Camera & GPS training -Feb 22

Iain and John spent a large portion of sunday at the Royal canoe club on the sunny banks of the Thames in Teddington listening to experienced cameraman Kees T'hooft talking about experiences filming in hazardous conditions ,especially the cold. This will prove more useful to some teams than others (especially those with a camera crew following their every step). However it was good to check that we already have adequate equipment. The race organizers appear keen to capture film of teams at their lowest ebb and have suggested filming arguements and close encounters rather than latrine humour. Are they in for a surprise ! Also we focussed on more GPS entries and now have the exact co-ordinates of all check points along the actual race route. A less scrupulous and better funded team might take advantage of such info (Top Gear where are you when we really need you). We also got our first look at EPIRBS which is the emergency beacon we all carry. Apparently they are registered with Falmouth coastguard here and also the Canadian authorities. All in Jock's name. He better be at those checkpoints ahead of schedule. After paying close attention to what was said and with certain late arrivals starting to repeat details we made a tactical withtreat. Back on the Internet as always jealous of other teams kit and sponsorship deals . It does appear David's absence in Australia may have yielded a corporate sponsor , I am sure he will update us all in due course. Suffice to say wine is a worthy substitute for hard cash !