West Squad at Annandale

Twenty Eight young sailors gathered at a very cold Annandale Sailing Club for West Squad Training on January 31st and February 1st. Head Coach Laurie Marsden set a professional tone with a squad fitness session (mud bath) before introducing the young sailors to the key skills of succussful big fleet starts. There then followed a series of short on the water practical sessions each designed to practice those key skills.

With temperatures hovering just above zero and a fresh and gusting breeze which found more than few sailors testing the icy waters of the Castle Loch, all were very grateful for the exceptional welcome provided by the Annandale SC members, especially the kitchen staff who provided a steady stream of hot chocolate and some fantastic hot food all served with a smile.

Sunday morning brought good news and bad. The mud problem was no more because the ground was frozen solid and coach Laurie wisely opted for a more "theoretical" warm up in the comfort of the clubhouse. This was followed by more practical exercises on the water and with a lighter breeze there were fewer issues for the volunteers in the safety boats although the shifty wind still led to an occasional early bath.  Click here for more pictures

After another excellent hot lunch it was time to "put it all together" and Sunday afternoon was spent on a series of practice starts and short races which kept everyone on their toes. The team prize went to "little bow peep and his sheep" who were judged to have held the best lanes after each start.

After a final debrief and some top weather tips from Emma the tired sailors headed home for a well earned rest. We are all looking forward to the next West Squad weekend on 14/15 March and will be watching the RYA Scotland web site for details. http://www.ryascotland.org.uk/racingsct/Pages/areasquads.aspx