Thursday 31 July 2008

Update from Qingdao - July 31

Greg and Peter are settling into Qingdao

Dear All:


Who said that there is no wind in Qingdao? It was blowing between 15 to 20 knots today and the waves were large. We are being affected by a typhoon that increased the winds overnight and they stayed with us all day. We got together with our coach, Luis Chiapparro, this morning. Along with Alejandro, the URU Laser sailor, they went in the URU vehicle to a nearby marina to get the coach boat. Luis and Alejendro brought the RIB back to the Olympic Village. They had to insist that they could bring the boat because the locals were saying that the waves were too big to go out. The local assistant crawled along the floating dock which was being tossed around by the wave action. The sailors thought that it was all very funny.

Greg also got his first experience of how they drive here. He did not come with me for my two trips in Qingdao earlier in the week. In China, pedestrians have no rights. In fact, it is open season on pedestrians, cyclist and other vehicles. The driver of the vehicle bringing Greg and the assistant back to the village hit a pedestrian! There was no serious injury, the driver just made sure that the pedestrian was alive and then drove away. I had noticed on my trips that my driver would drive through a marked pedestrian crossing with people walking. Pedestrians would jump out of the way.

During one of the team meetings with the organizers, some of the teams had complained that they were not allowed to take their bicycles through the security gate into the city. The organizers stated during the meeting that the policy was for our safety and now I better understand. Luis and Alejandro were here last month to train and bought two bikes for use in the Village. Many teams have bikes. Obviously it is only safe in the Village.I must say that the driving here is more aggressive and out of control than anywhere I have been. It is like the wild west; no rules apply.


Anyway, our plan was for the sailors to go out and sail this afternoon. Luis and the sailors had the benefit of talking to the chief measurer and discovered some critical information. If you damaged equipment during practice, no substitutions were allowed. A sailor bent his mast in the wind yesterday and tries to get a replacement which was denied. So, Luis and our sailors, along with most Laser sailors, decided that they would stay ashore to eliminate the risk. We are one of the few classes where the equipment was supplied. The other classes supplier their own equipment and so they can repair/replace damaged items.

The sailors who went out had a ball. The 470s were flying. Robert Sheidt went out in his Star. Our Laser parking spot is next to Brazil. So Greg gets to see his hero regularly and Luis gets to hang out with the attractive Brazilian female sailors. Luis knows all the attractive women in sailing and so I stay close to Luis with the hope that I get to meet them.Luis spent the afternoon putting together a training schedule. Greg and Alejandro went to the gym. I dealt with admin stuff. The weather has stayed very overcast and rainy. Hopefully we will have better weather tomorrow.


We are starting to get information about going to the opening ceremony. They fly us to Beijing in the morning, the ceremony is in the evening and we return to Qingdao the next morning. More teams are arriving at the Village. I saw Spain’s big contingent arrive today. They travel with a lot of bags and equipment. Laser sailors must have it the easiest. We just travel with a tiller, tiller extension and a few sails. There is a massive parking area of containers for the other classes. These guys travel with 40 ft containers outfitted inside with racks, work benches and tools. They could rebuild their boats from what I saw. I am happy that Greg sails the Laser. I have told him that he cannot change boat as long as he stays on our family’s payroll.

The sailor is happy and so I am happy. I am still struggling with my sleep pattern but time will fix that. The meals are good which helps morale when we cannot get on the water. The gym facilities are actually not very big for the number of athletes here. I could not get to all the equipment I wanted to use this morning. A female Australian had the free weights all captured this morning. She was very intense, recording what she did. I did not dare get in her way! My plan for tomorrow morning is to go on the treadmills outside the gym before 6:00 am when the gym opens and then at 6 go straight to the weights before she gets there.

That’s all for today. I have to go check on a fax from my chef de mission in Beijing. I need this document to complete Greg’s registration tomorrow.


Regards to all

Peter Douglas

Wednesday 30 July 2008

Report from Qingdao - July 30

Greg and his Dad have arrived in Qinqdao.

Dear All:

I am very pleased to report that our transportation and arrival in Qingdao went very smoothly. We traveled from Toronto via New York and Beijing. It was a long 24 hours but any long trip is a good trip when you walk away from the plane and all your baggage arrives with you!

The Olympic Village in Qingdao is magnificent. The facilities are the best I have ever seen. The harbour is perfectly set up for an event of this size, with lots of parking space for the boats and docks for all the coach boats. The accommodation is actually too fancy for sailors. We are staying in what is a building that will be operated as a five star hotel after the Olympics. The rooms are luxurious with lots of marble and the latest style of fittings.

The food has been good, with a good selection that would meet all tastes. Greg is a pretty careful eater and has been able to get what he wants and needs. We are starting to finally adjust to the change in time zone. I am still not sleeping at regular hours and, as when we went to Australia, Greg adjusted a lot faster than I did. He is into his physical program, with swimming in a very big pool in the hotel and working out in the gym.

Greg went sailing today and enjoyed the conditions. There was over 10 knots of breeze with a good swell and current with the wind. He enjoyed surfing downwind. A good start to an event where we expect to sail in all kinds of conditions. With typhoons etc, we should get a bit of everything, but mostly light conditions. They have largely solved the algae problem, although Greg reported having to sail around a few large clumps. They are still working on it and we expect that they will have the fishermen clear out the last of it before official racing starts.

Greg does not face any challenges for sailing. I am facing the usual challenges regarding the logistics and communications side of things. Internet access is limited here. They offer internet in the room; at an outrageous amount of money that nobody is paying. So we all use the free wireless that is available only in the public areas. They do not even have wireless in the “office” that they have provided the team. So I cannot use my laptop in my “office”. The “office” does not have a scanner. I brought my own printer/scanner which I set up in my room.

My other challenge is the lack of effective English in most staff at the Village. We are assigned two assistants who can barely get past “good morning” and who have no clue about normal business items. Buying a USB cable for the printer and sending a FedEx package both proved to be an adventure. I have found a concierge at the Crowne Plaza Hotel outside of the Village who has proven to be more helpful that any of the staff within the Village. They have covered every square foot of the Village with these volunteers who are only useful to smile at you and say good morning. I send away my assistants most of the time because I can get things done faster without their help.

We will sail every day until we go up to Beijing for the opening ceremony on August 8. Getting into the routine will be good for Greg. He is thrilled to be sailing with all of his heroes. We will be walking along and he will lean over and say “Do you know who that was? That was Robert Scheidt.” We have not seen the British team and Ben Ainslie, but I am sure that will be a thrill for him. He already knows a number of the sailors here. Raul and Rulo from DOM are here. Greg has spent enough time in Cabarete that they get along very well. I last saw Rulo early this month in Curacao at the Optimist North Americans. I am even seeing some of the coaches from Optimist events here.

One of the great things about this sport is the fact that sailors can continue competing at the highest levels well into their 40’s. Maybe not in the single-handed classes, but many guys in the Star are almost my age. There is a 60 year old competing. So we have a wide spectrum of ages, from Greg who is the youngest sailor in the event, to guys older than I am.

That’s it for now. It is bedtime for me. Greg is already asleep. We will get up early, get into the gym and then have breakfast before he goes sailing tomorrow morning.

Regards to all

Peter Douglas

Friday 25 July 2008

Classic Action

I finally got down to the beach today (thank goodness for "working from home"!) to check out the action in the Solent. I knew that the Classic Yacht Club Regatta was on and didn't want to pass up a chance to see these graceful boats in action. The weather has been amazing this week and has provided the perfect environment for photography, as you can see from this picture. Although I prefer carbon fibre and kevlar, I can't help but appreciate the beauty of classic yachts, not to mention give respect to the crews that operate them with minimal modern conveniences (such as winches!). In 2005 I was in Antigua just after classic week and I stood on the dock in English Harbour drooling over the polished teak and shining brass of Ranger and the like. I did not have the greatest view from my vantage point at Hill Head but the Solent was awash with white sails and coloured spinnakers. Closer to the shore the windsurfers and kite surfers were also entertaining.

The Solent is set to get busier than ever over the next week, in the lead up to Cowes Week next weekend. The hordes of boats practising this week will include a fleet of Extreme 40s, with the AC boys in attendance. I am not racing, and if I get to see only a bit of the action, I hope it is these spectacular machines.

Thursday 24 July 2008

Thought for the day

According to a research 1/3 of fires in the home occur when we are drunk. Does that mean that you are twice as likely to be involved in a fire if you remain sober? Hmmm...

Talula Does the Hula

This article is too funny to pass up. Apparently some parents around the world don't give as much thought to the names of their children as Lisa and I did with Samuel. Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii is so embarassed about her name that her friends call her K, but that's still not as bad as being called No.16 Bus Shelter. And who would want to be named after a brand of cigarettes? Or a 6-cylinder Ford? (Maybe a Lamborghini: how about Countach Streeter?!!)

Other people who had more luck with their birth certificates seem bent on reversing their good fortune...can anyone guess what the two-word phrase is that "contains a four-letter expletive and expresses opposition to censorship"?!

Monday 21 July 2008

It'll make you go blind!

An interesting article in the ABC's news website last week highlighted some interesting attitudes towards sex in America. Or rather, some local governments' attempts to crack down on activities that are "detrimental to the health and morality of the State". Do the incidents described show the prevalence of over-zealous bible bashers, or am I just too liberal? Frankly, I don't care, because I don't live in America (although these attitudes would not be out of place in Barbados). I have highlighted this article for entertainment purposes.

For although you may understand a council's desire to root out on public indecency (while at the same time being sympathetic to the man who lost his job and wife after he was caught short in a park), the attempt to crack on "simulated sex acts", in this case being performed by Chippendales dancers for (apparently) 80-year old ladies, makes for funny reading. What is really hilarious is that a US Court of Appeals has ruled that "communities have a 'legitimate legislative interest in discouraging prurient interests in autonomous sex' ". I fail to see how anyone's interest in "autonomous sex" (which apparently refers to masturbation, that most evil of adolosecent past times) affects wider society.

However, the Family Research Council (a Christian group that promotes traditional family values) disagrees. An Action Alert on their website insists that "Traditional marriage is in grave peril across the nation, thanks to activist judges and radical legislators in Massachusetts, California, and other states". A representative insisted that "Society does have an interest in people's private sexual behavior."

After all, we don't want our sons (and daughters) going blind.

Saturday 19 July 2008

Congrats Vasilij!

Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) has finished 3rd at the Laser Europeans (Standard, Senior) behind Tom Slingsby (AUS) and Paul Goodison (GBR). The Athens Bronze medallist was thus the 2nd-placed European in the championship, one of his best results ever (he won this event in 2003). This is just the latest in a string of good results over the past 6 months, which includes a 4th place at the Worlds and a 2nd in Holland.

Vasilij
was in the top three for the whole event, neck and neck with Paul for the European title. He and coach Trevor Millar must be pleased with this result, as well as the form he has displayed recently, as they prepare for the Games next month. I'll be rooting for you!

Friday 18 July 2008

Should he go?

Dwayne Chambers will not go the Beijing Olympics. Today he failed to secure an injunction against the British Olympic Association by-law banning him from life for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Is this the right decision? Should Chambers, who is still the fastest man in Britain, be allowed to go to the Olympics? To prove that he is just as good drug-free? Or, also as important, to revive his dead career? Duncan Mackay seems to think so, and he was the one who exposed Chambers in 2003. He makes some good points, not least that Chambers has done his time. There are also good arguments against, such as the message it would send to youngsters, and the fact that he is tainted. There are more deserving athletes out there. However, I think that this case raises a broader question, which is relevant to society as a whole. Is the BOA by-law fair?

There a some basic principles that make our justice system fair and hence underpin democracy. Principles such as the right to a fair trial, habeas corpus, right to proper representation, etc. I believe that an equally-important principle is that the punishment should fit the crime. Society seems to agree; certainly there is outcry in cases where a criminal is perceived to get off lightly. Hence there have recently been protests at the fact that a "Life" sentence can be as little as a few years. In a recent case involving a cyclist who caused a fatal accident, the victim's family were rightly outraged that he got off with a fine.

There is less concern when punishments are too harsh - the opinion seems to follow that old cliche of not doing the crime... And we all know the laws before we break them (ignorance is no excuse). So nobody seems that bothered that in this country my license can be taken away if I drive at 35 in a 30 zone four times in a five-year period. You hardly hear news articles about the criminal who got too severe a punishment. America is happy to let Susan Atkins die in jail. The fact that Chambers new about the by-law and agreed to be bound by it is an oft-quoted argument in this case. But then, no athlete who values their career will argue against such a rule.

There is also room for varying opinions on what constitutes proper punishment. The family of a victim will have quite different views than the family of the convicted. There are no doubt many people who believe that a lifetime ban is a reasonable sentence for a drugs cheat. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) disagrees and allows athletes found guilty of taking drugs to return to competition once they have served their ban. ALL competition. And on this point, I agree. He was allowed to return to the athletics circuit in 2006 by UK Athletics, and that should include the Olympics.

The basis of my opinion in this case is unrelated to doping. Make no mistake that I am in full agreement with WADA's regulations (though I fail to see how pot is "performance enhancing"!). Drugs cheats should be punished to the full extent of the law. Society has a duty to ensure that criminals are punished for their offences. We also have a duty, in order to instill confidence and respect in our justice system, to ensure that the law is fair and humane.

As for the argument that there are more deserving athletes in Britain, well this is a meritocracy: the best man wins and No.2 goes home. Period.

Wednesday 16 July 2008

Bajan is Champion


We are not allowed to call him the World Champion because it is not an ISAF recognised International class (because it's only really sailed in three countries), but Barbados-born Dave McGregor has won the Solo Nations Cup, recently held in Holland. The Solo, designed by Jack Holt in 1956, is a one-design dinghy which is popular in the UK, Holland and Australia.

There is a pretty decent circuit here in Britain and Dave, who until last year was campaigning in the Finn for Barbados, had been doing quite over the last several months. He won 8 out of 9 races at the Nations Cup, attributing his success to the fitness and endurance gained from campaigning the Finn. He said the long courses and open water conditions, more physically challenging than the inland courses sailed over here, gave him the edge.

Here is a link to the Cup page: http://tinyurl.com/6xtpg6. And here is Dave collecting his prize from a beautiful young Dutch girl:

Monday 14 July 2008

We goin'!!

Barbados will be represented at the 2008 Olympics in the sport of sailing. The Tripartite Commission recently informed the Barbados Olympic Association that the Island had received a wild card for the Olympic Regatta. Accordingly, youngster Gregory Douglas has been selected to represent Barbados at the Games.

This is an amazing opportunity for Greg, after we were unable to qualify for the Games at the Worlds this year. Greg placed 117th out of 157 entries, which I thought was very credible given that it was his first Worlds. He had been gearing up for Summer competition, which would likely have included the Youth Worlds in Denmark. Now he is in Bermuda with coach Luis, making final preparations. Also on Luis' team for the Games will be sailors from Uruguay and ISV.

Best of luck to Greg; hopefully they'll get that algae mess sorted out. In any event, I am sure that he will not soon forget the experience of the Opening Ceremony, walking into the stadium with the Barbados flag, while the whole world is watching.