Ryan Palk

Well hey guys gotta be real quick cause gotta go to the club soon.The last few days have been an epic battle between sickness and health and i think im starting to win! A millions drugs and antibiotics later, my cough still resides but the soreness and headaches are gone, and everything feels better, touchwood.  The last few days have been spent registering and getting measurment out of the way.  We were the last boats they would measure yesterday, they closed the gates behind us, meaning the rest of the fleet will have to be done tomorrow. Its’ awesome that we have that out of the way cause it would of meant we to get up real early today to rush around and get it done. 

Dont want this

Today is the practice race.  We have decided to go out a little before the race and have a bit of a hoon, as we havent gone out yet.  We were going to go out yesterday but they closed the harbour because it was too rough outside.  The wind lately hasn’t dropped below 20knots and looking outside now today might be the lightest day we have, probably still 15-20knots.  Really keen for a sail as it feels like we haven’t been out in years.  Talking to some of the other teams, they said it was hard conditions out there, and there were quite a few capsizes also.  Hopefully, Klade and I can slip straight into it and be on the pace quickly. Um otherwise everything else good, oh Klade asked for some Coke yesterday at the cinema and the guy said we don’t sell, klade was like but u got it just there, and he was like oh Coca Cola…he thought Klade wanted Cocaine! haha anyway I thought it was funny but we aren’t kids on coke just so u no.

Good sailing

cheers

ryan

Well, klade and i have both been struck down by the flu or cough or something. Either way it is quite frustrating..my abs hurt from the coughing and i think klade was throwing up before, still got about 6 days til the event starts so we should be okay.  Fortunately, the weather has been rainy and windy anyways so its perfect for staying indoors and watching movies and eating!  its taking longer than we anticipated to get through jetlag also.  The days are so long here (sun comes up at 4, doesnt go down til 11), so we end up having two sleeps, one from like 11 til 9 then another at 2 -5.  We should really stop this but our body clocks are still in sync with Australia i think so we get tired mid afternoon…Yesterday we went to midurodam, a 5 min walk up the road, its like a museum theme park thing, basically its a place where all of holland is built into a model set on a small oval.  it was pretty interesting and the attention to detail was crazy…Anyways might go watch another movie, ive already had my two sleeps today so i feel energised! i just had some drug thats like battery acid which stops the cough! its awesome! oh yeh they have a cereal here called cruesli thats pure chocolate! klade and i think there is drugs in it cause its bloody addictive! anyways, klade and i will keep up the blogs and try and get better, or just harden up!

ryan

a small big building?

you;d cry to if you couldn’t climb the dikes…hahaha

Well hallo all, we are now comfortably in the da haag.  This is now our 3rd day here and it is really nice.  It is good weather with just shirts and thongs on most of the time…Yesterday we went for a walk to the beach, where it was quite busy and normal to be half naked..Klade and i are gonna get a moped or somesort today to zip around on.  We saw the dutch team training yesterday also, just off the beach we were chilling on…it looks like they are going to have the racing quite close to shore for spectators making the waves a little bigger as they hit the sandy banks.  Our flights were alright, unfortunately on the last two we didn’t have any entertainment on board which meant two 18yr olds had to amuse ourselves in other ways, the end result being us two dressed up as middle eastern warriors using our pillows and airline blankets…it was a long flight.  The photos show klade and I in front of a really small car, we thought i was cool, and an emergency nude stop! Only in amsterdam! anyways betta get going, super keen for racing now! not long to go… Cheers ryan

Well, its that time of the year again!  We leave today from Brissy for what i already know is going to be an awesome experience! Our training thus far has taken us all around the Australian East coast and taught us many lessons, as well as making us better sailors and being part of one the most fun journey’s ever, so really going to Amsterdam for the worlds is like the cherry on top of an already elaborate cake!  Since last year Kladeos and i have done more sailing than ever before, around 700 hours on the water of quality training time since our last worlds, should hopefully have lifted our potential to a gold medal for Australia!!  The goal for worlds? Well, we aren’t going there to get second! But at the same  time, self improvement is extremely important!  But mainly, we ‘dont want to come back with any potential intact’.  I have many people and spoons (personal jokes) to thank but i think i will leave that to the return, cause if i forget anyone in my rushed typing i would be quite annoyed.  I also better watch what i write this time as last year my blogs were redirected to LaserWorld magazine and published in their international magazine, quite a surprise as  we really only wrote these for friends and family. Hopefully all the flights will run smoothly and we can take the opportunities you have all given us and turn them into gold baby! Oh well, better get going, will blog again when im on the other side of this planet…as they say in dutch hier wij lopen baby!! (here we go baby) ha……………… ryan out!!!!

Well long time no blog.  The past few months have been spent up and down the east coast sailing in as many regattas as possible.  Over chrissy i did  my first Laser Standard nationals where i got 14 th overall, 8th Aussie, and 2nd youth. I was pretty happy with my performance after what was a pretty cruisy lead up to the nationals, and also i won the last race which was hell fun.  Right now im just hell stoked on my sailing, mixing it up in other classes like the Blazer 23, radials and a newly given 29erfor worlds next year!(thanks ray from Noosa outlook medical centre)  Last week i went to Sydney and trained with the AST and tried to suck out as much knowledge from Tom and Michael as i could.  It’s awesome to have the world 1 and 2 as Aussies and an exciting time to be here as the worlds come to Australia early next year in an olympic year as well, which should bring some pretty awesome competition!  This year klade and i are both thinking of doing the radial worlds in The Hague, The Netherlands, with other opportunities arising to do the ISAF world sailing games in Cascais, Portugal, but that will depend on funds and if i can get my weight up im afraid. anyways thought i’d post something to keep it a little updated and make sure it is known that there is a SUper year of Sailing ahead!

                 Burning off the start, cunno strapped

Last weekend was the Metropolitan Titles held by the Queensland Laser Association at RQYS.  Despite the forecast, i decided on the full rig, to hone some  much needed skills and battleharden for the up and coming nationals at Hobart.  The first day had moderate winds with Brendan casey winning both races.  I got 2nd and 3rd, leaving me in second overall on the first day.  The second day of racing was postponed due to strong winds from the south.  After spending the majority of the day making makeshift sails to skate the carpark, we headed out for a 1.30pm start.  It apparently averaged 28 knots, with gusts in the high 30’s.  I had an interesting time trying to control the boat and some injuries i sustained from a skating accident during the weekend weren’t helping. First race, i was 3rd round the top mark and gaining quickly on a wild downwind. However i pushed to hard and put it her in the drink - a number of times.  After capsizing my way to the back of the fleet. I decided to have some fun and try do some power reaching and killer gybes.  The result was alot of crashes and some stressed bones, but it was great fun. Second race i had a crappy start then missed the first shift, and then a few capsizes later, found my self speeding uncontrollably round the course, finishing alright.  Even though i am sore now, (and slighty paralysed) it was well worth it and great fun, with the main lesson learnt that sometimes you gotta back off the gas to win the war, rather than the battle.  This week was also Kelsey’s last at RQ as he moves off to Cairns, cheers kelsey, at least your final week at RQ went off with a bang!

cheers

ryan

                                                    The wind finally comes

Well the last few days have been slow and long.  On the last day of qualifying i managed to lead the fleet in the first race until at the top mark, the sign said i was ocs, damm.  I then managed to get a shocking performance in the second race in about 2knots of breeze, not good.  I dont no how, but after all that i only lost 1 place and made gold fleet with 2 places to spare.  I was feeling a little down about the whole racing thing but decided to have some fun kamikaze sailing in the gold fleet hitting corners and trying new things.  It was actually a really good opportunity to learn and practice new techniques in a world class fleet, after all how often do u get 70 of the worlds best sailors to practice some starts with?  The races yesterday were held in under 5 knots of breeze with some really frustrating conditions.  I tried some port tack bandit starts which didnt work and some corners that came off bad.  I was shocked however at how many people disregarded basic rules like port/starboard windward/leeward encounters.  I wont name any names but alot of the top 20 in this competition have some of the worst sportsmanship i have ever seen with the bulk of sailors cheating to get themselves ahead.  They have certainly lost my respect.

Today’s 1st race was held in a 3knots SW breeze. After a crappy start i worked my way into the top ten at the top mark.  Then after some shocking mark roundings and poor sailing and tactial decisions i found my self midfleet losing places.  The last race the wnd came in for the windiest race we had the whole series, about 10knots.  I started well and burnt off the fleet with a nice lead halfway up the first beat.  With the fleet splitting to either side of me and me being in the middle i had to decide which side was the correct to cover, which in this bay, is like picking the lottery.  I end up going middle right, with the people who banged the right corner coming out nicely and just ahead of me.  I rounded the top mark in the front pack in about 15th.  By the bottom mark i was about 7th and i had a good upwind be in 4th, with 1st and 2nd a boat length in front.  The last downwind i was confident i could get first as we were all so close.  I worked the left side of the course as had been the better option the whole regatta.  After a while i was in 2nd and all was looking good.  the judge boat flagged a boat near me and i all of a sudden got out of sync with the waves and the tight front fleet caught me and i rounded the bottom mark in 9th!  I made no gains on the last upwind and finished ninth, so close to first!  So cut, but it was fun racing in the first proper breeze all regatta.  Overall the regatta didnt go as smoothly as i would of liked.  I learnt that the maturity and discipline that is shown in a men’s world champiionship made the regatta fairer and more enjoyable for all to enjoy, while in the youth’s, the lack of maturity and discipline made the racing less enjoyable for all.  However i must say, the eventual winner, Kyle, raced consistently, maturely and fairly and was a deservant winner of the 2006 Youth World Championship.  I have learnt alot about sailing and mindsets in this regatta an can relate with Gary Hoyt’s infamous go for gold comments.  The California Yacht Club hosted two great series in what were hard conditions for racing.  I’ve now got a week off to chill in LA ad Mexico, skate, surf and sleep.  We fly back next Saturday depending on Dad’s leg and if it is still infected or not as he cant fly with it at the moment as he has o keep it up, unless of course we get upgraded to first class. i wish!

Later 

ryan palk

                                                   LA in smog mode aka normal

Today racing was postponed by a weird phenomena of smog.  About ten minutes before the first race a weird storm looking cloud was on the horizon.  Within minutes this cloud surrounded the fleet with everything around disappearing from view.  It was one of the weirdest things i have ever seen, with the air smelling like the fumes of a bus, and the land not experiencing any of the smog whatsoever.  After about 20 minutes of confusion the smog cleared and racing begun.  Alot of black flags were given out today with three races being called back.  Thankfully i didnt get one.  I had an alright start and sailed okay to get to the top mark in the top ten, with the same judge following me the whole time.  As i already have a flag for ’sculling’ and ‘hiking’ i couldnt afford another.  I played it safe it on the downwinds and reaches sacrificing places for safety.  I watched as sailors around me got flagged for what was good sailing, and were not doing anything illegal in any way.  With this in mind, i just sat in the boat, not moving so the judge would have no excuse to get me.  the result was that i got 14th in that race with 5th only metres away, but a 14th is better than a flag.  The second race today was real flicky and light.  The race started in next to nothing and i had a bad start.  I caught up then lost it again and rounded the top mark in what seemed like a bad position, however the fleet was really close with the difference between 1st and 70th under 50m.  I caught up a little until the race was abandoned because of shifty and light conditions.  So i got saved a little there.  So now after five races, we get our first drop, counting my DNE, i am 68th and just scraping gold fleet.  However now the DNE is set, as redress this morning was not given as the head judge completetly changed his story from what he told me yesterday in front of the Jury Chairman, which i was upset about. Now all i can do is try and work my way back up the fleet and hopefully into the top ten? It might seem hard but its possible so why not!  Otherwise having more fun today and feeling pretty relaxed for the rest of the regatta.

Nothing to lose, everything to gain…

Cheers ryan  

Today was not the best day.  I started the first race poorly and had a few run ins at the bottom mark and finished 13th.  The second race i was coming 4th on the last reach until i got done by the judge! THE SAME ONE AS YESTERDAY!  He has been giving heaps out the last two days, especially to people who have just done the whole open worlds and were’nt done once which doesn’t make sense.  When i asked him what it was for he says ‘you hike out to far and to muchwhen u pull the mainsheet on’.  I’m blowing up right now at his call as he made it from over 100 metres away and has no case for hiking to much!  Also he was unclear as to which boat was to take the penalty, so after doing a 720, to safeguard myself i finished the race anyway, in fifth place.  However becuase i finished the race I got a DNE, which means i cant drop it.  Im going to go for redress tomorrow to change it to a DNF so i can drop it, as the only reason i finished the race was because of his unclear intention as to who actually got the penalty. 

 Im really ticked off at the moment and frustrated with my sailing.  Had i kept my fifth today i would have been in 11th spot.  However, now i am in 61st, scraping the edge of gold fleet. Not happy Jan.

 Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

 cheers ryan

                                                                Hanging at the Hollywood sign…

Yesterday we went to the Hollywood sign and chilled out at Malibu beach for a surf, where we literally froze our butts off.  Dad got run over by an out of control surfer and got a nice fin gash. 

 Today the youth worlds started and i didn;t have the best day.  We had a two hour postponement as we waited for the breeze.  Somebody brought out a tennis ball so so 180 of the worlds best laser sailors decided to have a game of brandy out on the water.  The racing got under way in a 5knots breeze from the WSW.  I had an alright start and a consistent upwind but nothing flash.  The real light guys were hiking off their feet while we were sitting in and they flew around the course.  The second race had a breeze which filled in to the right to about 15 knots throwing the lighter guys behind and giving the massive look over 18 guys a good shot.  I had an alirghty start lined up when somebody rammed in underneath me on the start.  All of a sudden in irons, i had to be really aggressive with the tiller to get myself to closehauled.  BANG. Start goes, i have no speed and to make it worse a judge watches me move tiller and deems me to be sculling so next second, WHISTLE!! 1-6-6-0-2-1 Australia!  I do a 720 and am all of a sudden coming 75th in a 75 boat fleet!  Ahh nuts.. With no other options i bang the right corner first then left on the upwind and caught up quite well to about midfleet.  I keep on the pace and catch up to the front pack which i was quite pleased with.  Even though results were sketchy today i was happy with the way i sailed in the second race and had some fun with the other aussie youths, Julian and Ben.  I’m currently coming 34th, so lets hope with some good results tomorrow i get can get myself up there!!!

heads up, cheers!