We met in Madeira on the 16th of July at Pete Booth's Waterfront hotel where we had lunch followed by a walk around the Funchal waterfront. The 17th was the official arrival day where all the competitors checked in at the Dom Pedro hotel in Machico, registered and shortly after dumping our bags in our rooms left for the boat allocation at the host club - Quinta da Lorda. Richard had his boat ready for an afternoon sail, Megan had trouble claiming her boat and we spent the afternoon calibrating for different wind speeds, faffing around with pre bend, spreader deflection and length and the general attaching of our bag of ropes to the bare hull. That night there was a presentation on the new rule 42 interpretations and afterwards a buffet dinner. The next day had some more time in the morning for boat prep and a practice race in the afternoon. We took the practice race quite seriously but there were only five boats left in the end so we practiced some wire to wire tacks which we just about perfected. Evening was the opening ceremony followed by the opening dinner.

Race Day One of racing consisted of three races for both fleets. Race one was not too great as we were only getting used to the conditions and while running a puff hit us on the leeward beam and made us capsize to weather twisting the spinnaker around the top of the mast. The rest of the fleet sailed away while we got up and we had a nice game of catch-up from there on and we were surprised at how much distance we gained. Race two saw us starting to find our rhythm and we had the best start along with the Irish on the pin end, we kept in there for the rest of the race but lost quite a bit from not getting the puffs out of the spurs. Race three we had a boat end start with a lot of speed and we played the puffs really well from there on to finish 9th. It was theoretically decided that the right side of the course should pay because the current would be stronger there and lee bowing you into the wind but it seemed apparent while racing that the puffs coming off the cliffs and through the valleys were causing lifts and there fore making the left pay most of the time. But it was very inconsistent and hard to determine which would actually prove to be the best.

Race Day Two was strong wind and was the first time we sailed a 420 in this windspeed, it proved to be very difficult as the boat is very prone to capsizing. The huge abrupt windshifts didn't help our staying upright at all, neither did the jib sheets catching on the compass continuously. We still managed to hang in there with a 18th and 20th. When we got back I made a big net thing over the compass which was hard to do because we were only allowed to use the short spare piece of rope that they gave us and tape. It was very effective and we didn't have any more of that catching.

Race Day Three was exactly the wind that we trained in and it also suited our weight very well. It was by far the highlight of the regatta mostly because we beat team GBR in both races. We got a 10th in race one and were going very fast. In race two our tactics, speed and everything else was flawless and we were sticking in 3rd position until the last run where the fleet split totally we compromised as best possible and tried to play it safely in the middle. Some boats off to the right got a huge puff that really was totally against the wind pattern of that day and four boats who went farming squeezed in ahead of everyone. We finished 7th. We thought this was great, as long as the wind stayed like this we would really be up near the front considering our speed and our rapid improvement.

The Lay Day's planned entertainment had us wake up early so the "lay in" element of the day was not there instead we were taken by a bus into the mountains where we went on a walk in the mountains followed by what they call 'extreme' mountain sport (far less than that). We then took the really long cable car down to Funchal where we had lunch and a group photo of all the competitors.

Race Day Four was very strong and a bad day for us doing things like capsizing and breaking the spinnaker pole etc. we came 25th and 24th. The wind was terrible gusting 25, switching 30 degrees, and lulling 10.

Race Day Five was right on the limit of them allowing us to sail with the wind mostly over 20 knots and gusting quite a bit more but they let us out in the end just for one race and we fared quite well considering our crew weight being noticeably less than most. At our briefing it was said that there would be strong current pushing boats on the startline towards the pin causing gaps to open at the boat end, this didn't happen so we had to come in behind someone else we tacked early and got into clean air and on the plane. Once that's done its just tactics from there on. Our vang slide on the boom slipped by about two inches so that when the pulleys were block to block the leech was still slightly open and at the leeward mark we were beating the brits but the spin halyard knotted itself and the bag stayed up for a few moments too long.

Race Day Six was very strong again but dropping alot later on in the race which caught us with too much rake and a 420's rake cannot be adjusted during the race.

After giving all the boats back and coughing up the euros for the broken spinnaker pole (60) and two little rips of less than 1cm (20) we were taken to Funchal pier where we had a great Madeiran meal. It was a great atmosphere with all the country's socializing and swapping shirts and stuff. After that there was a big projection of the highlighted footage and special moments of the regatta followed by fireworks. That was a nice finish to a different but enjoyable event.

The professional training was invaluable to our results and we owe most of what we achieved in Madeira to that one week. Now imagine if SA had 420's and we could do things of that nature as often as we like. Surely that is the only way we can expect to compete at events like world champs and Europeans without spending your parents pension in one campaign. The benefits that come with having the 420 present in SA are too numerous for me to start mentioning in this report. We can't let another opportunity to get hold of these boats slip.

Here follows our initial plan of action that we composed right at the beginning of our campaign:

THE CONCEPT OF REPRESENTING SOUTH AFRICA AT THE ISAF YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN 420S IS A PRETTY UNIQUE CHALLENGE, PARTICULARLY WHEN UNDERTAKEN BY A TEAM FROM A SMALL INLAND CLUB. BECAUSE OF THE COST OF THE PARTICIPATION AND THE RELATIVELY SPECIALIZED NATURE OF THE CLASS AND EVENT, AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE AGE OF THE TEAM, THIS CHALLENGE MUST BE SEEN IN TWO PARTS. THE FIRST, THE 2003 CHAMPIONSHIP IN MADEIRA AS THE INTRODUCTORY PHASE, WHERE FINDING OUT ABOUT THE CLASS AND EVENT WILL BE AS IMPORTANT AS ACHIEVING A CREDITABLE RESULT. THE SECOND WOULD BE COMPETING IN THE EQUIVALENT EVENT IN POLAND IN 2004, WHERE WINNING THE EVENT WOULD BE THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ASPECTS WHICH NEED TO BE CONSIDERED AND MADE CLEAR AT THE OUTSET:

1. THE COMPETITION IN TWO MAN BOATS FOR JUNIORS AND YOUTH IN SOUTH AFRICA IS NOT ENORMOUS, AND IS ESSENTIALLY LIMITED TO THE MIRROR CLASS, AND THIS IS REFLECTED BY THE FACT THAT THERE WERE NO TAKERS FOR THE TRIALS HELD AT SALDANHA BAY. PERFORMANCE IN THE MIRROR IS THE ONLY GAUGE OF QUALITY OF SAILING AVAILABLE IN THIS FIELD.

2. THIS TEAM HAS BEEN SELECTED ON THE STRENGTH OF THEIR REPUTATION ONLY, IN FACT ON THEIR SHOWING AT THE MOST RECENT MIRROR WORLDS, AND THEIR ABILITY TO FINANCE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT.

3. BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO 420S IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE EVENT WILL NEED TO BE PRECEDED BY A PERIOD OF TRAINING AND PREPARATION.

THE FAMILY HAS CONSIDERED THE PROS AND CONS CAREFULLY, AND BELIEVES THAT RICKY AND BRENNAN ROBINSON HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO REPRESENT THEIR COUNTRY WITH HONOUR. THESE FACTORS ARE:

1. GILLIAN HAS HAD EXPERIENCE OF A SIMILAR EVENT, IN A CLASS OF BOAT NOT SAILED IN SOUTH AFRICA (470), AND COMPETED WELL IN LA ROCHELLE IN 1995, AND HAS AN IDEA OF WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED.

2. THE FAMILY HAS ACCESS TO FRIENDS WITH EXPERTISE IN TRAINING IN GENERAL AND THE 420 CLASS IN PARTICULAR, AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN THE U.K.

3. THE BROTHERS ARE ALMOST THE IDEAL WEIGHT TO SAIL THE 420 AT ITS OPTIMUM.

4. RICKY AND BRENNAN HAVE A PROVEN RECORD OF HAVING THE TENACITY TO TAKE ON A LONG TERM SAILING PROJECT, AND COMPLETE IT SUCCESSFULLY, OFTEN IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

5. THERE ARE ALREADY TWO RETURN AIR TICKETS TO LONDON AVAILABLE.

HAVING MADE THE DECISION TO COMPETE, IT IS NOW THE TIME TO FINALIZE THE PLAN, AND PUT IT DOWN IN WRITING, FIRSTLY TO HAVE CERTAINTY AS TO THE OBJECTIVES AND HOW THEY COULD BE ACHIEVED, AND SECONDLY TO HAVE A RECORD OF WHAT WAS PLANNED, TO COMPARE TO THE ACTUAL CAMPAIGN AS IT UNFOLDS. THIS IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO THIS FAMILY WITH REGARD TO FUTURE PROJECTS, BUT COULD BE USED BY TEAMS FOLLOWING IN THE FOOT STEPS OF RICKY AND BRENNAN AT FUTURE EVENTS.

PHASE ONE - MADEIRA
MAIN OBJECTIVE:
1. TO ATTEND THE EVENT AND ACHIEVE A RESULT IN THE TOP 50% OF THE FLEET.
2. TO REPRESENT SOUTH AFRICAN SAILING, BOSKOP YACHT CLUB AND THIS FAMILY WITH HONOUR.
3. TO HAVE FUN WHILE ENJOYING A REAL CHALLENGE.
4. TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM THIS EVENT AND GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
1. TO GET USED TO THE EVENT AND FINDING OUT ALL WE CAN WITH A VIEW TO PREPARING A WELL PLANNED CHALLENGE FOR THE 2004 EVENT IN POLAND
2. TO BECOME PROFICIENT AT SAILING THE 420 WITH A VIEW TO SAILING THE 420 WORLDS AS PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO REACH THE TOP 10 IN POLAND.
3. TO MAKE FRIENDS AND BUILD UP CONNECTIONS IN SAILING.
4. TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE AND BE ROLE MODELS TO JUNIORS AT BOSKOP YACHT CLUB IN PARTICULAR, AND IN SOUTH AFRICA IN GENERAL AS TO HOW TO SAIL COMPETITIVELY AND HAVE FUN AT THE SAME TIME.
5. TO PROMOTE DOUBLE HANDED SAILING AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE.

PARAMETERS:
1. SCHOOL WORK MAY NOT BE COMPROMISED.
2. FAMILY OBLIGATIONS MAY NOT BE COMPROMISED
3. FINANCES ARE AT A PREMIUM
4. EXPERTISE IN 420 SAILING IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA

PROPOSAL:
1. ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH MARK RUSHALL (ENGLISH 420 COACH) IN THE UK, IN ORDER TO FIND A GOOD 420 COACH AVAILABLE IN THE MONTH BEFORE THE EVENT. THE ARRANGEMENTS MUST INCLUDE:
a. THE COACH WOULD PREFERABLY BE MARK HIMSELF, AS HE KNOWS THE TEAM.
b. THE COACH MUST BE WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THE 420 CLASS.
c. THE COACH MUST HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY BOATS SET UP TO THE STANDARD EXPECTED AT THE REGATTA, AND SHOULD BE LINKED TO YOUTH SAILING.
d. AT LEAST ONE WEEK OF INTENSIVE 420 TRAINING WILL BE REQUIRED, TOGETHER WITH A PERIOD OF GETTING USED TO THE 420 FRATERNITY.
e. THE PERIOD AVAILABLE FOR COACHING STARTS AROUND 11 JUNE, AND GOES ON UNTIL ABOUT 9 JULY.

2. ARRANGE TRANSPORT USING EXISTING RETURN AIR TICKETS TO LONDON TO SUIT TRAINING SCHEDULE ARRANGED ABOVE, WITH ARRIVAL IN MADEIRA AROUND 9 JULY.

3. ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION (WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY) IN UK TO SUIT COACHING ARRANGEMENTS, AND ACCOMMODATION WITH DE ABREAU FAMILY IN MADEIRA FROM ARRIVAL TO COMMENCEMENT OF EVENT AND AFTER EVENT UNTIL DEPARTURE.

4. ARRANGE WITH DE ABREAU FAMILY TO BE SUPPORT BASE IN MADEIRA, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
a. RECONNOITER THE REGATTA VENUE AND GET DETAILS OF EXPECTED WEATHER AND SEA CONDITIONS
b. E MAIL AND PHONE CONNECTIONS WITH HOME AND UK COACHES
c. SUPPORT BOAT IF ALLOWED
d. TRANSLATION AND ASSISTANCE WITH FORMALITIES

5. ENSURE ENTRY IS TIMEOUSLY DONE THROUGH S.A.S., INCLUDING TRANSFER OF NECESSARY FUNDS TO S.A.S.

6. FINALIZE S.A.S. REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRESENTING S.A. AND S.A.S. AT THE EVENT, INCLUDING POST REGATTA OBLIGATIONS AS REGARDS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT.

7. FINALIZE TRAVEL FORMALITIES SUCH AS PASSPORTS AND VISAS.

8. CONTINUE WITH THE MENTORSHIP OF NIGEL TREVARTHEN, AND ATTEND HIS ADVANCED TRAINING COURSE.

9. ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH NIGEL SUTHERLAND TO GET INSIGHTS INTO PREVIOUS EVENTS.

10. BY USE OF THE INTERNET AND THE 420 CLASS NETWORK, OBTAIN AS MUCH DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOAT AND HOW TO MAKE IT GO FAST.

11. SAIL IN AS MANY COMPETITIVE EVENTS AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING:
a. SEAN NEL CHARITY REGATTA
b. MIRROR WESTERN CAPE CHAMPIONSHIPS
c. KING OF CLUBS
d. DOWNHAM TROPHY - JUNIOR TEAM RACING
e. VLC WINTER CHALLENGE
f. JUNIOR J22 NATIONAL REGATTA

12. PRACTICE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE IN THE FIREBALL, REGATTA AND SPROG THAT ARE AVAILABLE. AS MUCH QUALITY TIME ON THE WATER AS POSSIBLE IS OF THE ESSENCE.

13. PREPARE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT BASED ON REPORTS AS TO THE CONDITIONS IN MADEIRA.

14. COMPLETE THE U.K. COACHING SESSION, GAINING AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE BOAT AS POSSIBLE, KEEPING DETAILED WRITTEN RECORDS.

15. TRY AND INFILTRATE THE UK 420 SET UP BY MAKING FRIENDS WITH YOUNG 420 SAILORS AND ATTENDING THEIR PRACTICES.

16. ATTEMPT TO SAIL 420 REGATTAS OR CLUB SAILING IN THE UK, BEFORE DEPARTURE FOR MADEIRA.

17. ON REACHING MADEIRA, PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE EVENT, SAIL AT THE VENUE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO FAMILIARIZE WITH CONDITIONS AND TIDES.

18. ON REACHING MADEIRA, MAKE EARLY CONTACT WITH THE ISAF COACH, TO ASSIST WITH FAMILIARIZATIONS AT THE EVENT.

19. THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, FORM RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE TOP CREWS AND TRY AND ABSORB AS MUCH SAILING KNOWLEDGE AND CLASS INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE.

20. KEEP COMPLETE RECORDS OF ALL INFORMATION GATHERED AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED.

PHASE 2
POLAND.

ON RETURNING, IN CONJUNCTION WITH S.A.S., BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WITH THE ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDS AND PERFORMANCE IN MADEIRA, AND USE THIS FOR THE PLANNING FOR POLAND.