Olympics/Paralympics 2004

  

2.4 Meter Laser 470 Star Mistral

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2004 Olympic Diary

For the sixth time in his 24-year career with US SAILING, Olympic Director Jonathan Harley is accompanying the USA's Team to the Olympic Games.

His first Olympic diary  -- from Sydney, Australia -- offered a unique behind-the-scenes look at the daily life of the U.S. sailors at the Games.  Now in Athens with the 2004 Team, Jonathan is back with a second installment of his Olympic Diary.

Bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates.
 

 

   
 

August 27 – As it was a lay day for everyone at the Agios Kosmas Sailing Center, we took a little time off to visit one of the nearby islands.  A day trip on a noisy 90-minute hydrofoil took us to Hydra (hee-dra) where there are no cars and no bicycles -- the preferred method of travel is by donkey.  It was a beautiful small island, but just as hot as everywhere else in Greece in August. 

We ambled around town, had lunch at a taverna -- complete with guitar playing singer – and checked out the North Sails shop in the middle of the town square while traipsing in and out of all the tourist places.  We spent several relaxing hours at a restaurant built into the cliff where we could watch the boats coming and going into the harbor, along with kids taking running leaps from the rocks into the sea.

After a quick bite for dinner while the sun set, we headed home on an 8:00 p.m. hydrofoil.  Unfortunately, the wind had piped up considerably during the course of the afternoon -- that had an adverse affect on a number of passengers who got seasick on the rough ride.  We were over an hour late getting back to port as the hydrofoil had to slow to a crawl until we reached smoother water!

 

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