When I first landed in Canada (Montreal airport) I thought I was in France (everyone was speaking French and all the signs seemed to be in French!) However upon leaving the airport, I thought I was back in Japan as it was so hot and humid, especially considering it was late evening.

I was met by Ian Bruce designer of the Byte CII (and indeed the Laser), and spent the night in Montreal before making the three hour drive to Kingston the next day. I was in fact extremely lucky as two hours down the road someone flashed us to pull over and it appeared the boot had not been properly shut and my luggage and laptop were half hanging out the back. Phew… what a lucky escape!

http://www.afloatweymouth.co.uk/_images/misc/blogs/jonemmett/byteworlds.jpg

My accommodation in Kingston was the students’ halls, walking distance from the Harbour. The halls were called Royce which was also one of the halls in Loughborough University where I studied (I remember singing uncomplimentary songs about people from Royce!)

Also right next to Portsmouth Olympic Harbour (home of the 1976 Olympics) was what used to be a maximum security prison (think Silence of the Lambs) but I believe now the inmates are somewhat older it is not quite so full on, and the women’s prison (which was actually on the Uni campus) has been turned into a museum.

When I was in Japan the main talk was of the Typhoons and although they never got close enough to reach us perhaps they could explain why it was such a windy week. Well when I arrived in Canada the talk was all about Hurricane Bill!

The first day (and only day) of practice was perfect, 20 knots of south westerly “sea breeze” (I know Ontario is a lake but it is certainly big enough – larger than many small countries – to benefit from a thermal effect). I trained for only an hour, thinking this is going to be a tough couple of weeks if it blows like this every day, but I was happy with my boat speed.

Unfortunately my first night’s sleep was not so restful as the extreme heat and humidity set the (EXTREMELY) loud fire alarm off in my room at 11,12,1,2 . Each time I went to the front desk and explained, and each time I saw a different person and I certainly never saw the electrician who was meant to come and fix it. However at three I funnily enough got a new room. However by now I was wide awake (as it was 8am UK time).

Before the Worlds was the Canada Nationals, a good warm up regatta. The wind was a light southerly on the way out to the first race but I had a relatively good start and I was in the running until at the leeward mark a Brazilian barged in (he was later disqualified) causing a huge raft which lost me several places and forced me off to the right. Then half way up the beat the south westerly filled in (from the left) which dropped me out of the top twenty. I pulled up to 18th, but not the start I wanted to the regatta!

The next couple of races I managed now in hiking breeze. I managed two thirds, hot on the heels of the leaders (different in each race).

Fortunately on day two we had a moderate southerly and I won the first two races. However on the third race of the day when the wind started to die there was a change of course and I never found the alternative mark. I and the first half dozen or so boats sailed the wrong course and were later disqualified, meaning I would have to count my 18th… bugger.

I had a good final day with 1,2,1 but I could only manage a second overall due to the 18th, and at this stage I was wondering where this lovely thermal breeze was. Maybe something to do with the Hurricane?

We had one day off before the Worlds and after I had measured I made some final preparations to my boat but decided not to sail, so as to rest for the sixteen race series ahead…

However it was not to be as the first day of the Worlds the wind was very light and we only managed two races (for me a good and a bad 5,14) whilst further to the east the Laser Worlds were not racing due to strong winds (caused by Bill). Day two was equally light and unfortunately I had a pretty bad day (9,18,11,16) my speed was average but my decisions were below. I started at the wrong end in three out of four races and found it hard to predict what was happening in the unstable breeze (and unfortunately I seemed to lack the extra edge in speed needed to get me out of trouble when I went the wrong way).

Day three and I was woken by the crickets who were enjoying the hot weather and I knew it was going to be a good day. We started racing in 13 knots which gradually built to 17 knots which meant flat out planing downwind and hard hiking upwind against the short chop. I comfortably won all four races which drew me up to being in contention again.

Unfortunately it was not to last, as day four the wind was from the north. I won the first race but as the thermal effect gradually killed the breeze my results got worse 1,6,14. Lucky for me near the end of the day the air temperature dropped and the breeze came back to give me another 1st (my 6th of the event) putting me just one point off the podium.

The final day of racing started with a light northerly which extremely slowly swung to the south west but no races could be started by the end of the time limit (2:30pm) so the results stood. Darren Choy was a worthy winner with a consistent series (he never won a race, in fact neither did third place). As always you think what would have happened if we had just one more day of breeze, but then the pessimist thinks what would have happened if we did not have that one day of breeze!

It is funny how when you go to events they say it is never usually like this (strong winds in Japan where I raced the Radial <feeling a bit light> and light winds in Canada where I raced the Byte CII <feeling a bit heavy>) but that is just the way it goes in sailing!

Sadly before flying off to Canada I had the news that the IOC confirmed that there will be only ten sailing events in the 2012 Olympics meaning that there will be no Multihulls. I am now going to take some time to consider my options and try and raise sponsorship for a new campaign.