Day 1
Sawadee Kup (thats Thai for G'Day mate),
you'll never guess where i am......well maybe you can. but i made it - the
trip was hell, no sleep at all on the plane, got into bangkok 1am their
time, 5am Aus time - thank god i met up with a couple of kiwi's and our ride
was waiting for us. got to bed at 6 (10 aus time) and slept like a baby.
this place is so much better than Pattaya (where i was last time) - no where
near the sleeze, i'm right in town and the biggest thing....wind. about 18
today but they reckon its been 25+. cool huh
but its god damn hot - and i'm bloody tired again - had a quick sail today,
all good. not a huge turn up yet, probably about thirty. i know half of them
which is good. Wojtek and Dorota are the only big big names here. dorota is
looking as voluptous as ever - how could you not be in love with a well
built girl, with a euro accent and can kick your butt on a board.
anyways, i'm sure your all missing me!
write soon
Uncle Mike on location
Day 3 Forecast
Morning! (well it is for me)
looks like we might have some wind today, i'm absolutely knackered after yesterday's race, it was so bloody light - feels like we have raced ten races, not just one. the heat is the main factor in that
its official - the polish are the biggest pack of "very infreindly people" on the planet (i have another word for them). Dorota just had brekkie at my hotel and didn't want to talk to me (i tried, how could i not) and then left without saying good by. And Wojtek doesn't like me cause he tried to pick up a swedish girl who happened to snub him and then take me for a swim - a very very beautiful moment. its obvious the Pol's need a good dose of Uncle Mike!
had a shit start in the race yesterday - i was just ahead of Wojtek at the gun who then when straight over the top of me - i just didn't have the momentum to stop him. i tried to climb out for a litle while and gave up and tacked off from the pack. i rounded third so i wish i got a better start. Wojtek had a good lead at the top but got mown down wind mainly by Gonzola (ARG) but we all caught him. but i had some troubles with a few thai guys and another crazy Pol and I got a bit aggressive on my last downwind lay line and had to double gybe to get around the mark (not a quick process in 7 knots) - we were well ahead of the second pack so i cruised the last leg. but i got to see the leaders the whole way around so i'm pretty happy.
i'll write soon - hopefully there is some gumpf on the website by now. if not www.star-board.com will have something
Uncle Mike
Day 3
Sawsdee Cup,
good wind today - three races and they shortened the course so the races only lasted 20min max - way more fun and less taxing in the heat. i've started sailing without my rash shirt to get some breeze directly on my skin to stop overheating - great for the tan as well.
and i did pretty bloody well -well chuffed with how i'm sailing. used my 11 all day - first race i got a fourth (Wojtek PMS helped) - stuffed the start completly but got out of it OK - start line was skewed badly (port biased) and i didn't realize we were in a sequence until about 1.20 to go - mike nelson amateur hour
second race didn't start much better, got into a good possie again soon after but my mast base imploded on itself someway up the first work - didn't realize what had happened until i looked at the sail - had to concede that one and pull out
spent lunch scrounging around looking for a replacement which was bloody hard as what i need for the 11 is longer than standard. Eventually got one of a jap but it was a centremeter too short but had to do. missed out on lunch which sucked later
last race gave up the starboard start and went on port and nailed it - the lack of downhaul was noticeable and i couldn't point but hung on for a fifth - just behind the front runners for most of it but tired and almost got gobbeled by the pack - the downhaul was making it very hard to hang on.
all sorted now i think - found another extension. bloody excited about completing a race with a good start, good downhaul and no breakages. i think i'm in fifth overall so far. there was a bit of a thunder cloud this afternoon which makes us a bit scared of what tomorrow might bring as it reminds us of what happened saturday arvo (and sunday was light). it didn't rain this time but so it may not be a bad sign
Woktek has tried to prove to the common people he is only human and has sat with us a few times today - but he has no sense of humour at all. but we have planted the seed with him of going drinking later in the week. looking forward to getting him royally smashed.
he is bloody quick but. not much of a speed difference but he sails at 100% all the time and is single tacking his first work - we can only follow from there. the other three in front of me are also very good - but all four of them are not far from me most of the time, just have to do some of the little things better and its going to be all on
i have the huge notarity of being the best non star-board (a brand of board for those not in the know) results - seems to be a novelty to some. just another huge incentive to actually win a race. hehe
the bad news is that our swedish companions have left, but really that may not be such a bad thing but they were great fun
thats about it - its a bit of a weird town for thailand. The King actually lives about 1km away. which means there is a permanant navy presence here (5 battle ships stationed in a defensive pattern), we have been warned not to stary to close to them cause it would mean trouble. the king is revered but the people here, unparalled to anything i have ever seen - the palace must be huge. its also the place for the rich to come and play - some of the hotels are obscene - and very expensive. even my place which is OK but old normally goes for about 100 bucks a night and its one of the cheap places
hope all is well - bit of a essay aye!
write more soon!
Uncle Mike
Day 4
Greetings once again!
Day four has been run and won. i am now officially Mr Fifth - three races and three fifth's. you'll never guess what possie i'm in overall! hehe
i fixed up my mast extension for the 11 -some bloody ripper aussie engineering involving hack saw, file, tape and 5min araldite plus a borrowed fixed length extension peice- and the bloody thing held (used the sail in the last two races).
starting to warm a bit to Wojtek, he's still a complete tosser but in a funny maybe tragic kind of way - he helped me rig the 12.5 in the morning (just rig it like a 9.8 - downhaul the crap out of it - it worked too) and then complemented me at the end of the day for my last race. he caned today (again) winning all three, but i'm sure he's going to come out for beers by tomorrow night. even Dorota is getting more friendly. but the other Pol (Alex) is a complete tool - quote of yesterday was a mock Alex quote "i put the Pol into Polished", he sooo deserves a good "Brycing" (code for poleaxed on the start). beat him in the first race today - that was a bit of fun, beat him of the start and covered him all the way to the top mark and never saw him again. didn't happen again unfortunately.
the top four guys (plus a couple of others) are on hand selected boards from the factory, starboard 186x's plus Deboiche fins, cutting edge stuff - but i'm only about a tack away from them now (i'm tacking in behind them on the lay line all the time) - its earning me a lot of freinds, which is really cool - but it makes you wonder about this gear available to the man on the street concept. i got asked today wether my board was a custom board. i guess cause it's competitive???
the overall racing is really cool as well - so competitive, i think if i make a mistake i might lose a fifth. but i didn't make any mistakes today - i just have to go faster, but i was in sneezing distance of fourth in the last race
but still aussing it up big time, ably assisted by a kiwi (Tony NZL666) and a pom (Pete - Tony's beach crew), and having a absolute ball (i almost feel guilty....almost)hehe, write soon
Uncle Mike on location
Day 5 & 6
greetings!
not a huge amount to report - we are all starting to get way bored of this town and the routine - thankfully the sailing has saved us, been way windy the last two days - medium to top end 9.8m stuff (my smallest sail - so i can't handle any more wind)
placed 6,4 and 6 yesterday - the second race was a big thrill but today i have got a 5, 5 and another 4 - the last race i was in second at the first mark so thats really encouraging
yesterday and today i have had to do interviews for europe websites (including www.formulawindsurfing.org) as they hadn't a clue who i was and why i'm doing so well - i had to give them the Mike story!
last day is tomorrow - only two races are needed to get to the maximum of 15 - i can't lose 5th spot and have a very very remote chance of strealing 4th - but basically the other guy has to have some bad luck - so it probably won't happen. shame in a way as the longer the event goes for the more competitive i'm getting - been amazing, we have gone from very light wind 12.5 underpoered stuff on the first day to full on overpowered 9.8 stuff - good event.
you're probably all off enjoying the easter break so by the time you read this i should be back home - way looking forward to it, a good brekkie most of all!
so hopefully i'll see you soon!
Uncle Mike
Here's the interview for www.formulawindsurfingnsw.com
http://www.formulawindsurfing.org/read.php?type=news&id=51
