A few weeks ago I was invited to take part in the Women's Keelboat Championships in the Solent. It was a great opportunity to do something competitive - some...

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This weekend I did W.O.C which is the Women's

Open Keelboat Championships. We borrowed

a boat from the United Kingdom Sailing Academy. They were kind enough to let us use one

of their keelboats and that was also

arranged by Pete Tyler at Neilson. So the

weekend consisted of six races. On

Saturday there were three races. The races

were probably a couple of miles long

each and then we went out partying on

Saturday night for the frocks and

flip-flops party. So it's nice to go out

and party a bit with lots of other women..

with a hog roast and a glass Prosecco.

Then on Sunday we started again at

10 in the morning we did three long

races. It was really great to do this

this weekend because I don't get

involved with a lot of racing anyway, I'm

mainly skippering boats for other people

or just taking people out or helping

with the kids so it's nice to get out

and be competitive. That's another thing

that I don't really get to do,

you're not encouraged to be competitive

when you're mother.

Yeah, there are some technical skills

that I don't get to practice very much, I

don't get involved with a lot of racing.

Cruising is very different so racing you

have to do a lot of things really

quickly. My main job in was to trim so

it's trimming the spinnaker and try and

get it in the boat before it goes under the

boat. So you have to do it

really quick and you have to be really strong but

it's quite good fun.

It's really great to pack up my rucksack that I used to go traveling with and shoot off

for the weekend knowing that the kids were in good hands with their Dad and also

when I get back it's telling them what

I've done and it inspires them maybe

because both my eldest daughter and my

middle son are learning how to sail at

the moment on their little Opy's and if they see that I'm doing it as well it might

inspire them. Okay, so I'm off to do my

lifeguarding beach patrol job. I've got

my socks and my nice warm Dubbary's

and this is half the gear that we've got

but I've got loads more kit to keep me

nice and toasty warm today.

The kids all forgot their pack lunches so

I'm doing that on the way. I might take that banana actually

[LAUGHS] Banana. Shall I do that again?