The Cayard Chronicles - There May Not Be a World Championship
2004 Star World Championship
Gaeta, Italy April 28-May 2

It is getting ugly. No race today. Not even a start, not even a warning signal. NO WIND.

Further, there has been controversy over the Dutch team that won yesterday's race. First they were OCS . . . so, out of the race. Then they protested and got back in. Then Peter Bromby (BER) protested them and the committee, as he was certain the Dutch were OCS. I don’t know the outcome of that at this time.

The Notice of Race says that no warning signal can be given after 1400 on Sunday. We have to have three more races in order to have a World Championship. The only exception to this is if someone wins without needing to sail the last race. Further, there can be no more than two races a day. So, if all goes perfectly, there is wind by 1100 Saturday and we get two in, and there is enough wind before 1400 on Sunday to get one more in.

Here is today’s forecast for Saturday from Chris Bedford, US Olympic Team meteorologist:

"Outlook for Saturday (05/01/2004): Weak sea breeze is forecast under good thermal conditions and weak gradient. Light and variable in the AM, becoming S/SW late AM and slowly veering to SW/WSW while building to a 6-10 knots. Mainly fair weather except for some possible showers onshore in the afternoon."

We are here to win. But win or lose, we are training for our ultimate goal. There are some teams here and some countries here trying to qualify for Athens. This is a real bad deal for them.

The most notable team is the Kiwi team of Rowan Lord and Andrew Taylor. They have been training very hard for one year and gone from something like 40th at the Worlds last year to top 10 so far this year. They are in the top four unqualified countries currently, so they are in a position to go to Athens. However, if we don’t get the series in, the allotment for Athens reverts back to last year’s results in Cadiz and the Kiwi’s don’t go. There are more injustices, but that is one that stands out to me.

Anyway, enough with the bad news. The big picture is that we are all very lucky to be out here sailing around . . . or trying to sail around. Italy is beautiful, the people are very friendly and the food is good. We have a lot to be thankful for. As one friend of mine wrote me after my mast broke on
Sunday: "Hang in there, buddy! You could be in an office building in San Francisco trying to sell insurance to a guy you don't know in the building next door! Have fun, Go fast!! Doug.”

Ain’t that the truth!

Hey, I want everyone to wish my lovely wife, Icka, HAPPY BIRTHDAY today. Send her an email at Icka@CayardSailing.com I love you Honey!!!!!!

Paul Cayard