After the Hoorn Europa cup I drove north to Medemblik for the Delta Lloyd regatta, Holland’s grade 1 international event. It has been eight months since I last raced the Tornado, which I have done only once anyway, at the UK Nationals held at Weston Sailing Club. So this was always going to be a learning experience and the timing could not have been more perfect.

There was a small but very high quality fleet of Tornados in Holland, basically fifteen of the seventeen teams who are going to the Olympics and who are now in their final stages of preparation for the most important regatta in the four year cycle, a couple of local (Dutch teams) and us. So we were never really going to be in a medal winning position!

The sheet loads in the Tornado are huge (I felt convinced a couple of times my arms may have been ripped out of their sockets) but I always realised after having major surgery last year it was going to take a little while to get back up to full fitness, and after all the 2012 Olympics are a looooong way away!

I also decided it was best to be cautious in this regatta. The Tornado is the fastest Olympic boat, reaching speeds of over 30 knots. The problem with this is when you suddenly stop, the crew continues at the speed the boat was going, which means when you hit the boat it really hurts! As a result we decided to sit out some of the windier races, so as not to damage the boat, or more importantly me!

At the end of the regatta I am now feeling somewhat battered and bruised but still very much looking forward to my next Tornado sail. I am now catching the overnight ferry from Hook of Holland back to the UK to spend a week coaching before heading back to the continent again.