Venice Nespresso Corporate Sailing

Last week i was again skippering a X40, this time for Emirates team NZL, sponsor, Nespresso. The city was an amazing backdrop to both the AC45 racing and for ourselves entertaining guests in the mornings. I had no idea that the Alps were close, until day 2, when the previous days rain and wind were replaced with crystal clear blue skies with the alps covered in a overnight snow fall! It did explain the cold temperatures of the day before, where the wind had been blowing over 20knts straight off the mountains! The biggest challenge all week was having to manouver in and out of tiny deep water channels, only two boat lengths wide... In fact Day 1 really went badly for us, with no guest sailing due to much wind in the narrow channels we ran firmly aground, straight in the middle of the "only channel" we were allowed to use, our local expert said this has never happend before.....Sadly there was nothing else to be done but, jump in upto my waist to raise rudders and then tow back the way we came (we were suddenly allowed to use the shipping channel from then onwards...!).

The rest of the week went really well, sunshine and light winds (we wouldnt have wanted anymore with so little room to manouver!), alligned almost perfectly with our 500m channel. The chanel would get busier and busier ahead of each days AC racing, causing some headaches with guests on the helm, but fortunately all went perfectly. The AC 45 racing looked great for the spectators, but really felt for the teams in such confined race area, the last race.... well if it had been in the ESS, then Phil the race officer would have called it an exhibition race, really hard to have it as the big points scoring event decider... but still great action in front of great crowds?! Anyway, a week to go now ahead of ESS Istanbul, bit of gym work to do and some long cycles in hot and sunny england for a change!