The last Hoorah!

                         The last Day .... and it began once more with

                                  No Pressure and NO PROBLEM!
                          
                                      But this team was ready !

                                                           

                                          motley though we may appear...
                                                     

                                          no pressure ... not anywhere...

   
                            however .... we wanted to get out there and then ..

                                               start the party...

                                                        

 

dockside , all was in readiness..

                                     the 2.4 Mt class headed out ..

                              Members of the Aussie team came to help ..

                                  Pete had his last Powerade for a while..

                                    strictly Rum and Coke from here on....

 

on eof my favourite photographers was out and about..

 

those hands have worked hard this week..

 

final adjustments...

                            it was bright, it was glary, it was challenging ...

                               .......and I just mean for the photographer !

                                 I am REALLY going to miss these skies...

               Eventually a race was held, but only after an abandonment,

                                   and an hour long drift around the bay..

                             .... so we all socialised , while we waited,

                                     Hola, Bon Jour, Buenos Dios, etc etc,

                                we took photos of people taking photos of us!

                                               you get the picture ...

                                       
                                           Finally we had a race..

and then .... it was all over... a very respectable 10th place for the last race of the Regatta, the IFDS World Championships!

 

... we decided to send Yve home with Pete..

                                       and Graeme too....

                                 ......  took a few team shots ...

                                        Aussie, Aussie,  Aussie!!!

                           Met up with the Australian Team for a Photo

                                         Got one of ourselves..

                The Australian Team awarded Pete with a special trophy,

        The RNSYS awarded Pete with the trophy for Best Sportsman ,
                                   both on and off the water.

                      and he was part of the Australian Team who won
                                         The Nations Cup Trophy

           Special thanks from the Reason To Live Team to the Australian Sailing Team who did their utmost to help us, and make our FIRST International Regatta a happy and successful experience!

                 .. and just to finish -  Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch  won the Gold in the 18'Skuds, and the Sonar boys took home the Bronze... one of the iconic moments came when the playing of the Australian National Anthem faltered, and the combined Australian teams took over singing our National anthem in harmony,.... to splendid applause.

                                       Oh ! What a feeling !

                             Aussie Aussie Aussie  Oi! Oi! Oi!

                 Thankyou to the RNSYS - Your hospitality and facilities, your staff , members, and volunteers  could not do enough to make our stay enjoyable,  interesting, and successful . The organisation was splendid .

                     We may see you in Melbourne next November 2015!

           Now - I am on holiday , we are to Toronto and Niagara Falls with Pete and Yve, and then on to Canmore, Alberta  to catch up with mates.. we will bring you up to speed in a few days .....

Marina
                    

A momentous day in Halifax on the 18' Skud course!

Today was a fantastic day for all of the team here in Halifax as Pete and Rachael, won the first race of the day in a convincing lead over Olympic
gold medallists, Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch, and also the current world champions, the British team..

As reported this evening by Kathy Large in the Media release;

      Australian SKUD sailor wins race, against the odds

 Another individual race victory that took place on the SKUD-18 course today has touched many people at the IFDS Worlds 2014 regatta. Australian Peter Beard and Rachel Cox caught the whole fleet by surprise when they sailed up the middle of the course and beat everyone to the finish line in Race 8.  It was surprising given their earlier results.  But what made it so remarkable is the story behind this team.  Peter Beard is suffering from multiple system atrophy, a neurological disorder for which there is no cure. While in hospital in 2013, he decided to set a goal to compete in the IFDS Worlds as a way of creating a reason to keep living and enjoy his life-long passion for sailing.   Friends and family in the Brisbane area rallied to raise the funds needed to travel to Halifax so he could reach his goal, despite deteriorating health.

 When the other members of the Australian team heard about the victory, they met his boat at the dock with a round of applause as they sailed in and the familiar “Aussie Aussie Aussie” Oi Oi Oi chant.  On the dock, the Australian team that is currently in first place in the SKUD competition,  Liesl Tesch and Dan Fitzgibbon also presented Peter with an Australian Sailing T-shirt to recognize him as an honorary member of the national team.

 

                                                Peter and Rachael on the course..

    

                                                    crossing the finish line...

  

      Members of the Australian Sailing Team cheered and called Aussie ,   Aussie , Aussie as Pete and Rachael arrived at the dock                          

 

 

                                        Pete, cried .. so did a few others ...  

   

                         The Australian team gathered  to offer congratulations

 

 

and an honorary Australian Sailing Team shirt 

                           More photos tomorrow ..
                 the last day of racing followed by the closing ceremonies..

                                  then we are on holiday!

                                                        

Fickle winds and threatening skies for Race Day Four!

 

 

As Pete and Rachael headed out,

 

                                it was back to the inner harbour course
                         in a Race committee desperate search for more breeze

                           the skies overhead were black and threatening..
                                 and the views more industrial than scenic

                                                             

                              the fleet took off in the first race,

                       finding enough breeze to set up a nice run for the start

                                                    racing was close

                                             with a certain familiar feel..

                                              Dan and Liesl led the field

                                          Pete and Rachael a bit behind

 

half time entertainment proved interesting

                               as the coast guard ran a search and rescue exercise

                                      next to the race course... postponement!

 

jostling began again as crews sought a start position

 

Race Two!

 

                       there were special guests aboard the RNSYS
                             newly commissioned start boat , which has been
                      specially fitted to enable disabled people aboard

                                              A fantastic initiative!

                                            The race committee had a dilemma...

 

No wind, wind shifts, where to go?

go or stay? move a mark?

                                                  .. move an anchor?

 

appeal to a higher order?

                                                 that seemed to work!

                       Meanwhile my crew were taking it easy
                                 

                                
                                      the racing crews kept busy...

                                             Race Two began..

                                         A bit more aggression on the course

                                This time Pete finished 13th in the fleet,

                                          so Ray and Rachael did a swop,

                          and Peter and Ray had a hoot all the way home ...

                         There was more breeze, than we have seen all week...

 

Great !