Europeans in Aarhus
-Casey
Luggage was the theme of our trip to Denmark. Our flight with SAS was canceled the day of our departure, and our peaceful direct flight turned into three flights spread over two airlines that reminded me of a puzzle box with 5 corner pieces - unsolvable and frustrating. Not unexpectedly, we lost our sails on the trip over but otherwise arrived with a warm welcome in Aarhus Denmark.
The first week of training went smoothly. We set up our charter boat and used the set of sails we purchased in Denmark while waiting patiently for SAS to return our other set of lost sails, and lined up against the world’s fastest 49er sailors for the first time. Light air, blue skies, and warm temperatures dominated our practice days and the conditions felt similar to other shifty venues we had sailed in during college.
The day before the regatta started the weather changed. Short, blustery storms with low clouds and strong winds prevailed and brought very different conditions to the previous week. The first three days of racing were all 15+ knots, with several races above 20 knots. This turned the racing from a tactical battle to one of survival.
49er racing in a big fleet is unique in its set up. For the first time, we needed to measure our hull and mast, to re-sticker our sails, register our coach, and much more. The day before the event the race was on - we needed a full derig to pull apart and weigh all of our gear. Far from our days sailing optis and smaller dinghies, the time it takes to pull apart the mast and hull is much longer. The weigh in is precise, and no gear or rigging line is allowed to stay on the hull during measurement. The first morning of racing we started in the afternoon in what would look like a leisurely beginning to the event. Once our launch time approached, teams would race to get ready and launch their boat at a remarkable pace. Arriving at your course with enough time to tune the boat and get a sense of the race area was essential, and there wasn’t enough room for everyone to do it. Rig your boat fast, or get left behind.
Despite new procedures and new equipment, as the week progressed we started to feel like this was just another week of training. 3 races a day each clocking in at 25 minutes and the regatta felt like it was over before it began.
The second theme of the trip was biking. We learned quickly that the best mode of transport was on two wheels and the city was truly meant for biking anywhere. Why Scandinavians are fitter than Americans was starting to become clear.
Aarhus was a beautiful city and Copenhagen proved to be the same. Our return flight was canceled and we stayed two extra days in a suffocatingly small hotel room in Copenhagen, exploring the city, playing basketball, and meeting new friends. There were many opportunities to learn throughout this trip. From starting practice, to regatta etiquette, to wrestling - we took them all.
