Selection Trials Day 4 - Turkey here we come!

The Optimist Selection Trials 2013 have been epic!

After a good third day I was really hoping to get a few more races in on the last day as the forecast was for light winds which meant I would stand a really good chance again.

When we woke up all we could here were fog horns. Despite the the fog we were still down at the Sailing Academy by 8.30am and ready to go so sailing by 9.45am only there was one problem - you couldn't see off the end of the slip way as the fog was so thick!


We had a postponement for ages. Eventually the sun came out at the Academy but the fog remained in Portland Harbour so the waiting continued. I chatted to the other sailors and kept on eating to pass the time but it seemed like forever. Eventually the fog cleared and we all got our boats ready at the waters edge. We still had to wait a bit for the wind to settle though and then just when we thought were about to go the fog started to come back.

At about 2.00pm in the afternoon they finally made the decision to abandon racing as the fog was still coming back. At first I was quite devastated because I thought I had just missed out on the team to go and race in Belgium.  My friends said that I might make it into Development Team but it was all a bit confusing and we didn't really know what was happening. They were announcing the sailors that the selectors wanted to see over the tannoy and my name wasn't read out which didn't help my mood. Because we weren't sure we waited anxiously listening to the speaker to see if I had been chosen. When they called out Development Team my name wasn't said. NOOO! I wasn't chosen. As we were just about to leave Dad got a phone call saying that the Selectors wanted to see me. I went up to the office with my Mum where they told us that they wanted me to be one of the eight sailors in the Development Team. YYEESS! 

Information about Development Team

• Its based in Bodrum, Turkey (so hot)
• We go on 27 May and come back on 3 June
• Its an International event( my first International event!)
• Its against some of the Worlds Teams from different countries!
• Its 15-20knots in 26-35 degrees! OMG!
• Water temperature is around 22 degrees! 
• The location is lovely!
• Our team are staying in a 5 star hotel!
• My parents aren't coming!

All I can say is: "I am SO EXCITED!"

On the awesometer this goes off the scale.

Me the rest of the Optimist Development Team
our coach and team leader

The Selections have been an amazing event. Really tough racing esepcially on Saturday. Really tough competition but I had some great results and a 2nd in one race so I know I can beat all the best sailors in the Country. I have learnt loads and had a great experience and now I get to go to Turkey which is going to be the best thing ever.