Kia Orana All,
Following a briefing from our Cook Islands Experience:
Air Pacific Flight to Rarotonga on the 18th September 2009 was an enjoyable moment for our Team Samoa. Arriving in Raro approx 1800hrs with our immigration officer, a sweet small Rarotongan lady, welcoming us with a stamp and calling each of us “sweet” as we pass thru her lane to collect our luggage.
Our Team Samoa management awaiting us outside with buses and trucks to transport us to our home for the next 4 days at Nukutere College, just behind the township area of Avarua. After a welcoming service by the principal and students of the school, together with our blessings by the bishop of the school, we were directed to our rooms for our stay. Dinner was about a 15 minute walk from our camp, and with Telecom on the way to dinner just down the road sim cards and credits for our phones were obtained immediately.
Our first 4 days in Raro were to be idle, and hence my early attempts with the Sailing Council in Raro for leased laser boats and a hobiecat for training, we were not too lucky and decided to kyak our time for training instead. At the Sailing Club, Muri Lagoon, we enjoyed our training hours with the ukulele sounds serenading us as we rinse the salt water after the kyak sessions.
Preparing for the Opening Ceremony on Monday 21st September was exciting and we were surprised the Team Samoa management and chef de mission requested our girls, Mabelle and Olivia to hold the banner for the Opening Parade. Team Samoa were very popular with TV cameras and crews as we were waiting behind the stadium for our turn to appear in front of the crowds.
Our flight to Aitutaki the next morning was at 0800hours. The welcoming reception by the Aitutaki community and especially our supporting school students from Araura College made us feel like kings, queens, princes, and princesses. Our home for the next 10 days was with Inano Resort with Mama Vi’ia and Papa Moeau who was our chef for our breakfast every morning at 06:30am. Our cereals of all sorts, fish/eggs/spaghetti/baked beans were specially prepared by Papa Moeau without fail. Noni juice was plentiful for those who liked it. Bananas pawpaw mangoes were also plentiful. We even had a taste of octopus at breakfast one morning.
The daily experience on the speed boats was awesome. There were numbered 1-13 speed boats available to transport all the teams to the island of Akaiami, our venue for the competition. It is another paradise on its own with turquoise coloured vast ocean. 0730 every morning was takeoff time for all the speedboats to Akaiami island. We preferred the number 11 speedboat. Not only the skipper, Ron Henry, was handsome and had the deepest blue eyes like the ocean we travelled on daily, his boat was the fastest out of the fleet. And he owned the Blue Nun night club in town. The slowest boat and took twice as long to get to Akaiami was the officials and the jury boat.
Lunch was handed out on the course island were as usual sandwich with two types of fruit with a yoghurt, but the fresh caught fish by the Fijian manager, Bruce, was the highlight of our lunches on the “motu”, barbequed with lime coconut cream and bananas and all prepared by the friendly old Aitutaki ladies that look after the island. Aunty Ruru and husband, owners of the island, went out of their way to offer the first bungalow to the Team Samoa sailors free of charge. There we left all the sailing gear equipment at the end of the sailing competition day, and saved us carrying bags backwards each day.
The popular meeting place for everyone was the Boat Shed, the Sailing Club Room, where the jury carried out their meetings every evening after dinner. And where all of us with the young sailors would go to have a drink with other team management members while the sailors play around and swinging on the hammocks by the beach end of the Club. The Menu offered at Boat Shed was most enjoyable by those who would have preferred breakfast, lunch or dinner there. The young sailors very much enjoyed their meetings with participating country sailors at the Boat Shed and became friends throughout the weeks of competition. Our dinners provided at our eating centre at Samade were even more scrumptious than the Boat Shed restaurant dinners. The choice of 8 types of salads to have with ham/lamb/fish/beef/potato salad/baked veges/pasta and soups, not to mention our desserts afterwards, were so popular that the officials complain about the desserts running out before they arrive for dinner.
Sharing the moment competing, socializing, eating together, mingling, praying together with other participating countries made the week felt short and until we heard of the earthquake/tsunami tragic in Samoa, we became sad and touched by the numerous condolences and sympathies expressed and conveyed by our fellow country members alongside us that morning. We were thankful our immediate members of families were all safe.
Our last debrief with the laser Team became exciting to find out we were just leading in fewer points and medals were looking good. I remember looking at Shannon during our debrief, and immediately I sensed a winning streak somehow. And yeees the next day, Shannon came first in the Medal Race…. Everyone was asking… why didn’t you do this last week? And more excitement when our Mabelle came second in the Medal Race… beating the New Caledonie sailor!!
To cap off the day and end of competition, it was a great pleasure to watch our laser sailors with huge smiles on their faces, they were bright stars on the podiums cladding themselves with their country flags, as they were receiving their Silver Medals. The drums of the islands kept us dancing with joy.
Our heartfelt thanks goes to all the support from each and every one of the Apia Yacht Club, the parents and sailors and members involved with fundraising towards the Team Samoa, and especially the encouraging messages from everyone for our Team Samoa for the Pacific Mini Games.
My special thank you to Raema who gave all her time available to coach our Team Samoa. Thank you also to Alex for every moment given to our Team on the water during the hot and dry times throughout the races providing water and snacks for the Teams. The Team also would like to say thank you v.much to Poleti for his assistance and rescue attendances during their training before leaving for the Cook Islands.
Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge the support and assistance from the following sponsors:-
Food On the Move, Sydney. Jon & Jocelyn Salter – Rash Shirts/Caps
Meripa Weir, Brisbane – T-Shirts
Misty Agnes Humrich – T-Shirts
Graham Hogarth – Team Insurance
Our best wishes to you all for your kind donations and may our Team Silver Medals mean something towards your very kind sponsorship.
Happy sailing to you all.
Seine Hogarth
The Team Samoa Mother
Pacific Mini Games – Cook Islands 2009
