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Board » Sailonline Yacht Club » WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING

Posted by
WIN


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349
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2009-07-09 23:32:07
2016-12-31 16:47:57 - WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
Hey !! …do not jump on your seat ! ..I am not going anywhere ……..;)

BUT ….SIMPLY …..:

In 2015 I had given myself two SOL objectives : SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP and TIMED CHAMPIONSHIP ….No one would have been able to convince me to go for the SUPERSOLER . A great deal of energy to tackle the OCEAN CHAMPIONSHIP would be needed = NO WAY !!!!!! ..;)

I ended up second in both Championships , beaten by SLL ( Sprint Legend Lou ) in SPRCH and trashed by rumskib in TRCH. Although I value a second place in a year-long Championship a great result , I said to myself : “ In 2016 ……. I HAVE TO “.

So….in 2016 I gave myself two objectives : SUPERSOLER and SPRCH . This meant a full year long concentration , eight LOOOOONG Ocean races , where one has to jump out of bed much earlier in the morning than my actual “pensioner” standards, and regulating life and commitments on SOL calendar. I am sure that all I wanted was to be able to demonstrate to myself that I could still do something like that , in spite of my falling energies.

It all started with a one and half months long race ( SFO – NYC ) , and with unbelievable and hammering bad luck ….BUT…..I achieved both goals much ahead of year’s end, and at the very end of the season guess what ? …. I have just won ALSO the Ocean Championship although it was not a goal ( of course ), drawing ( with interests ) the credit I had with luck since the SFO – NYC race !!

This puts me in a feeling that I have nothing more to demonstrate to myself ( SOL wise ), so I matured a while ago a decision that I am here announcing to you ALL my SOL friends.

I RETIRE WINSTON_4 FROM AGONISTIC COMPETITIVE SAIL-RACING IN SOL.

I will continue to do what I have been doing so far behind the scenes , and support the activities and plans of our platform like before and more than before.

I will surely be again in the water randomly during the year , when time permits , in races of “MY” length and duration, BUT in a non-competitive fashion , and surely disregarding a few updates , specially the 0430Z one !! ;)

I am still undecided about completing the RTWR ( legs 3 and 4 ). I love my boat as much as WIN loves me , and perhaps I will not want to decommission him in AUK and might bring him home. ( sorry ..a boat named Winston cannot really be a “she“ ) ;)

I plan to be present and available…….and you can rest assured that when in the water I will still fight , but in a much more relaxed manner !! :)

In the early days of WIN sailing on the SOL waters a very special partnership started with one very special SOLer : Ita10267 . I owe him everything WIN accomplished in SOL , and I will always be his wingman if one day he and I will again be in the SOL waters together. When I told him a few days ago that I would retire he said to me that only few do so when they still win and he mentioned a recent name that I do not dare quoting…..as the comparison is HUGE exaggeration , but the concept still stands : WIN wants to leave victory memories in SOL :)

Besides : looking at stats , it seems that WIN is the boat with the biggest historical “Palmares” in SOL . Well guys …..be careful ! don’t even try ! …I will be checking those stats from time to time , and if I see that ANYONE is approaching……….I WILL BE BACK !!!!!!!

Ciaoooooooooooooo and have great SOL time in 2017 !!!

Piero
;)
Posted by
RainbowChaser


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2656
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2009-06-14 09:44:50
2016-12-31 17:09:31 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
What a wonderful post! To "leave" on a high is always the best way to go and those of us in the less-competitive remaining fleet now welcome you to our midst.

It takes a calm mind and a great sense of humour to be happy/accepting of being uncompetitive, but, of course, it also means that you can sleep well at night. Picking a personal matchracing target is always fun, though!

Until, of course, some competition is just too delicious to ignore!

:-D
___________



--- Last Edited by RainbowChaser at 2016-12-31 17:23:23 ---
Posted by
JB


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305
Registered at
2013-03-07 08:54:34
2016-12-31 18:16:07 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
Viva all.

There are some persons that never leave us.

Piero, you are one of them.

Big Hug
J/psail
Sail Fair.
Posted by
Neuroman


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12
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2012-07-18 12:18:00
2017-01-01 13:11:40 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
You will miss us, but you really deserve some relax. Congratulation for all, my dear friend.q
Posted by
Svein


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84
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2009-05-04 15:09:20
2017-01-01 14:38:24 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
My friend Piero,
Piero and WINSTON_4 are just other ways of saying EXCELLENCE.
Thanks for demonstrating it to us.
Posted by
Dingo


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94
Registered at
2013-03-09 04:23:58
2017-01-03 01:08:38 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
Ciao Piero and WINSTON_4, first of all congratulations on a great palmares!! and enjoy the first relaxing months of 2017 free of the all-nighters and the untimely WX updates.

I will miss you on the waters as it was always fun to race you, and to enjoy your occasional posts in the chat during the race.

I always find it a little strange racing some boats who almost never have a word to say even during a long ocean race.

But your interventions were always amusing, personal, and often self-deprecating, which has given us all a wonderful insight into your personality.

When perhaps the greatest thing about SOL is the camaraderie amongst skippers around the world, it's been great to have a BIG personality both working behind the scenes and also racing hard!

I too have decided to slow down this year, and definitely to keep my SOLing to normal hours and to a minimum actually on the computer at each update time. I figure a bit of life balance is a good thing.

But I know that you will sneak back at every opportunity once you've had a rest, as it is an addictive game, so I look forward to seeing the new WINSTON_4 sometime not too far away I hope.
A big cheers, a big congratulations, and a big thank you!

John (Dingo)
Posted by
Jawz


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154
Registered at
2009-07-21 09:51:19
2017-01-04 12:13:27 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
Hi Piero

I just checked and I see that I did my first race 4 days after yours on 22 July 2009. Quite a lot of water passed under our boats since those days. Now whereas I have done over 744000 nm to gain only 3 wins you have done only half that and gained 80 wins!!!

What a legend!! Enjoy the sabbatical and I am glad you remain with SOL and in the engine room.

Regards
George - Jawz

...//...

:) There is a saying that there is no pill for stupid! I also have hugely cut back on my races and stick these days to the Ocean series largely. Not to get any more wins but my aim is to get to 1 million nautical miles!!!
Posted by
dikkehenk


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66
Registered at
2012-02-24 15:03:37
2017-01-14 20:48:26 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
Pierrrrooo! hahahaha, so i was right in the chat , you are doing a Franci ! ! :)))
that why i only do long ocean races and skip the rest..and i only look at ranking for the race itself :) So, i do hope to see you on those races, since there you can miss a wx without to much loss.

--- Last Edited by dikkehenk at 2017-01-14 20:49:30 ---
Posted by
SWE_Robert


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19
Registered at
2009-06-28 13:03:13
2017-02-08 20:59:59 - Re: WINSTON_4 RETIRES FROM COMPETITIVE SOL RACING
Just kidding, if I know you the way I think I do ! :))
Robert

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