2013 sailing season has begun!

These past two weekends I have been coaching the Real Club Náutico de Madrid Optimist Race Team, a team I started coaching last year after miraculously discovering the sailing niche in otherwise dry Madrid. Despite the agreeable weather Spain's reputation promises...the conditions have not been great.

The first training session last Saturday, February 23rd boasted a steady 35 knots, gusting to 50...and cold, oh so cold. Suffice to say not weather Spanish kids aged 10-13 can hack.

After a typically long Spanish lunch the wind died down enough for us to head out. The kids, however, were not keen and didn't last long in the cold. 

The second training session's conditions weren't any better. Thankfully the cold wasn't present but unfortunately neither was the wind...

Thanks to the kids' keen coach, we head out nevertheless, getting in a few tacks every occasional gust.

The next time the team and I meet we are off to Burriana once again, to a training centre on the Mediterranean coast.