We are liking the Bosbaan course. It’s lovely here, and the regatta organisers have been very helpful, once they’d stopped being so elusive on the transport front. Julia and I spent quite a long time acquainting ourselves with the reception area this morning, reading the regatta information booklet which gave us some useful tidbits:
“At the hotel you will find a regatta service desk where any of your questions regarding the hotel residence, transport or the Holland Beker Regatta will be answered”. We looked around, looked at each other and exclaimed, “Not so much”.
and then read, having phoned for the third time:
“A detailed schedule of transport will be available at the regatta service desk”. Again, we looked around, looked at each other.....
Yep, you guessed it. Not so much.
Anyway, we eventually got in the minibus with some Danish athletes – an Under 23 light men’s four and light girls’ double – and trundled off. The Danish coach asked Julia what we were doing, she explained where we’re from and he asked: “Is she good?”. Loving my smallest sibling, who replied: “Yes, but I would say that. I’m her sister”.
The outings have gone well this afternoon, apart from a little scare from Shep who seemed to know nothing about my bag containing my seat and my rigger – both come in handy in rowing – but once that was sorted out all went swimmingly (and for info, I DIDN’T go swimming)! I’m a bit tired, I think just from not having a brilliant night’s sleep last night and also mentally being quite tired still. We haven’t wound down for this regatta either as we’re gearing up for the big one in a couple of weeks’ time, so I cut the second paddle short as it was going well. I take on board JPM’s advice, that every stroke now has to be perfect, we can’t afford “junk miles” and we have to remain focussed....the moment it goes off the boil, is the moment to call it quits for the day. He quotes Bob Janousek as once saying:
“It’s better to arrive on the start line at 99% and still see the whites of the eyes, than to be there at 101% and for the eyes to be dead”.
The food at the hotel is great – I can’t wait to raid the buffet on Sunday evening before we fly home! I just want to get the racing underway now. There’s going to be a straight final tomorrow, and probably a heat and a final on Sunday. One of the 8 entries for Saturday had a duplicate entry, and she has pulled out, dropping the list to only 6. It’s interesting to see that Catherine Infantino, whom I beat in the first round at HWR on Saturday, has chosen to come here and race instead of attempting to qualify for Henley Royal. I can understand that. The Royal has a completely stacked entry in the Women’s Single, and only two entries will qualify this evening.
So, a 12 o’clock weigh in it is tomorrow...deep joy, but it’s not as bad as the 2pm weigh in at 55.5 kilos I have had to do in the past!
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