Cherbourg via the Isle of White (a sailing experience that questioned weather I would ever sail again!)

Butleigh rugby club as many well know has a plethora of traditions; one of these is the annual yacht trip to Cherbourg to pick up refreshments for the club. On the evening of July 16th four people; Mike Rodgers, Chris English, Julia and Antonia Maunder assembled in Butleigh’s Rose and Port pub before setting off in Mike’s specially purchased family car to meet up with James piggy Pearse the captain of the ship. Now there has been some speculation as to whether girls should be allowed to join in on this sort of thing but in the spirit of the new Butleigh committee and the fact that Julia has out drunk several Butleigh players several times it was decided she should go.

Now Mike doesn’t just share his first name with Schumacher for nothing and within 10 minutes he had his front seat companion, Chris sweating, praying for his life and holding on to the passenger door handle with the grip of a python tackling ambitious sized prey.
Little did Chris know this would be the smoothest part of the journey ahead.
Arriving at the south coast port minus only a wing mirror Chris was sent immediately to the yacht to unpack his enormous suitcase on wheels.

In Butleigh style the trip kicks off by meeting at a bar in Poole where skipper Piggy moors his yacht ‘H.M.S. Scudamore’ in a near by marina. The first leg of the cross channel journey is a purely technical affair, that of boarding the boat and chugging half a mile negotiating the harbour lifting bridge before mooring up and returning to the pub.
The following morning, much to the astonishment of Skipper Piggy everyone was up at 5am and ready to help. Mike set about making bacon and egg baguettes as they cruised out of the calm warm waters of Poole harbour with the sun shining brightly in a big blue sky. They were, however heading out, unbeknown to everyone except Piggy into Gale force 10 winds complete with howling thunderstorms and reduced visibility. Chris, by this point was down below donning an apron, one of the many practical items he had packed in his case. Strangely he only packed one pair of trousers which as he later discovered wasn’t to be enough when in a mid channel nautical incident involving heavy seas his flies broke and thereafter he had to spend the entire weekend flying low. This was to attract a great deal of attention in a bar later that night.
The crew cleared the idyllic white cliffs that shelter the Dorset coast and started to get into rougher waters. As the boat lurched down one of the first larger waves Chris in his marigolds and apron was sent flying backwards and lay sprawled out on the floor of the boat. Julia and Chris at this point were looking decidedly pale. It was clear there was soon to be re-sampling opportunities of the culinary delights of Mike’s breakfast baguette and Antonia was duly sent to get life jackets and ties lines for them both. Seconds later Mike lurched half over the side heaving and retching coming up a few moments later with blood and worse all over his face. Julia and Chris soon followed suit.

Thirty minutes later, Antonia joined this elite group leaving only Captain Piggy still digesting his breakfast. Gagging noises heard coming from his direction cast doubt as to whether this would last. By this time Chris was doing a chameleon impression having matched the colour of his face to his green coat. Piggy with winds screeching through the rigging voiced his concern that no one was having fun and asked if anyone would like to turn around; ‘we have a further 9 hrs of this to make France’ he shouted. Mike with patches of scraggy dried blood on his face insisted despite not being able to show any enthusiasm that ‘everyone is loving it’. Piggy then asks Chris directly, who at this point is looking close to death how he is and from somewhere a quiet heroic voice says ‘lets push on’ before closing his eyes. Julia and Antonia aren’t caving in either. Piggy in a vain attempt not to put the crew off sailing for life (to the secret relief of all on board) turns around.

Almost back in Poole harbour and most of the sickness is passing, terra firma is within grasp and there is an eager anticipation to take that first step on to land. Showers are also high on the agenda particularly for Antonia as she has inexplicably managed to throw up down her own back. Piggy however isn’t going to let anyone off, rounding up cats would be a simpler task than getting this rabble back on board after stepping on dry land. ‘The Isle of White I believe has four vin yards’ he shouts and turns the boat about and a new heading is set for the Island’s main port!
On arrival at Yarmouth, Isle of White, the two nearest vin yards are located and the crew set out by foot. British wine doesn’t have the greatest reputation and after sampling the 5 bottles on offer (no red because it’s all in the local co-op) they left feeling obliged to purchase a couple of token bottles. Completely sober, it’s decided to get back in the Butleigh tradition and head straight for a pub, Piggy knows just the one.

The ‘Saltys’ Inn is famous for its live music and fantastic atmosphere during the summer months. Within an hour Julia and Antonia are dancing on the tables along with half of the population of the Island. Chris is singing a reluctant duet with the DJ and Piggy is making his own moves on an attractive brunette, taking full advantage of the lack of space or maybe dirty dancing is just his style.

2pm and the music is over they head back to the harbour only to discover the yacht’s dingy not where they left it. Mike had tied the dinghy up using simple Plimsoll knots but had made up for it with sheer quantity ruling out the possibility of it having drifted away.

Captain Piggy who in the pub had been the ‘skilled‘ winner of a pacey card drinking game ‘shithead’ is by inclination a mariner of stern social etiquette but was now a wild boar, charging up and down the marina before spotting his dinghy being rowed a short way out by two men. He shouted at them ‘get back here!’ and much to everyone’s surprise they did. As it arrived at the steps the two men quite little and very large tried to run past, little squeezed through Chris’s legs but large had the wroth of a raging piggy who unleashed a well aimed haymaker shouting ‘you’re swimming’ as large fell back into the harbour waters.

Piggy having gained control of the dinghy fired up the outboard motor and to the concern of his own crew headed fearlessly towards the men’s yacht to take on the rest of their twelve strong stag group leaving the two miscreants standing on the shore quaking and stranded. Eventually after a wholesome exchange of abuse with the antagonists Piggy was persuaded back towards the faithful H.M.S. Scudamore.

The following morning the expedition complete with just the two bottles of Isle of White wine arrived back in Poole harbour delighted and happily exhausted with their fulfilling but unfulfilled venture.

Two weeks later a new crew including the battered but unbowed Mike Rodgers under resolute Captain Piggy set sail for France once more.
by Antonia Maunder

The quickest 6 weeks of my life just went by...

I just had the most amazing 6 weeks of my life. I stopped having time to blog/email/barely FB but it was actually refreshing when usually I spend most of my life on a computer. It made me think even outside work so much time is consumed looking at a screen when we should be having REAL experiences. I will now be re-living the past 6 weeks through my computer for the next year... well hopefully not because this year will be filled with LOADS more : ) A new adventure this time based in Sydney.

Instead of writing an essay I am going tell my East Coast travels in pictures....


Leaving Sydney on the tube - very very very excited!













Cairns harbor. Unable to swim in the sea because of the crocs!!! But there was a lagoon that all the party animals hung out on in the day time.












Cape Tribulation - such a beautiful
tropical beach.










Below are some friends we made including Vanessa, a crazy, very good fun Irish girl and Marco who we said goodbye to 1000 times as we kept bumping into him all down the coast!

Heaven must look like this...

Just got back off the Atlantic Clipper where I stayed for the past two nights visiting the Whitsundays. It is truly the most beautiful place. Whitehaven is what my idea of what heaven must actually look like. As soon as I get my photos on here you will understand and if you have seen them you will agree.

We took a 9hr Greyhound bus to Arly Beach and Stayed for the night in Magnums backpackers. Our hut had 6 other northern lasses in it. Very friendly but one had 250 bedbug bites on her!! nice. We got on the Clipper at 2pm and it sailed (ok motored) over to the Whitsundays. There was 53 of us on board. It was a really lovely boat and our cabins were pretty roomy, plus we got a duvet so I was about to have my best nights sleep I have had in 3 weeks. We had all meals provided which was a blessing especially as there was a brilliant cook.

All travellers would have heard of 'The Goon' basically cheap boxed wine that tastes rank. But everyone drinks it so time to get stuck into it as well. Feels like we are back at uni sometimes. There was then lots of card games played and music on the top deck. We have learnt a brilliant card drinking game called 'The ring of fire' I can't explain now but is great for a big group.

Next day we were up early and spent the morning on Whitehaven - beautiful beyond words. Then we went snorkeling obviously on a different part of the Barrier Reef. We saw a huge Turtle loads of fish - parrot fish - so pretty loads of fish big, small. Then got back to the clipper and they attached a huge water slide to the boat - so much fun. Like Green Bank Pool in the old days but I didn't get told off for going head first!!!

Last night there was an erotic story writing competition. I love a competition and I love creative writing so I got stuck into it. Last night they read all the good ones out and for a moment I thought oh no mine was so bad that they weren't going to read it, but he saved the winning story till last and it was mine ha ha. So funny, the crew said they felt slightly arousied reading it so it had to win and I got the prize money of a whopping great $30. There is an after party tonight with the whole crew - can't wait.

Oh aaaaaand One of the crew called Rhyan has just got a job in Neighbours and starts in 5 weeks so I already have his autograph and a photo with him - he said I was his first fan!!! So there is no way he will forget me!! Neighbours fans will understand . . . sisters back me up here!

Off to meet these 2 lovely dutch girls in the lagoon, Scott and I met them at beach Olympics, one of them is an events manager and she said I could have a career in it if I wanted!

Speak again soon xxxx

ps and we saw dolphins last night 5 of them played around the ship for a while. So cool.

CAIRNS!!

I am finely finding the need to use this blog site again. I could attempted to write everyone personal emails which I would prefer but my Internet time now has a limit plus the sun is beckoning for us to be out side!

Having a fantastic time. Scott and I are now certified divers now! The first two days were in the classroom and pool doing lots of skills tests videos etc. It was very intense, had to take a lot in in a short space of time. Then at the end of day 2 we had the theory exam. There was 7 of us and we were aloud to take as long as we liked, after about half an hour the rest of the class had finished and gone home and Scott and I were still there half an hour later ha ha., to the point the instructor woman who was a patronising cow said to us not to worry, there's nothing wrong with being slow!!! We thought this comment was hilarious but she then thought we weren't taking it serious enough! Anyway we scrapped through and passed.... we are designers what do you expect!

Spent the last two days in the Great Barrier Reef and it was absolutely amazing sooooooo fantastically amazing. We saw all the fish in finding Nemo.... even a shark although it was the size of my arm! Not scary at all. We saw a huge turtle which was amazing. Scott touched it's back so I did then got told off, even though the instructor was flinging a sea cucumber around like there was no tomorrow. I really don't think she liked us. Then yesterday we had this really cool Korean instructor called Ray, he was so enthusiastic about everything and we completed our PADI withe him and it was high 5's all round. Plus he thought Scott and we so natural we were aloud to go out by our selves on the last dive. We were slightly apprehensive as we seem to get lost quite a lot generally let alone under the sea. But it was really good, a huge sense of freedom in a new world. We found our way back fine.

The hostel we are in at the moment isn't the best and this morning just as we were checking out a cockroach fell on my head!!! Not impressed but we are heading to mission beach on the Grey Hound bus at 12pm then booked into do a sky dive on Scott's birthday on the 24th Thursday plus we are staying in a hostel called Scotties!! So it was as if it was meant to be.

We have made friends with a couple of Irish and English and an Aussie girl who are doing the same thing. They said Scott has to wear his birthday suit to do his sky dive ha ha... Can't wait for the sky dive, 14,000 feet and we land on the beach it's self.

Got to go, miss you all loads xxx

My training partners name is now pain!

Well pain was always there waiting for the opportunity to step up and now coincidentally just as Julia has chosen a new path I have found a new level of pain… the kind you get that makes you feel like you’re going to pass out or throw up! But that’s a 500m sprint for you and the name of this game. Training at Elmbridge is good and it’s just what I needed to make this winter a positive one. Elmbridge canoe club is a fantastic place; with plenty of talent, the Thames and great coaches. It makes working hard that bit easier and so far I am happy with the improvements I have made here.

I am very excited about the year ahead and although Julia is already missed and the reason I have got this far, I know that this is for me regardless of my environment or company. Even when I’m not sure about stepping out of the door in the ice, sleet, rain, snow, wind and floods; I just have to think about how lucky I am to be training every day and how much I enjoy pushing myself to new limits and striving to improve in the boat and in the gym.

I will endeavor to keep you updated on my progress on Julia’s blog if you care to follow the second sisters continuing journey in the world of sprint kayaking!

Goodbye Kayaking

It has been far too long since I have written but over time I have made the decision to give up kayaking. It was the hardest decision I have ever made and took a long time to realise that I couldn’t go on any more. I had a lot of doubt in my mind for a long time and this started to make training a constant battle. When I was training 3-4 times everyday it just made me very unhappy. I can’t stand the thought of giving up, but I was burnt out and felt mentally drained all the time. Maybe if there had been a sharper progression curve I could have thrived off this but I think it is one of the hardest skills to master in the world as an adult and I would like to see Rebecca Romero take on the Sprint Kayak challenge.

My sister Antonia on the other hand is still extremely motivated and to be honest was always slightly better than me at the sport. I found this very hard to deal with as well, because she’s my younger sister. I have always felt I should be better than her and although I did come to terms with it, when you are training in a pair most of the time you are either first or last.

Antonia has now moved to Surrey and is living in Kingston-on-Thames and training with Roland Lawler at Elmbridge Canoe Club. Roland is a leading GB coach who guided his son Ivan to 5 successive world championships. Our original plan was for me to move there too, however after completing a couple of grueling training sessions I knew that I couldn’t do it anymore!

I do feel sorry for letting people down who believed in me but I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to give everything and see how far I could take it. I couldn’t have done that with out the support of my family and friends. I don’t regret spending 18 months training full time, it was a brilliant experience and I have far more respect for every athlete who invests the time it take takes to train at that standard.

I will always do sport because it’s in my blood and would go crazy with out it. At the moment I am running a lot with Wells Harriers. I aim to do a triathlon at some point this year or any sporting challenges that come my way.

I have recently made another decision of moving to Australia. It is something I have always wanted to do and now I really want to do something for myself. I am lucky that I love my career in Graphic Design and want to pursue this in Sydney. Half my family live there so feels like a natural move to make. Also I haven’t forgotten about the Iron Man competition I saw on Coogie Beach – an exciting goal that isn’t 4 years away!

I have a lot of respect for Antonia, training is her life and she loves leading it this way. Antonia never questions the amount of training even when she is really exhausted, she just gets on with it. She is doing really well at Elmbridge and is around the right people to enable her to see how far she can take it. Antonia is going to write the next installment on her progression.

Thank you to everyone who helped me pursue an amazing dream especially those who helped coach me. Andy Maycock, Matt Brown, Ivan Lawler and to the BCU who lead me on this adventure and introduced me to a very good friend Naomi who has been a kind of mentor through out.