July 20th

We woke up to clear skies and the boats were launched at 7am. Dane and Newt's fleet spent several hours on the water trying to get two races in but they were abandoned due to light wind. Then back to shore for more waiting. The wind arrived with a vengeance at 3pm and they got two races completed in white cap conditions and winds estimated about around 20 knots. This is what they patiently have been waiting for. 

The races were held farther south in Italian waters. It was a long day, starting at 8:30am and ending at 8:30pm. Some unlucky teams had to be at the site at 6:30am. 29ers are not the kind of boat you can just relax in while you’re waiting on the water. They are not stable and have to keep moving forward to prevent them from capsizing. It’s exhausting waiting in the hot sun for hours.

The race committee is desperately trying to get each of the four fleets to complete at least four races before shuffling the fleets again. The qualifying series has been extended a day and the championship series will now just be two days instead of three.

I drove down to a charming little Italian town called Cannobio with a couple of U.S. moms. The border is only five minutes south of Brissago. I seem to continue to plan my adventures during the "siesta" hours of noon to three. It was nice to stroll around the empty streets, but things quickly change at 3pm.

 

Newt’s parents, Patty and Neil, generously hosted dinner at their apartment for the Santa Barbara Youth Foundation families (Newt, Dane, Tucker, Jack and Willie along with siblings and parents). Patty made amazing homemade lasagna. We had to “eat and run” to get Dane to bed by 10:30 because he needed to be at the venue by 6:30. (Painful for both sailors and their support team!)