This year I am completing Year 12, my final year at high school (Awesome!) and is why I haven’t been posting as much as I normally do.
This year, I was very grateful to have the opportunity to compete in the EurILCA event held in Warnemunde, Germany in July this year. This was the only international event in school holidays, due to being Year 12, I can’t take time off school as I was able to last year. The experience was well worth it!
Thank you to all my supporters and donors for your incredible support to help me get there. All your support is truly appreciated – thank you.
Here is what happened:
Day 1
We kicked off with an 18-25 knot offshore breeze under overcast skies, with temperatures below 20 degrees. Since I missed a training day, I launched early to test my setup and do speed checks. Everything felt good, and I was fast compared to others. After some final course checks, I was ready.
The first race began, but I soon noticed waves crashing over the back quarter of my boat—something was wrong. Realising I forgot to put the bung in! I decided to finish the race and drain some water during the downwind leg. This way, I’d at least avoid a DNC, which could help later.
I still wasn’t at full capacity for the next race, as I was unsure how to find a spare bung. Thankfully, I had one in my spares bag tied to the cockpit. With that sorted, I managed to hold my lane off the start line, even with some water still in the boat. I was inside the top 20 at the last top mark but dropped five positions due to my heavy boat nose-diving on the final downwind.
Day 2
I needed two top-twenty finishes to make the gold fleet. Though I initially planned to experiment with a higher-risk racing style, today called for a conservative approach. It was warmer but just as windy, with 2-3 meter waves from the ocean.
Both races started well, but I fell back after a few minutes. I made gains during the downwinds, where others were more focused on not capsizing. After several recalls, I finally got a good start in the second race and finished 16th again. I anxiously waited onshore and eventually found out I made the gold fleet by 10 places, sitting 40th overall.
Day 3
No racing today due to the lack of wind. After six hours of waiting, the day was abandoned.
Day 4
On the final day, we had two races in light 7-10 knot winds. With a guaranteed top-50 finish, I returned to experimenting. I pushed the start in the first race but had to duck behind most of the fleet to find clear wind. I fought back into the top 30 but made a mistake on the final upwind leg, dropping lower.
In the last race, I misjudged a wind shift at the start, leaving me in last place with 51 boats ahead. I kept fighting and finished 34th. Final results.
Despite the disappointing result, I’m grateful for the experience in Germany. I learned valuable lessons about big fleet sailing and the importance of sticking to my conservative style when needed. This mindset is something I will continue to develop as I aim to consistently sail closer to the front of the fleet.
Thank you once again for your interest and support!
Charles Allen Toyn 