Tom Braidwood's Mini Transat update

by Tom Braidwood on 14 Apr 2007 Bonjour! Well French lessons are a little harder than we thought. I have so much respect for all the people I know who speak two or more languages. I am hoping that it will eventually just click but we'll have to wait and see.

My little Wombat will pulling up to the dock in Antwerp, Belgium any day now and then its gong to be trucked down here to La Rochelle where I'll start putting it all together. I am looking forward to going for another sail on my bateau (maybe I know more French than I thought).

We've been having a great time here. We went and stayed with John and Christine Woodruff in a Chateau in the Loire Valley. It was fantastic, and something we'll remember forever. We also went up to Lorient where we'll be based for May so we compete in some regattas. We managed to catch up with Suzy-anne a friend from the old Ercisson days.

We finally managed to buy a car too- its an old Range Rover that should tow the Wombat easily. Julie and Fredrick, some new friends of ours here in La Rochelle, really helped us out with this, and everything else. They have really helped to make the transition to France easy.


Settling in in La Rochelle

27 March 2007

Well we're here! La Rochelle is midway down the Atlantic coast of France and a really pretty old walled city. We have a great apartment really close to both the city and the marina and we're settling in really well.

It is freezing over here, when we head out to get our morning baguette (yes we walk down and get a baguette every morning, you know when in Rome...) anyway when we head down to the bakery its about 2 degrees. A bit of a shock coming from home but its fun getting rugged up to go everywhere.

The boat arrives in Antwerp, Belgium on the 9th April and will be trucked down here to La Rochelle. I have found a really fantastic yard to unpack the Wombat and get her all set up for the first race on the 25th April.

Next week we start our French lessons, it should be fun. I not only have to learn everyday French but enough to understand the weather reports that are broadcast in the local lingo during the race.

Tom and the Wombat Crew

http://www.tombraidwood.com