An interesting few weeks
Well here I am at the Rolex Fasnet Race media centre in Queen Anne's Battery in Plymouth.
I landed here on Wednesday at the end of a really busy few weeks. First stop was Skandia Cowes Week. A great event with superb weather other than a lack of wind on the last few days.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing up all the news from the regatta for the official web site, skandiacowesweek.co.uk. I also had the great pleasure of MC'ing the proceedings for the presentation of the Champagne Mumm Ladies Day Trophy. There were some great nominations including Hilary Lister, the inspirational quadraplegic sailor. Hilary is great company and always has a very dry humourous comment to add to the event.
Sadly this is the year of clashing events so before the first of the wonderful Kimbolton fireworks had shot into the sky on the last Friday I had to depart Skandia Cowes Week and head for the Discovery Channel Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in, guess where, Bristol.
This event is a real favourite of mine. Some absolutely amazing sights. It was definitely worth the dash down to Bristol as I was able to witness the evening balloon lift as I made my way into Ashton Court. A really still, sunny evening meant the balloons looked their very best.
The new two days are a blur of balloons and events in the main arena as I took to the microphone as one of the commentators. The Saturday night "Night Glow" was truly spectacular and made even more exciting for me as I listened to the Director shouting the instructions to the balloonists over their radios. 24 balloons tethered in the middle of a huge arena lightening up in time to some rock music made for great entertainment.
Back to the South coast on Sunday with the texted news that the Rolex Fastnet race was to be postponed by 25 hours.
The boats finally get away into some pretty tough conditions on Monday and I travelled down here on Wednesday in time to see the winning boat overall come over the line. An Irish boat, Chieftain, has won overall. This is the first time an Irish boat has taken a Fasnet Race trophy and I can tell you the owner and skipper, Ger O'Rourke is one happy man. He has been talking non-stop to the media here and I am currently dealing with the many requests from the Irish press for a piece of the action.
I landed here on Wednesday at the end of a really busy few weeks. First stop was Skandia Cowes Week. A great event with superb weather other than a lack of wind on the last few days.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing up all the news from the regatta for the official web site, skandiacowesweek.co.uk. I also had the great pleasure of MC'ing the proceedings for the presentation of the Champagne Mumm Ladies Day Trophy. There were some great nominations including Hilary Lister, the inspirational quadraplegic sailor. Hilary is great company and always has a very dry humourous comment to add to the event.
Sadly this is the year of clashing events so before the first of the wonderful Kimbolton fireworks had shot into the sky on the last Friday I had to depart Skandia Cowes Week and head for the Discovery Channel Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in, guess where, Bristol.
This event is a real favourite of mine. Some absolutely amazing sights. It was definitely worth the dash down to Bristol as I was able to witness the evening balloon lift as I made my way into Ashton Court. A really still, sunny evening meant the balloons looked their very best.
The new two days are a blur of balloons and events in the main arena as I took to the microphone as one of the commentators. The Saturday night "Night Glow" was truly spectacular and made even more exciting for me as I listened to the Director shouting the instructions to the balloonists over their radios. 24 balloons tethered in the middle of a huge arena lightening up in time to some rock music made for great entertainment.
Back to the South coast on Sunday with the texted news that the Rolex Fastnet race was to be postponed by 25 hours.
The boats finally get away into some pretty tough conditions on Monday and I travelled down here on Wednesday in time to see the winning boat overall come over the line. An Irish boat, Chieftain, has won overall. This is the first time an Irish boat has taken a Fasnet Race trophy and I can tell you the owner and skipper, Ger O'Rourke is one happy man. He has been talking non-stop to the media here and I am currently dealing with the many requests from the Irish press for a piece of the action.
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