Sports fans

So, we had a rather fab weekend.

Both Georgie and James were racing in the Martin Luther King Regatta on St Thomas over the weekend, and it was the first time Tyler and I had managed to go along and support the boys at an international regatta, as we usually just work instead.

Sailing in another country is not quite like packing up the soccer kit and driving over in the school bus.  It requires logistics spelt with a capital L and squibillions spelt with a capital $. As eight kids were competing from the BVI, we managed to organise two bareboat catamarans from our new sponsors The Moorings  to haul all the boats, sails, kit, dinghies, sailors, coaches, parents, siblings, wine, beer, crisps and 500 towels for three days over to our sister US island.

By the time one has finally arrived it does take quite a few G & T's to restore ones faith in humanity, but this weekend was definitely the way to go. We may just have the new equivalent of the Barmy Army (The Parent Posse?) in our devoted support fin the children's quest for world domination in small boats. On tropical islands, mind you - I would feel slightly less enthusiastic about the Isle of Wight, for example.


The Supporters Tents BVI Style

 

'Parent Support' means lots and lots of time spent watching tiny little white boats sailing all over the place from bobbing dinghies (a small price to pay):

 

And then one further supports ones children by yelling things like "TRIM your sails" and  "jib NOW!" and "Arrrghhh what are you DOING???" and also "EEEKKK watch out for number 84 STARBOARD" etc etc. Then one mutters "Good Grief I need another beer it's so stressful" to ones equally stressed out fellow parent supporters.  

This carries on the whole day, with various breaks for lunch and time out to rover from the stress of it all but not the big sailors. They, poor sods, get lunch in their boats so they can carry on racing.

Then they all come back to the yacht club, talk strategy with the coach, hang out on more boats and then do it all again the next day.

The sailors are then rewarded with prizes and showered with kisses from their grateful parents who've all had a rather excellent weekend supporting them, catching up with friends and reading Jilly Cooper. The parents then very heartily endorse youth sailing as a wonderful family sport and eagerly ask when and where the next regatta is going to be. For the children's sake, of course.

As you can see it's tough being a racing parent, but someone has to do it.

(Thanks to Nadia for the brilliant photos. Our boat dropped their camera in the sea)