With the 2012 RC44 Championship Tour now underway, BKA National squad member Neil has had a moment to update us on his time spent with Team Aqua so far:

It's been a busy first stint in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote preparing Team Aqua for racing. The boat hit the water last Friday despite some seriously windy conditions, and the sailing team have arrived so our focus has now turned from maintenance and improvements to race preparation ahead of the regatta. 

Since I arrived, most of our time has been spent sanding, preparing and repainting the keel fin, bulb and rudder as well as a hull repair from the last event; now looking very shiny thanks to Dylan’s handiwork! 

Facilities in the yard were not ideal, forcing us to build our own spray booth out of tarpaulins, a container and a J80! Not something I expected to be doing before arriving. The days have been long with lots to do to prepare the boat for going in the water, now fortunately things are a bit calmer and I'm looking forward to the sailing starting. I will try to keep you updated on the team's progress through training and the regatta.

Joining the team has been brilliant; I'm getting a great insight into how a professional team runs and learning every second I'm here. All new and developed skills will help me go further with my sailing career. There's lots of hard work and long hours involved, but it's a privilege to be part of the team.