Enough of the sunshine, here comes real Scotland weather

Now this is Scotland - rain and breeze and mist and haze.  The sunshine went away for most of the day and the real Largs showed itself.  Baggies were packed back in gearbags, replaced by fleece under drysuits and Team USA was ready to go!  

The American parents - led by Sudha Parent, Ellis Kern and "Stephanie" Hughes were on the spot for a front row start with great pace at the registration desk to get the entire team checked in.  Even though a few youngsters were "OCS" in a congested line of over 100 people and caused some commotion, Team USA was dolly-stickered and ready to hit the slipway by 10:30.

Then the rain came down.  And down.  And down some more.

Only one of the British Teams and Team USA braved the conditions to get some practice in before the afternoon, but by the time they returned for lunch they had sorted out the current and were feeling good. 

The Team pleaded with the beachmaster to let them launch early for the official practice race, but the Big Man of the Slipway was having none of it.  Finally at 2:30 our group made their way past the safety check and launched.  If you haven't experienced a UK Opti launch, it's a pretty impressive site.  In addition to the aforementioned beachmaster and safety band brigade, there were upwards of ten launch/retrieval assistants (in waders out in the water!) and a dozen dolley "valets" to match sailors with dollies.  They even have a two person hose team that washed down each boat quickly and efficiently when they moved back to the boat park.  You have to see it to believe it!  

Well, Coach Bryan and the Team's AM practice clearly paid off with both Junior and SeniorTeam USA sailors punched out with blazing boatspeed up a remarkably long first weather beat.  In the first Junior start, Ian MacDiarmid owned the middle left off the pin to round the top mark first, with Ben Kern not far behind.  Both pulled off the course as they approached the gate to put their gear away early and prep for tomorrow's first race.  In Junior start II, Haddon Hughes recovered from a kinetics call to finish a strong top 10.  She's super fast and likes the conditions.  In the Senior fleet Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick, Jack Toland, Jack Budill,  Ravi Parent and Nathaniel Johansson were just as strong. Working the current and hitting shifts at the top of the fleet, all 5 showed tremendous pace and maturity in the boats.  It's going to be an exciting week!

With boats put away and team uniforms on, it was time for... bagpipes!  Yes, real live bagpipes played by an Opti-aged Scot, and just in time the sun emerged from behind the clouds to set the stage for a perfect team picture as the opening ceremonies began.  Megan was offered the honor of giving the competitors' oath for all the overseas competitors, which she did with great respect.  Well done.

So there you have it.  As curfew rolls over Team USA, our group is ready for great sailing and good luck as the British Nationals begins tomorrow.  Launch time is noon and now that Adele and Roger have arrived Team USA is firing on all cylinders and is the best prepared group in Largs.

Game on!