24 hrs. in Palma de Mallorca
Travel journal of SVB Team Germany's training
The guys from SVB Team Germany have been in Palma since last Monday, with a few days of training already behind them. Spontaneously, Susi and I decided to head down and join them for a day. Our flight to Mallorca is taking off Thursday morning at 11:00 AM!
Our trip to Palma de Mallorca will take exactly 24 hours! A trip which couldn't possibly be shorter or more spontaneous, neither more exciting or insightful. We will share our experiences over the course of the next 24 hours in our travel journal.
16.03. - 17.03.2017
Time to pack up some gear and have a quick coffee. Can't forget the suncream, Palma's going to be a scorcher! Now, into the car and off to SVB.
After Susi and I have packed up our Camera, GoPro and 2 SEATEC Coastal jackets, it's off to the airport.
Time to take off... Heading through the clouds and over the snow-coated Alps towards Spain.
Arrival in Palma, the sun is blazing! Time to swap the jackets out for some sunglasses. Then it's off to the hotel to check in. But there's still time to sneak in a few tapas before we head off to Calanova harbour.
Time to get picked up by the team's photographer and his assistant in the harbour. We take off in a dinghy going full-speed towards the team's catamaran.
We are finally out on the water! What a feeling! Sun, salt water and wind - the ideal training conditions for the team! A quick wave over to the team and the dinghy takes off. Susi and I can’t stop shooting videos and photos, even though our dinghy is jumping uncontrollably out of the water under each wave, making capturing the perfect photo into a real challenge!
Time for a quick break and crewmember rotation: I can’t believe my luck when the team asks me to come on board as a guest! Wetsuit on, life jacket secured, helmet fastened and off we go!
I’ve never experienced something like this in my entire life: Unlike the small bouncing dinghy, this 32 foot catamaran glides over the water swiftly and silently. And suddenly, I'm right bang in the middle of a race against the Spanish team, who are also using the waters off of Palma to train. Then, unexpectedly, our relaxed tempo transitions into breath-taking speed. And it happens: WE START FLYING! I can barely hold back my emotions. What a feeling!
After an exciting race, we cruise through the bay for a couple of laps and Paul lets me take the helm. Together with Max Kohlhoff, I steer the catamaran’s foil and quickly gain a sense of how sensitive the boat is to any change in rudder blade position. I'm positive that this won’t be my last time on board of a foil catamaran!
After the boat is securely moored, we take a short detour to the beach to shoot new team photos. We capture a nice group photo and get a couple of interviews in between.
Then it’s time to eat dinner and discuss training while continuing to record.
After Susi and I looked over our footage from the day, it's finally time to hop into bed!
Get up, brush teeth, eat breakfast and it's off to the airport.
Departure. „Adios España“
