On Day 2 of the BMW Sail Racing Academy, we started the morning with a one hour drive from the stunning Castillo Hotel Son Vida to a picturesque Spanish restaurant for breakfast situated between the olive groves. The experience was an instant storyteller tale.
Our travel companion won the car lottery and was given keys to the i8. The BMW i8 is a truly revolutionary vehicle – the first sports car with the consumption and emission values of a compact car. With its innovative construction, ground-breaking use of materials, aerodynamic design and wealth of intelligent BMW EfficientDynamics features, the BMW i8 is probably the most progressive sports car on the market.
Our fellow sailors also were given cars including the i3, 6 series, X6 and of course the i8. I offered a Paper Scissors Stone game to trade places but he was having none of it. At least I got to pose with the i8 again although he very quickly took the keys back and got in the drivers seat ready to take to the hills.
For those interested, I’m wearing MUSTO Tide polo shirt, Tommy Hilfiger Shorts and Helly Hansen Danforth II shoes. Got a lot of compliments on my deck shoes being in grey suede. Kept these for driving although perfect for the boat I had yet to liquiproof these bad boys so kept them on dry land.
My lady and I didn’t hesitate in jumping in as passengers to feel the ride, taking this beauty to the mountains for an early breakfast. The i8 handles corners beautifully. The BMW i8 is extremely low and wide when viewed from the front and has a supercar stance with powerfully sculpted surfaces, precise contours and sporty nature of the interior. Gliding upwards when opened the BMW i8’s spectacular dihedral doors are instantly recognisable and blend perfectly into the smooth lines of the car’s beautifully designed aerodynamic body. The doors are 50% lighter than conventionally built doors making them incredibly easy to open and close. The doors open upwards instead of out, the deep bucket seats let you sink deep into the car, getting you low and improving the driving experience. The only thing better than an i8 is seeing 2 i8’s behind each other handling the corner of a beautiful mountain side.
Our travel companion said, “The automatic drive in the i8 was smooth. The car accelerates with consistent torque only an electric powered car can. The transmission, suspension and programming all work in combination to offer a seamless acceleration. There is no sudden kick of speed and a head jerking moment of acceleration. Instead it’s a constant increasing acceleration from the start.”
He commented, “Putting your foot down and watching the kilometres an hour hurtle up, in the front windscreen projection panel, alongside a projected maximum speed limit, and your navigation route suggestions, was an additional pleasure for a hassle-free driving experience. Then you put it into Sport Mode! The cool blue light panels and speedometer lighting, shift to an intense fury red, the steering wheel feedback increases, and your heart with it!” With our hearts still racing from the exhilarating drive, we stopped off to grab a bite to eat…
and enjoy the view…
Appreciated a fellow teammate’s fantastic footwear which were a pair of boat shoes by Chatham – one of Britain’s key lifestyle footwear brands who have been making classically British styled boat shoes for over 25 years. He told me, “The Chatham Gaff II boat shoes just slip on and are comfortable from the start. No break-in period needed. These shoes are my trusted go to, they can do it all, and fit all the situations in Mallorca comfortably and seamlessly with the look.”
Returned to the boat club for a full day of sail racing. This day was a steep learning curve, with me starting at the helm with the help of our skipper. It allowed me to sit without having to move too much when we tacked. Tacking and jibing without losing speed or metres was the aim of the game but the variable winds made this challenging. This caused for quick action from the crew on the jib, winching in the sheets to cut closer to the wind.
Here are more pictures of what our 6 crews got up to…
Come in for a closer look at what happens on board…
The MUSTO gloves pictured here were provided by BMW and were extremely useful in protecting one’s hands. It paired well with my MUSTO long sleeve top which shielded my arms from the sun and the wind and I felt surprisingly warm although my fellow crew mate had to don his Helly Hansen jacket. Beautiful and red my favourite colour hence my nickname of “Red” I was tempted to push him in as we pulled up to the harbour and keep his jacket.
However as you can see he returned safely and dry. The same could not be said for some of our crew who got slightly wet with the rough weather conditions. Sadly my teammate is still in possession of his jacket. He told me, “The Helly Hansen jacket looks substantial and stylish, yet rolls up well when not in use. The collar is high and comfortable, lined, avoiding the common ‘neck friction rub’ feel, that can easily be present with a water and wind proof jacket.”
Back to the briefing room for some intense racing tactic strategy from two world-class racers Roberto Ferrarese and Markus Wieser.
A couple of hours later I was ready to refuel, because as you can see we had a very busy day! BMW kindly chauffeured us in BMW 6 series convertible to the restaurant.
The scene-stealing BMW 6 Series Convertible offers a unique combination of modern dynamics and timeless elegance. Performance and style are delivered with intelligence and consistency by the BMW brand. The incredible performance of the BMW 6 Series cars comes from the powerful eight-cylinder petrol engine in the BMW 650i as well as the inline six-cylinder petrol engine in the BMW 640i and the inline six-cylinder diesel engine of the BMW 640d. Additionally, BMW EfficientDynamics innovations such as direct petrol injection, Optimum Gear Indicator and Brake Energy Regeneration keep low fuel consumption low.
The restaurant served a fantastic menu which I pointed out to my dining companions as one of them took the opportunity to steal the last olive! I did however get a few compliments on the appropriateness of my Beaufort & Blake shirt which was complete with sailboats. I can’t take the credit for being so prepared as my lady had chosen this shirt when we were introduced to the brand at Chestertons Polo in the Park. If you see a shot of this Beaufort & Blake shirt folded you can note the attention to detail with the sailing boats in the label and cuff. If you look closer at a cuff you might just spot an elephant in the room! Beaufort & Blake do a fantastic selection from ice creams to watermelons and I intend to be sporting their shirts often now as I love the fit and the designs. Time for an early night to fully prepare to take down the competition for a chance to win and go to Copa Del Ray. The next morning Mamapreneur drove us to the boat club in a fabulously nippy BMW i3. Gosh, my girl can put her foot down in more ways than one.
The all-electric BMW i3 is the world’s first mass production model to be designed for sustainability at every stage, from the development of the car to its production and everyday use. As an all-electric car, it generates zero emissions and no odours while in use – which makes it the perfect companion around town. But the BMW i3 is not just a green car. With its agility and acceleration – it takes just 7.3 seconds to sprint from 0 to 62 mph – first and foremost it delivers exceptional driving pleasure as one would expect from BMW. The BMW i3 is proof that responsibility and driving pleasure complement one another to perfection in this modern era of sustainable mobility.
On arrival back at the club, half our boat wanted to name our boat Bulldog as we were an all UK crew, however we came up with Best of British. Getting ready to embark…
All teams focus on the competition ahead…
More sailing and the Regatta was finally upon us…
Returning home to see who had won…
Sadly we did not reign supreme. We were beaten by Falcon who may have been more frightened of a bulldog! Note to self next time consider a fiercer name! We attended the prize giving ceremony where we picked up our prizes. In true British style we reservedly posed for photos albeit slightly drenched from the sailing.
The Falcon took home the winning trophy! And time for more photos of the entire group.
A farewell lunch concluded a fantastic experience. Great company, splendid views and authentic Spanish cuisine.
We were whisked back to the airport in an BMW X6 which was the perfect car for all our luggage!
It feels so fabulous to travel in a convoy of BMW’s. It definitely attracts attention and the cars just stand out on this picturesque backdrop.
Not only do I feel like I learned a lot about sailing. having experienced 5 different types of BMW, I can really see the versatility of the range. So much choice yet no compromise in performance and luxury.
What a weekend… time for a nap…..Zzzzzz…
