Jo Walker – RSrn Youth Team J70
3rd in J/70s and Winners of the Musketeer Trophy with Journeymaker J/111
The weekend started off strong for us; leading to the first windward mark of the regatta. What preceded this, was a remarkably vibrant tactical discussion with input from all of our 29er, 420 and Waszp sailors aboard. Which inevitably helped shape our decision making up the first beat – safe to say we reduced the number of voices and divided roles more clearly after that. Our diverse crew was also our greatest strength. We had expertise from many different backgrounds of racing in foiling, team racing, skiffs and displacement boats, all of which came in handy across the range of conditions we saw (maybe with exception to foiling, the J/70 class can dream though).
Speaking for all of us when I say we thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and the challenge of adapting to a new class. For some, the first day of racing was also the first time in a J/70 and we were all incredibly proud of and impressed with the way the team took it in their stride and worked together.
At every given opportunity between races we tried our best to be the fleet stereo, sharing our music taste to the wind and any who cared to listen. I mean who can’t have fun when you have Justin Bieber singing in your ear? The race days were well structured, highly competitive and the committee always got us home in time to enjoy the evening sun. We even considered dropping into Cowes on the way home for ice creams, it was a brilliant idea that was sadly never converted on.
We were out there to have fun and it was a great experience to come together and put in a good showing for our generation of sailors.