Mike Golding Yacht Racing

The day was eagerly awaited as we were assigned the task of loading food aboard for Mike and Bruno to be consumed during their sail.

On the way to the race village, our team got a rare opportunity to go on a RIB ride. I have seen the RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) in Hollywood movies but have never been on one before. I should say today’s ride was the most amazing part of the entire sailing event. We did ride on top speed and experienced the thrill of rapid manoeuvring. Anybody wanting to have a taste of the idiom “send chills down spine” should take a ride with Tim to explore what it is. I should certainly thank Tim for giving us once in a lifetime opportunity.

The food was stocked on the boat bearing in mind the sailor’s convenience and space availability. The rest of the day was spent observing Mike’s team making the final preparations on the boat for the sail.

I got the privilege of spending some time on the boat with Mike. He was kind enough to explain to us about the satellite navigation system in the boat and how it is used to receive data to make accurate judgements while sailing. Personally to me, it was more than an honour to have undergone anything of this kind.

The European dinner that I attended seemed more like a culmination of the new trials we endured during the day time. Being an Indian, I have always had the habit of having quick dinners as I view dinner as yet another process of having food before going to bed. Tonight’s dinner to me was like running a marathon race, extending to few hours.

After reaching the restaurant, 120 minutes after  ordering  food, the main course was no where to be seen and my fellow mates remained quite unperturbed about it, chatting across the table about everything below the sky.

By the time my main course was served, it was 130 minutes past the time I made an entry in to the restaurant. In India, the unhappy customer would get into a scrap with the waiter if he is made to wait for so long. I was imagining myself in Chennai spending these 130 minutes. I would have finished my dinner in a jiffy, gone for a movie and probably be enjoying popcorn post interval.

I decided to get back to my room after the main meal. Surprisingly, even after about three and a half hours most of them hadn’t finished their respective main course and I was quite convinced that they will all have the patience to wait until the dessert is served.

In Europe the emphasis is on creating a good quality of life by enjoying life’s basic pleasures, friends, family, good food and fine drinks. I wish I could be as relaxed and cool as the Europeans and to learn to enjoy life, be it sailing or having a group dinner.

Thursday 27 October

FUELLING SUCCESS

As a part of Mike’s sailing preparation, on the first day I had the opportunity to help Alice, team member of Mike Golding’s sailing team in getting the food ready for Mike and Bruno. Even though I am a father of an 8 year old kid, I have never had the opportunity to pack her lunch and hence never experienced what it is like.

I was amazed to see that the food for Mike and Bruno had been chosen by Ali with so much love, care and concern. Her effort could well be compared with a doting mother who packs lunch and snacks for her kid who is set out on a tour.

So much care is given to make sure that the right food is chosen to fuel the body and mind of both the champions throughout the sailing trip. While the nutritive value of foods was given prime focus, the taste factor was also taken in to account so that Mike and Bruno don’t skip their lunch.

It was great to see how well Mike’s likes and dislikes have been understood by his team mates so well when it comes to food. Apart from choosing the right quality and quantity of food for their 15 to 18 days voyage, each and every pack was meticulously shown to both the kids (Mike and Bruno) so that they know exactly what is in store for them during their sailing trip.

The pattern in which Alice places the food in the boat is going to be more interesting to watch because it should be easy for the sailors to grab a bite when required.