that you’d like to sell, drop me an email and we’ll start selling them.

The last weekend I spent with the new fleet in Melbourne. Port Phillip put on a good show, with warm weather and a good range of conditions to train in. 12 fairly new teams showed up, making up what is easily the most organised youth training fleet in the country. Despite being fairly young, and very new to the 29er, the guys and girls showed some good skills and were keen to improve. It’s definitely more rewarding to work with enthusiastic people wanting to learn. It’ll be good to see how the new Victorians fare against the more experienced NSW, WA and QLD guys that are getting the same coaching treatment from either myself or Nathan over the next few months.

One of the most interesting aspects of the weekend was the new coaching toys they were trialling. 5 or 6 radio headsets from the Australian company HeadZone were distributed through the fleet so that I could literally get inside the kids heads as they sailed around the track, no matter where I was on the course, or how loud the wind, waves or engine was. I’d have to say these kits are the most effective sailing coaching tools I’ve ever used. Now that I’ve used them – I can’t go back. I think if you’re paying for a coach without having this instant feedback, you’re just pissing money up the wall.

I’m going to get myself one to use.

It was pretty funny to talk to one of the boats, but have another couple hearing the same advice, and it was often pretty dangerous given that I’d often be holding down the talk button when blowing up at something or other with some more colourful skiff euphamisms.

The parents on shore or on the water were also tuned into the same frequency, and did hear me get a bit animated at times… lucky they didn’t hear all of it.

The new gear ended up making it a bit difficult to work with the teams that weren’t wearing them. I felt as though I couldn’t get through to those teams very well, and they probably ended up feeling a bit neglected. But that’s life.

Anyway, there’s another day of coaching with the NSW fleet (or part of it) at Illawarra this Saturday. Hopefully I can get hold of at least one of the head sets before then.

But it is going to get in the way of the Moth Nationals in South Australia. SIRS is also taken out – if the Moths were even going to be invited. Even an 18 race.

Not good.

Then again my official coaching qualifications (and some might say abilities) are in need of a serious overhaul. Maybe they’ll find someone better while I’m away.

Tack when it flaps kids.

It’ll be interesting to see what they come up with…. but why not just send all the boats to Garda (or San Fran) and see how they fare.

Pepe is in 2nd, but a good 25 points back after a bad 2nd day.

Bad luck Pepe, you’re not going to get any respect for coming 2nd mate.

So much for my picks. The Welsh are well back in 12th. The Aussies are in 14th. Argies fill the first 8 places.

Someone better make sure the Aussies win at home next year.

My picks?

If it’s predominately windy, ‘06 Euro Champions Huw & Max will be fastest.

If it’s all over the place, ever present Pepe & Swiss crew Matteu will be consistent. They’ve been training enough by the sounds of it.

With no 49er sailing at Sail Melbourne for me, I should’ve organised to get over there and have another go at it.

Maybe next time.

Interesting…