VICTORY AT LAST!
24 Jun 2008, 07:38 by Victor Ubogu
It's taken me 5 years to get there but it was well worth the wait for my maiden victory at the annual VU Sailing Regatta.
Four Farr 65s, with captains Mark Regan (Vantage Insurance Services), Eric Peters (Times New Media), Dan Ward Smith (Gaymer Cider) and myself (Price Waterhouse Coopers) competed for the VU Sailing Trophy. Of course, there was a proper skipper onboard the yachts to show us the ropes.
My team, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, won the first race by a mile with Mark Regan's Vantage Insurance coming second. I thought I was doing Gaymer Cider a favour by giving them Dan Ward Smith. Dan, out with various injuries over the past 18 months, has obvioulsy been doing over time in the gym. He reminded me of what I looked like in my playing days - well toned with a 6 pack! He broke the grinder within a few minutes of the opening race! A warning to opposing teams this season, watch out when he breaks out from the base of the scrum.
In the second race, positions were reversed with Mark Regan's Vantage Insurance coming first and my yacht coming second. We decamped to Bar Ha Ha for prize giving. The overal winner was settled by a four man boat race. Luckily we had some serious gusslers on my team and we easily downed the cold bottles of bud well ahead of Mark's team.