Porto Rotundo’s round harbor turned into spectacular auto show for next few days, Audi being only exhibitor did not spare funds to create memorable experience, as elegant and sexy as their product.
With an exception for dry sandwiches, but perhaps that is a local custom since we did not eat fresh bread in Sardinia once. The toilet paper shortages were annoying too, but Publix stash saved our butts.
It took us well into siesta to meet maximum weight and then being a starved, dehydrated, pick up crew we couldn’t find the person strong enough to lead us to lunch. After crawling aimlessly without a plan from one closed pizzeria to another we had espresso and ice cream at 5.30 and the blaming games started.
We truly hated each other in alphabetical order: Dembsey David bow, Gilett Marc spinnaker trim, Glinski Jahoo mid bow, Hughes Britt jib trim, Maier Jan pit, Rojek Gosia armatore/floater, Rojek Marcin helm, Sernicki Piotr and Brendan Shattuck jib trim, Zaleski Chris. tactics, Zaleski Waldek main trim, Zwolinski Kuba mast.
What made us look good was our shore support team of Asia, Liz and Andrzej plus number of attractive woman he recruited to cheer for us from spectator boats, take pictures and lines at the dock and secure refreshments after long hours of racing. The all favored entertainment was Andrzej’s daily flip a dinghy number, crowds loved it.
We couldn’t practice because it was howling 35kt plus.
The first day was light, after slow start we couldn’t find speed, under permanent cover and finished 7th but we were not satisfied since Jeroboam won, the second race was even lighter and we took 8th but we defeated Jeroboam!
After very elegant black tie Audi dinner Chris held rules seminar in our San Marco hotel lobby bar with the head international judge Michael (inventor of on water judging) as guest speaker, the protest rooms will never be the same after brainstorm that night.
Saturday was Audi celebrity day and a distance race; it took couple of hours to distribute Audi athletic celebrities among 14 Swans and 7 TP 52s fleet. We got a legendary Italian cyclist Francesco Moser who did not win Tour de France but rode first carbon bike ever, they call him “Lo Sceriffo” (the sheriff) we had only nonverbal communications with him for the whole day.
We were glad they didn’t give us Audi Polo Team, they went to King Herald of Norway perhaps with their ponies since that was the only race our Marcus on Austrian TP52 did not finished last.
We blew it finishing 13 losing our chance to beat Vittorio, disappointed Francesco was hugging our carbon wheel on the way to the marina and then he vanished.
The rest of the day and into a night there were forums and discussions about our lack of speed different trim techniques and so on; some work was held in groups.
Next day after good start we got launched and despite losing some grounds to favored right side we held our speed, after the last rounding we went left, it looked like Chris was the only tactician paying attention, we passed couple boats and finished 3rd half a boat length behind Jasha, but ahead of dirty Italians.