Issue date
The Kiwi Gold Team are safe and well in Rochester, NY, the home of this years Sonar Open Worlds.
After a long trip from Kinsale and an even longer car ride (via Niagara Falls) the boys were warmly greeted by their host Reen, who is a local legend of hospitality. Waiting for the boys was a BBQ, local beers and Zeek the Husky. A home from home. Reen has a lovely house in Rochester and has been operating her very popular B&B for years.
After trying to do some justice to one of her incredible breakfasts, the boys are getting their bearings, getting over some jet lag and have introduced themselves to what may turn out to be our boat number two. Shumway Marine is the local dealer of Sonars in the this part of the world and if we can get a good deal we may be able to bring her home to NZ to match race with Great Wall Cars.
The Team even managed to get her into the water today, gave her a good polish and slipped out for their first sail yesterday afternoon.
It was light winds on Lake Ontario and the boys really enjoyed getting out there on the water, getting the spinnaker up and working as a Team of four. Andrew May has gone home to Christchurch and we are sailing with John Weston and Coach Rob in the boat. As it is the Open Worlds, we are allowed able bodied sailors in the boat and when using a spinnaker and pole, we have to have a fourth man.
The Lake is stunning. It's a totally new experience for us to sail on a lake of this size. Something that looks like a wave in the distance is in fact just the other side, a beautiful teaser of Canada.
The boys have settled in well and are looking forward to training tomorrow. Might do them good to work off last nights dessert of Ben and Jerry's….
