All of the updates while at Quantum Key West Race Week in January 2016!
You can check out all of my images from the event here.
Day 5 – Brought to you by Quantum Sails
The final day at Quantum Key West Race Week did not disappoint.
You can check out all of my images from the event here.
All of the videos are below…
My evening commute
Live with the Quantum Key West Race Week Awards Presentation
The finish and a chat with winning tactician, Terry Hutchinson of Quantum Racing
Final top mark with TP52’s
Top mark – Quantum Racing leads on Quantum Sails day
Final start for Quantum Key West Race Week
Live on the Foiling Rib
“Quantum Crusaders”
Day 4 – Brought to you by the Partner Industry Group
Off to a slow start – thank goodness, I have had so much on trying to cover all of the racing and offshore stuff that I had a massive back load of adventures to get out to you guys!
So here we go for day four, when I opted to get some behind the scenes action from on the Division 2 Race Committee boat.
“Future of Sailing at Key West Race Week”
The finish of Race 11 from Div 2 Committee Boat
Race 11 start – J70s and C&C 30’s
Race 11 start with Division 2 – C&C 30’s and then J70’s
Race 10 with Division 2
Day 3 – Brought to you by Mount Gay Rum
Day three – and I was on the TP52 Interlodge. We were boat of the day. Not quite so sure how to explain this one. Yes… I am speechless. You will just have to check out the videos below for more x
The photos from day 3
“How to achieve in One Design classes”
Start three for Mount Gay Race Day
Race 2 approaching the final top mark
Start 2 of the Key West Race Week TP52s
Finish of Race 4, first race for me on Interlodge
First top mark on Board with TP52 Interlodge
First start on board Interlodge
Warming up on the Interlodge TP52
It’s Mount Gay Day!
Day 2 – Brought to you by Lewmar
Day two for my first time at Quantum Key West Race Week, and today I was out on a J122, Second Star, sailing in the ORC fleet. What. A. Day.
I am not sure how tomorrow could top it….. But then I will have the opportunity to go sailing on a TP52!
Plenty of live action again today, and it was also great to catch up with Martha Parker in person for a one on one chat.
A chat with Martha Parker – 26 of 30 Key West Race Weeks
Martha Parker has been to 26 out of the past 30 Key West Race Week’s and today was also her birthday. This rocking Sailor Girl, who has done her fair share of sailing (from Olympics to America’s Cup), hates to miss this event, so much so that even if she isn’t racing herself, she volunteers. This week she is doing flags, and signals, and blogging for Division 2 – just incredible!
The photos from day 2
In the action it on day 2
“Home” time
Rules discussion in Key West
First top mark for Division 3 in Race 4
Start for Race 4 with Division 3
Start for Race 3 with Division 3
Warming up with ORC Second Star
Interview en route 😉
Day 1 – Brought to you by the City of Key West
A chat with Susan & J.D. Hill – String of firsts for Second Star on day 1
Susan and J.D. Hill, the owners of J122 Second Star are at Quantum Key West Race Week for the first time. Not only are they ticking off a bucket list item, they were the first to enter for the entire regatta, and in their first race of the regatta, they also finished first! What a an awesome story!
They also invited me to come for a sail tomorrow, so I will be out racing in the ORC fleet on the Division 3 course – hope to see you out there, if not make sure you tune in live, or catch all the action on my social media pages!
A chat with Silas Nolan – the only reason to leave Key West early
If anyone is going to be living vicariously this week through everyone in Key West, it will be Silas Nolan, the mid-bowman for the RAN TP52. He has been coming to Key West every year since 2011, but, after an accident a few days ago, he is now on his way home to Australia following hospitalisation to re-insert a dislocated shoulder. The docs tried two times while he was conscious, then thankfully put him under. An MRI awaits once he is back home and it looks like a five to eight week recovery period at this stage.
Like the trooper he is, Silas was on the dock to send his team off today for the first day of racing. We don’t often see this side of our sport publicised, sailing is a tough sport. But as we all know, not being able to race is tougher. Sailors ARE athletes – I remember the first time I was injured and couldn’t sail, and being told that by my coach.
Good luck to all this week, get better soon Silas, and I hope this is the worst injury that we see in Key West!
Rest assured, I will be keeping all who can’t be here and wishing that they were up to speed on all of the action on and off the water x
“Top lessons from the 52 Super Series Coaches” at Quantum Key West RW
The start of Race 3 with Division 2; C&C 30 Class and J70 Class
The finish of Race 2 with the J70 Class
Race 1 – final top mark rounding with J111’s
TP52’s during Race 1 at Quantum Key West Race Week
Race 1 – J111’s start
Riding to work
Before the action
Voluntary banter before the racing kicks off
Sailing wouldn’t exist without our volunteers that put in so much of their personal energy and time. I met with Jeff, who tried to convince me he had been working the event for 30 years??! In fact he has been coming for 15 – which is just incredible, and he is not the only one which really is testament to what a unique event Quantum Key West Race Week is. Dick Neville also had a chat to me about the logistics, and then we flick to the thank you speech. Thank you to all volunteers at Quantum Key West Race Week, and all in sailing globally. We couldn’t do it without you xx
