Lucozade Challenge: Yacht Racing Post 7: Race Day has arrived

After a few days of hardcore practice sessions to nail the basics, the tactics and the skills they need, our winners are ready to go...



So with that, we boarded the boat to take us out to the Yacht for the penultimate time. The next time we set foot on shore, we'll either be winners... or losers.

The race itself will consist of seven legs, well - let's just hand over to the team shall we?



And with that, we lost the game.

But! And this is one almighty BUT!!! - Rob took us to one side after the race and said:

"Guys, I have to tell you something. Last night we (the staff) had a meeting about today's race. We race like this all Summer for tourists and cruise ships and, if we want to, we can make either yacht win whenever we want to. We could've fudged it today, we could've *let* you win and you wouldn't have known.

But, having seen the team training all week. Having experienced first hand how well you all worked together and how much effort and dedication you were all pouring into this challenge, we decided that today's race would be 'for real'. They threw everything they had at us today and still we came *that* close to beating them. I'm so proud of you all for doing what you did, you have no idea how close you were... half a boat they beat us by, we sure gave them a run for their money. Well done, all of you."

How about that? We were racing against a fully experienced team, who was captained by the most-experienced skipper in the bay (and arguably the world) and we came THAT CLOSE to beating them!

Amazing.

Well done Team Lucozade! A well won, and worthy second place.

Lucozade Challenge: Complete.

Lucozade Challenge: Yacht Racing Post 6: Let's go Snorkel!

After a long day sailing yachts out at sea, there's nothing that's quite relaxing like an afternoon of snorkeling.



Keeping the energy up after working all morning (given that our winners could've opted to sit by the pool all afternoon), is no easy task. But once again, proving their worth as Lucozade Energy Challenge Winners, our team step up accordingly.

Lucozade Challenge: Yacht Racing Post 5: Out at Sea

This morning has been awesome. All the basic theory we went through on shore all became suddenly very real the moment we got onto the boat. The diagrams that Rob had shown us on his whiteboard now made much more sense and, after just a few sails up and down the bay, we're feeling a lot more confident about the Race on Wednesday.

Tomorrow we have more training ahead of us. Now we have the basics down, it's time to talk tactics.

But first, let's find out from Rob himself (and the winners too) exactly how they all got on today..

Lucozade Challenge: Yacht Racing Post 4: To the Yacht!

That over there, on the right hand side, is our yacht: The Stars & Stripes. Part of the winning syndicate of yachts that won the 1987 Americas Cup.

And today... we're allowed on it

Lucozade Challenge: Yacht Racing Post 3: Back to school

Strangely enough, before we're allowed ANYWHERE NEAR a multi-million dollar, Americas Cup winning yacht boat, we have to go through some rather intensive training.

Admittedly, this isn't so hard when your classroom looks like this:



Heh, anyway - this is Rob Brinkworth.



Rob is is in charge of our motley crew over the coming days. Under his strict tutelage will we be able to beat the other yacht when it comes to the big race on Wednesday.
So we're all listening... VERY CLOSELY

Lucozade Challenge: Yacht Racing Post 2: Say hi guys! :D

Lucozade Challenge: Yacht Racing Post 1: We're on our way! (at last)

We arrived at Gatwick to meet our new winners, Al, Jon, Clare and Trevor. They're a little bit excited.. well, I say 'a little' - I actually mean A LOT.



You see, unlike the rest of the winners to date these four have had a bit more time to prepare themselves mentally for the challenge ahead. If you remember, this trip was postponed due to an impending hurricane... Yes. So no danger there then.
Much.

Our destination today is St Maarten in the Caribbean, via Antigua. I don't know about you, but when I hear 'Antigua' I then think of 'Tortuga' and then I think of Pirates of the Caribbean...

I can't see Johnny Depp flying around chasing ghosts on an F1 Americas Cup Winning Yacht though, can you?



Report back soon guys...