Winter training in New Zealand for Team Jolly. Supplied image.
by Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie
We have been back in NZ for a few weeks now, and heading back to Weymouth at the end of next week, so time for a little update, and a preview.. of what is to come...
It has been rather wintery here in NZ, we seem to be in the longest windy storm like weather system I can remember for a long time - 8 days and counting.. With the breeze a little strong even for us. But we have still managed to get some good training in - see above - it has
not all been exactly pleasant...
Winter training in New Zealand for Team Jolly. Supplied image.
So next is the Pre-Olympics, with the team announcement a couple of weeks ago, we are all set to go and have another crack at Weymouth, where hopefully summer has arrived!!
The regatta begins on the 1st of August, but us 470's do not start racing until the 5th, where we have a rather long and drawn out event, with two lay days (basically a spare day, where they can catch up on racing if we are behind schedule, but most often a strange rest day in the middle of the regatta...), so we do not finish the event until the 12th, after which we will have a rather rushed pack up (as most other classes will have been finished for a few days, and already packed up) as we have to get all of our gear into a container and heading for Perth, for the ISAF Worlds in December... Sailing a 470 really is a logistical nightmare!!
Winter training in New Zealand for Team Jolly. Supplied image.
So just over a week and a half left of training, with as usual, plenty to tick off... and hopefully a little less wind!
And for the record.. Winter training.. really not all it's cracked up to be....
Thank you all for your support
Jo and Polly
Team Jolly
Thank you to our supporters and suppliers:
SPARC and the New Zealand Academy of Sport, Yachting New Zealand, Donaghys, Kaenon Sunglasses, Harken, Lynn River - who have just been kind enough to supply us with our favourite Showa gloves, Mackay Boats and Quantum Sails.
A special thank you to our coaches who have been braving the cold with us - Nathan Handley and Andrew Brown, you guys are awesome!!
Team Jolly Racing
