One true statement. Ernest Hemingway insists that if he writes one true statement, others are sure to follow and he will end up giving truths, not describing things. I am writing from Hyeres in the south of france where I am mid way through the French Olympic Week. The week has not gone very well at all for me. I came here and did a few days of training with Mike, Dave, and coach Tommy. This was the first time I was in the boat since Laser Worlds in February and I was pleased that I could still sail reasonably well. I was very excited for the first day of the regatta and happily went through the pre race motions of registering, applying sail numbers and getting my sail all measured in. The first day dawned windy (It always seems windy here) and I felt good about the day. I started off with a 6th in the first race which I was very happy about. I had great speed around the course and I was very excited to be in the top ten after not sailing for a few months. My good mood didn't last long. After the race I rafted up with Tom and Matieus (AUS and CHI) to discuss the race. JP, the Chilean coach came up and told me that I had been scored BFD due to being over the start line in the last minute of the race. Practicing starting had been one of my goals for this event so I didn't let the setback affect me and went over the start in my mind, determined to use it as a learning experience. The next race I had a good but conservative start closer to the boat. I used my speed and stayed close to the fleet rounding the top mark inside the top fifteen right beside my countryman Dave Wright. I had an average reach and started the run determined to catch some boats. I carved aggressively trying to get every advantage possible out of the waves on the course. During one carve up I felt an odd feeling in my tiller but ignored it. Soon it got worse and I thought that maybe my tiller came out of the rudder head. I looked back but nothing looked wrong. All of a sudden I rounded up hard and had no feeling at all in the helm. I looked back to see the rudder blade broken right below the rudder head, dangling by a small piece of fiberglass. At this point I was quite angry and ripped the blade the rest of the way off to keep it from damaging the hull. At length a powerboat came take me in tow for the harbour. Even the simple act of towing in was difficult as I had no means of steering at all, meaning I had to let my sail luff completely and direct the tow boat, the operators of which spoke no english. Using hand signs i was able to get them to take me to the dock where I was helped ashore by many very helpful radial girls waiting to launch. Perhaps the worst part of the day was the difficulty I had getting into the dock which resulted in a capsize, all while about one hundred girls were watching. Very embarrassing. Anyways I managed to get through the first day with two last place finishes, a broken rudder and a flogged sail. I was last place in the regatta with nothing much to show for it.

The second day was very tough. We were treated to a Mistral which is the local name for the strong wind which blows off the shore creating flat water and shifty conditions. The first race I had a good start near the pin and held my lane through a right phase until I could tack and cross boats. I sailed some shifts at the top of the beat intelligently and got to the top around tenth place. I had a great reach but decided to go high on the runl. I think I must have been a bit rusty as I didn't look around as much as i should have and I missed the puff on the left side of the course. Most of the fleet was able to sail through me to leeward and I rounded the mark around 35th place right next to some guy from Kuwait. I passed a few guys on a very one sided beat to finish a poor 31st. The second race I got a little lost on the first race after starting at the boat and holding a lane above Julio from Argentian most of the way up the course. A big lefty came in at the top and I battled below the fleet trying to stay in it and sail to the mark. I had a mediocre rounding but sailed a great rest of the race passing people all the way around the course to finish 14th overall. With only one drop scheduled for qualifying and my being in 119th place it didn't look good for gold fleet and I was going to need a few good scores on the third day just to get into silver (remember I was holding a fleet score). The third day had 35 knot winds and no racing so I'm destined to sail the rest of the event in Bronze. I have taken some great lessons away from this, the sort of thing that I have never thought of before regarding events as a whole. Also I have been sailing very well so I have nothing to complain about.

I wouldn't be telling truths if I said i wasn't disappointed, especially after racing got called off today. I have been reading a book my sister Miriam loaned me called "Movable Feast" or something like that by Hemingway. I felt like I needed some alone time so I bought some ham, cheese, tomatoes, a baguette and a bottle of wine and had a wonderful feast on my balcony, reading Hemingway and feeling the Mistral blow over me and onto the Mediterranean sea where so much has happened and so much is yet to happen.