Today saw us launch the Offshore challenges X40 onto the waters of lake Geneva. This is rather a relief for me as this week has been a bit epic. Monday saw 24 hrs of travelling picking up vans, trailers and sorting out Swiss customs for an X40 container.
We have managed to get the boat all tickled and out for a sail on the lake. We have seen some wacky cats out there sailing, some 28 ft cats and then the daddy of the lakes catamarans the, One Design 35’s. Ernesto Bertarelli’s (of Alinghi AC fame) boat, and his sisters boat with its all girl crew were also out training for the event. They are amazing machines completely over canvassed and doing 3 times the wind speed up and downwind, in what most of us in the UK consider to be un-sailable conditions.
Funniest of the day was upwind hull flying past this motorboat which was drifting in the middle of the lake and we interrupted a couple naked as the day they were born in a rather compromising position. Didn’t stop them though and the cheeky bloke gave us a wave too.
Tomorrow is corporate sailing and training prior to the BOL D’OR which starts this Saturday with 530 competing boats and a race up and down the 83 miles of lake. Shouldn’t take too long, but last year some of the fastest boats took over 17 hrs to complete the course!! Aaargh hope its windy this year!!
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