Sail success

I was pretty nervous before today's sailing. Getting a dunking is ok if you don't get whacked on the head by part of the yacht, or if you don't get tangled up in rope, for example.

I had a bit of a scare on our second capsize yesterday when I was briefly trapped underwater beneath the sail and couldn't surface. I eventually scrambled to safety and gulped lungfuls of air.

But I didn't have cause to worry too much today because we ended up having a good couple of sessions. We keeled over just once - and I wasn't to blame!

In fact, on one occasion I somehow (extremely luckily!) managed to retrieve a seemingly lost cause. I performed a gybe (turning the stern of the yacht through the wind) only to slip on the deck and land on my back. But I was able to steer the tiller with my outstretched arm so that the yacht didn't turn into trouble (with help from my tutor, Pete, who kept the yacht balanced).

Anyway, the photo tells it's own story of a successful conclusion to the course.

It was a thrilling weekend where I learned so much about the intricacies of sailing and of the elements.

And it was exciting being trained while top British and international sailors and windsurfers practised on the same water. They included Australians, Italians, New Zealanders, Israelis, Spaniards and many more.

Now for level two (when I've recovered from this weekend!)