OK, I’m in Tokyo, and I’m freezing. +11 deg and raining. Tokyo has always been a non-stop smile for me, but I can’t stop shivering for some reason. Time to look back at the last few days and warm-up again!

The closing banquet, party, and awards were simply over the top. If you’re thinking of hosting a World’s anytime soon – don’t. After the event at the Royal Cliff Hotel, you’re screwed – by the expectations that set by FI and the Host Thai’s. Sure the food is all but perfect everyday, but present it in a hotel and facility of the likes Calgary has never seen, throw in a mega-ladyboy Vegas Style Review, a very exceptional award presentation, tasteful and fun speeches, and free drinks, you can’t touch the evening we had. Add to the pot the image of every participant wearing their supplied but very cheesy Hawaiian shirt and Noah and Mike on stage for winning the best Classic Boat, and you can tell the wheels came off this party.

Despite the fun and the late hours kept, we were up packing the container at 6:30am the next morning to beat the oven-like heat of the big steel box. It wasn’t a fun place for hangovers, but the doors were, quite impressively, closed by 11:00am. You might want to be around when we re-open it Calgary as there is sure to be a great stew on the go as water-content was remarkably higher than when we packed it in the dead of winter. Ah, sailing gear…, let me smell the ways.

It was tough saying good-bye to all of our old and new friends on Saturday as we lazed around the club recovering from the ‘pack’. It’s been a great group all around except many of them kept whipping us so badly. Good-guy and great-crew Tom Egli from Montreal, FI’s Tech Boss, pointed out the significant number of ‘professional’ crews in the top 15 teams, “don’t feel so bad”. The Brits and Aussie’s are just playing at a different level however, which we can talk more about over beers – wow. Mike, Noah, and Maddy will get to the racing so I’ll continue to concentrate on the rest.

Frank, Sean, Stephen, Joe and I headed up to Bangkok as we were flying out starting at three am. Hot? The night-market at Lumpani. HUGE. Staying in a suburb close to the airport – Hot – although the buildings look disturbingly like Calgary, transit infrastructure kicks but and the food is way better. Fun was had by all. Hot Highlight #41? Simon blowing his MCL early in the week. Bad for Simon and Jaimie, good for the rest of the Canadians as Simon had cold beer awaiting as we hit the beach and finished the big boat-pull up the hill each day. Blink, and you missed them going down. Wow.

Hot highlight #42? (don’t go looking for all the rest…) Local member and all-round helpful guy Gilbert organized a seafood dinner at a restaurant where if you don’t speak Thai, you’re going hungry. Did I say how great the mussels were?

I have to go and board my plane. More heat later on!