2005 midwinters- Florida

Day 1 midwinters- light breeze today 6-12k with gust up to 15k and shifty. 79 formula boards on the line for a double windward leeward and reach to finish course. I sailed the f2004 11.7 in all races today. I started out with the r12 70 but couldn't find any angle do then switched to a r13 66 soft which brought much better results:1st race- 33, 2nd race- 13th, 3rd race 13th. Once I got dialed in with the new fin, I could hold my lane upwind and had much better speed. Thanks to Mike Percy for lending me the fin!

First race- A couple of general recalls as the fleet was stacked up on the small line. Black flag went up immediately after 1st general recall. There was still a lot of holes around the course, which I managed to find most of them. I got off the line and sailed to port layline but in the middle of the fleet but got stuck in some bad air and had to double tack to get around. Downwind- going well catching up in the flat water. Back upwind, there were plenty of light spots near the windward mark. I got stuck in a few and really fell back in the fleet to finish 33rd. Without good angle, I was really suffering on the long upwind reaches. There's no place you can hide with you more vulnerable weakness exposed. I had to make at least 2 double tacks to get around the windward mark.
Second race- breeze filling in some to 10-12k. Starting line was really small and fleet was parked on the line with 1-2min to go. I got up on line but with so many boards parked and time running out, I decided to duck down, get some speed and find a hole. Unfortunately, the hole, I jumped into was next to Antoine Albeau who really killed me off the line. The reality was that he was over early anyways and jumped the line. I managed to hit the port layline getting some bad air but sticking with it and get a decent race in keeping my spot near the top of the fleet to finish 13th. Both upwind and downwind, things we are good with me passing a few boards on each leg.

Third race- Wind really lighted up and there was a lot of chop off the line and I really didn't get going off the line but finally got off near the pin end and squeezed by the port end boat. I tried to overstand the marks just to keep some speed up and not to double tack. My speed and angle were much better this race. Off the leeward mark, I really seemed to be able to climb well once I found my own lane. I really worked hard upwind hiking out and keeping the sail sheeted in. Not a lot of tactics involved here but just going to the right side and making maneuvers with out fault.

Overall with 2 decent races and a 33 I am in 3rd place in the men's amateur fleet. Hopefully with a throw out, I can move up to 1st or 2nd and have a decent regatta.
Otherwise the new board and sails are working well. Once I got my fin dialed in , things seemed to improve.

Day 2-No racing today as we sat around waiting for the wind to develop but it never materialized beyond 6k. Forecast for Sunday looks like more of the same :(

Day 3- No racing today again today. Regatta was called at 3pm as the fickle breeze never got above 6knots. So it stands-3 races no throw outs- a mix up of results with some pretty patchy conditions. Bay area sailors fared well: Seth in 3rd, Percy in 8th, Fernando in 10th and me in 13th.

2004 Friday night- Aug 6

Things were looking better tonight as I was finally starting to get in the groove upwind. Once again, I forgot my racing watch so I was counting down in my head and miscalculated the start a few times!

I rigged a 10.0 with a new r13 68 cm fin. This seems to be able to hold me better off the line where before I just had to get my own lane.

First race, I decided to start low on the line for speed and broke out in front of the pack. There was an individual recall flag up and I was sure it was me but I found out after the race it wasn't! I got to the layline first and tacked over just behind Bill Weir. Downwind I was catching up to him but didn't get there in time as he rounded a in front of me at the leeward mark and I finished in 2nd place.

2nd race- the wind was starting to pick up some and was a solid 18-20k. I decided to start down low again, but this time, I blew it with my countdown in my head…or else the RC was off by a few seconds! Anyways, I didn't get the jump like I did before and struggled off the line as the fleet got a lift above me. I knew this would be my throw out right away but I continued on in the middle of the pack. Racing is still pretty tight here as most of the guys are fast but slower on their transitions and calling the laylines. Finish 10th

Race 3- back in the hunt with a clean start near "B" with Bill Weir just above me. I was able to hold him off as he usually just sails over me with speed but with this new fin, I had much better angle. Again, it was me in 2nd trailing Bill around the course and finishing in 2nd! I had some good gybes after practicing all week and never really struggled at all in this race!

Race 4- Another close race with the wind picking up above 20k. I started on near the pack again, knowing I would be able to hold a lane in close quarters. I got off smoothly with David just on my tail for 3rd and Bill in front of me for 1st. We rounded the top mark in that order and all caught a nice puff towards the beach. Bill gybed first with David and I just on his tail. We sailed course "c" with another 2 important gybes in front of the club. No room for mistakes. I kept the pace up and finished in 2nd again.
Race 5- Final race of the night with David and I close for points going into 2nd! The wind really came up this last race and I moved my boom down a bit to get more control. I got off the line smooth and rounded the top mark in 3rd but had a big group right behind me. I made my first gybe near the beach but really blew the 2nd one as I carved slow and lost Jean and Eric. At the leeward mark, there was a sailboat right in our path. Jean and Eric gybed early and were going seep into the mark, I went around the outside of the boat and came in with speed. Just at the rounding, Jean fell a few feet from the mark and I had a split second decision to thread the needle and go low. I decided to go for it and just missed Jean in the water by a few feet. David, who was just behind me, took the low road with speed and got a good jump on me for the last. He tacked early which I thought was a mistake as he wouldn't make the line and Eric and I continued towards the sea wall. David got a nice lift and made the pin end of the line just a few feet in front of me to tie me in points for the night . Unfortunately for me broke the tiebreaker as he had one bullet tonight. Again the lesson is..every point counts!

2004 US Nationals- SF

Tuesday Day 1 - started out slow this morning while the wind was still building but by the end of the 4th race I was feeling in form. I made several small mistakes that set me back but at the finish of Day 1, I am sitting in 15th. My goal is top 10 so I've got a few more guys to knock off before it's all over.
Race 1- I got out early to see that the right side of the course was favored but seemed to forget about it when I started at the pin end and headed off on starboard. I was the most leeward boat and got off and footed to the left side but the best thing to do was to tack midway up the beat and head back towards the mark. There was defiantly more pressure on the right so it paid off to do one tack and start on port. Jean did exactly this and seemed to beat me by just a few seconds in both races I met him. We are doing a qualification series where the 80 formula boards in the fleet are split up in 4 groups and race each other 3 times before the top of the fleet breaks off to the gold group and the bottom half, the silver fleet.
Downwind, I continued towards the beach and did one gybe to the leeward mark. Back upwind, it was kind of a parade towards the right side but as I found myself in the middle of the fleet and had a bit more speed so I was footing through the fleet and going for speed. Overall finish 8.
Race 2- Since I figured the right side was favored, I decided to try to get to the right side early by starting on port and get there as fast as I could…well me and the other 10 guys that started on port. I got taken down by the guy to windward of me who dropped his rig right in front of me. It was playing catch up from there and I ended up placing 10th well behind by usual pace.
Race 3 - Better start on starboard. Off the line clean and upwind well, holding my lane when it got windy. I was feeling a little underpowered in the light stuff especially with the new fin I put in that was geared more towards higher winds. At the leeward mark, I came together for the rounding with Chenda and Andreas who wounded inside and outside of me respectively. I was able to squeeze out from the middle and get ahead of them both for the upwind finish to finish again in 8th.
Race 4- The best start yet… off the line with speed and clear air. I tacked over immediately 30 seconds after the start and was in good position at the top mark in the top 6. Downwind I kept my position and worked my way up to the top mark again with everybody heading to the right side. It was here that we began to split as Jean got a nice lift from behind me and was able to fetch the windward mark and me having to double tack. Just as I began to round, and head off, I sheeted out and let my boom hit the mark- sending me flying over the front of the board. I had some decent downwind speed but where I caught up was in the final leg where I passed Chris Radkowski for another 8th place.
Overall, consistent, but still making a few mistakes that set me back. At least 3 more days of course racing. Tomorrows forecast looks for the same!



Day 2 Race 1- Not as much advantage to the right side as yesterday but I found myself being one of the first guys to tack over to get to the right side after starting on starboard. I put myself in decent position in the top 8 at the windward mark and managed to catch a few sailors on the next downwind and upwind legs. It's a matter of persistence and you take every inch you can get, Usually at this level, you have to wait for the guy in front of you to make a mistake. I was really pushing hard on the downwind, being the first to gybe at the layline and pumping hard as I got closer to the mark, rounding a head of a few close competitors. It was a lot of grinding upwind as I fount my way to the right side again and managed to keep my position of 6th to the finish.
Race 2- last qualifying race. I got another decent start ½ way down the line and fought to the left side of the course. Again, I was quick to tack and duck a few starboard tackers to get over to the left. Top mark I was 8th or 9th with some catching up to do. Downwind , I was going as deep as possible but a little slower as to avoid running out of room on starboard tack as we sailed towards the stfyc. At the leeward mark, I rounded just behind a group of sailors but fortunately 3 of them tacked giving me a clear lane to the right side. This really paid off as I followed Percy to the corner and caught the 3 guys going left. Bill Weir was hot on my tail downwind, catching up but I managed to hold him off till the finish line where I finished another 6th behind Percy.
Race 3- Gold Fleet! A lot different race here with no slackers and easy middle group. This level up here was tight. A group of 10 of us were packed tight at every mark rounding and little was given up. I did manage to have decent upwind once I got clear air and get better angle to get past Yugi on the last upwind leg. Downwind, I think we were all wound on our 10.0's and happy to hear that there would only be 1 gold fleet race today. I ended up 17th with room to improve. Still looking for a top 10 finish in the gold fleet to keep the points down, At the moment, my biggest competitors are Al, David Wells, and Jean Rathle! Look out!



Day 3
2 races today in windy conditions. I started off with 10.0 and 66 cm techtonics fin and was going well the first race but by the time the second race came, I was down to my 9.0 and 64 cm debocheit r14 fin. There is a lot of action in the gold fleet, some very close sailing just behind the top group of pros. I have been getting off the line a little slower than I wanted to and catching up to the point where I am sailing with the same group of sailors. I usually only get a chance to pass someone if they make a mistake and I can capitalize on in, otherwise, we're all sailing with such similar speeds, that its really hard to pass somebody.
I made some significant gains upwind, the second upwind leg of the first race y really climbing out from the leeward gate. I slowed down to let a group of sailors just in front of me take a wide rounding and then snuck in there, fully ready to climb up. I really gained a lot over the course of the 5 min upwind leg, working hard and hiking out. Overall I finished 16th.
The second race was really wound up and there wasn't much tactical decisions involved except to stay on your board! I was picking people off as they fell in front of me. The game plan for me was to sail as conservative as possible, holding my position around the course. It's a tough race between Al and I as we are tied with points again today and it looks like Friday will be a long distance race and it counts as 2 races. A good opportunity to move up.


Day 4
2 races today- 1 long distance and 1 course race. The long distance race started in the middle of the bay and went upwind for approx 1 mile and then downwind through 2 gates and down to Tresure island and back. I wanted to get a good start so I could get out in front. I started with a lot of speed towards the pin end of the line just above Rob Hartman. My upwind performance hadn't felt so good up to this point so I was just hoping to get out in clear air and not get start grinding off the line right away. I made it to the top mark in decent condition- probably in the top 15 and had a big pack on my tail the entire ride downwind. My downwind board speed felt pretty good as I was not letting anyone pass me. I tried to stay in the flood as much as I could downwind but want exactly using the same strategy back upwind as I failed to cover the boards behind me and the split up the middle and the city front. I would get my upwind board speed and angle were off by 2-3%. Usually over the upwind leg of a course race, I could compensate by this but in a long distance race, I couldn't exactly hide form my biggest weakness. My first mistake upwind was staying out in the middle of the bay where the opposing flood was the strongest. David Wells, who rounded behind me caught up made the first move to the inside as Al and I sailed towards the middle. I was a little pre-occupied with Al as he was my nearest competitor. If he beat me by just one position, it would count as 2 as the long distance race counted twice in the overall score. David slipped ahead of us but put a loose enough cover on us to control us. Meanwhile several other sailors sailed to the inside and also made significant gains. I lost around 5 boards from the bottom leg and worst of all 3 of the slipped in between Al and I as he then gained 6 points on me rather than 2. I don't know if he was aware what he was doing but it worked out to his advantage and it ultimately put him in a position where he could relax a little bit.



We had a hour break in between the long distance race and the next course race so I took the opportunity to relax and gain some composure. I didn't quite relize the wind had picked up so much and when out on my 10.0 again. Once I got to the starting line, the wind was up to a steady 20-25k. I was a bit overpowered but the was one postponement as the wind shifted and they reset the line. Luckily it backed off some but I was well lit the entire race. I managed to get off the line in decent shape as I ducked the entire fleet on port and sailed to the right side with 4 or 5 other sailors. The guys who got off the line clean on starboard came into the mark a bit sooner than the right side but I was near the top group and held my own downwind as other sailors in front of me took themselves out by getting tossed downwind. I tried to sail as conservatively as possible as too hold my position in the fleet. This was the best move as I want making too many gains on the guys in front of me except when the made a mistake. The good thing was I was infront of Al, which put me 5 points behind him at the end of the day.
Day 5
Final day with one course race in the gold fleet. The wind was light and the water flat with a 2-3 knot flood tide coming in. I rigged my 11.0 and deb R12 70 cm fin for the best light wind performance. I went out to the course about 30 min before the star to get an idea of where the wind was as there was still a lot of holes around the course. My initial reaction was the there was more pressure on the left side near the shore. That was also where there was the most opposing current as well. The game plan was to stay in the pressure no matter what. I had probably the worst start of the regatta. I got stuck on the line as the first row took off and left me struggling to get going. I immediately tacked off and got a lane with a big group of boards going to the right side. We were getting knocked the whole time so I knew we were going to the right side. I was deep so I decided to just foot through as much of the traffic as possible. Both Al and I carried it out as do we really overstood the windward mark and would have speed coming down on it in the opposing current. We tacked at the same time but I was able to get a nose out and really bag my sail out and hike out so I made it to the mark in one while Al got some of my bad air and had to foot and double tack to make it. I didn't look back as I was with Jimmy Diaz and Steve Sylvester going downwind. I saw the leaders going around the bottom mark and going back to the inside towards the pressure. Steve and I kept going midway up the beat and tacked over together. There was defiantly more pressure over there but we really had to foot in the flood tide to get to it. Steve tacked early as to get out of the flood and I kept going as Mike Z and Rob Hartman were over there getting a nice lift off the shore on port. This paid off for me as I left Steve behind and was right behind Mike Z. He managed to go pretty deep and make the bottom mark in one fetch but I was forced to gybe around 2x to get around the leeward mark to the last upwind. He tack on what he thought was the layline and I followed but really should have learned my lesson the first upwind as I overstood and it really paid off. As was obvious we both had to double tack to make the finish line as did Diaz just in front of us. If I just would have waited a an extra 10 board lengths I could have made it in one tack and caught them both. Nonetheless it was my best race for a 10th place finish. This was 5 spots in front of Al which tied us overall but he won the tie breaker on better finishes. An important lesson to remember is that every point counts in a long regatta.

2004 Friday July 23rd- SF

5 races tonight in light to medium winds (10-16k) with a ebb tide kicking in towards the end of the evening. I rigged my 11.0 and r12 debocheit m+ fin for the best light wind performance. One thing I notices right away was my upwind performance has gotten better since the nationals last week. I had our local board guru Mike Z put in a carbon shim in my fin box to ensure a better fit. This on top of some good upwind hiking was good enough to get me second behind Rob Hartman.
Race 1- started out near the 'B' and got off the line clean, rounding in the top 4 and immediately gybed to get out into the wind line. I sat there for a while waiting for the wind to fill and immediately started pumping to get up on a plane. I was able to sneak around a few people but Bill ended up staying in front of me to finish in 2nd.
Race 2- Much better off the line towards 'A' where there was more wind. I got off the line clean with clear air and immediately shot out in front of Rob where I was the first to call the layline. I tacked and Rob did as well a few board lengths below me but with the ebb he made it around first and it was staying in 2nd from there to the finish.
Race 3-I tried the same approach of starting further down the line just to get off with some speed and clear air. It seems in the light stuff this is the most important thing!
I was kind of guessing about the time as I forgot my watch but so I was a few seconds off the actual mark. Rob, and Al made it to the top mark before me and kept their position to the finish. I had to battle off the rest of the fleet to the finish where we had some tight racing. Jean was just in front of me on the last reach to the finish line and blew up 100m from the finish line letting Bill and I pass him. Thanks again Jean!
Race 4- Not quite the advantage on further down the line than before as a nice puff came through 30 sec before the start giving the guys on the inside a good lift before I got any of it! Anyways I knew this would be my throw out as I was already deep and not making good calls on the laylines giving up a few positions here and there. Overall 7th
Race 5- Last race of the night with the competition tight. I knew it would be tight with Bill and I so I had to give it everything I had. We were pretty tight going into the last mark and Bill tacked off to get to better air and came back just in front of me towards the finish line, plus he had the starboard advantage coming into the finsh. I had to slow down and duck him but since port was a better angle going across the line, I got him by just a few feet and tied on the overall for the night. Since I had better scores than he did, I won the tie breaker for 2nd.
Some things I learned tonight: clear air and speed in light air are very importantin the light to medium wind. Also coming in to the finish line on starboard does have its advantages but you cross the line almost parallel to the line to it so if you do it, its better to overstand and come in close to 'A' and immediately shoot the line.

2004 Friday April 9- SF

Breeze had been dying from the mid afternoon but still strong at 15-20k with some gust higher in mid 20's. 18 boards on start line for first race of season. I rigged 11.0 with most on same or 10.0. First start was a general recall with most of the fleet over early. Next start I opted for mid line start and got off smoothly with a lane and clear air. I was able to keep my lane and a few boards and to dive below me as I had better angle. I tacked on layline just behind Seth but at windward mark there was big hole and 30-degree shift. Seth and I fell off plane and had to tack back to make the mark and most of the fleet coming in behind us did the same thing, as it was a lumpy mess. Steve Sylvester over-stood and came by with speed and completely avoided the whole mess and went on to win the race. I struggled to get around the windward mark and find some wind to escape but at that time I was already deep in 7th. I kept this position to the end just behind Jean.
Next race breeze was up again and fog coming in strong. I opted for mid line start as most of the fleet was crowded at mark B. Unfortunately I miscalculated the ebb and pulled the trigger a few seconds too early and was called OCS. I ducked back down to clear myself and just ended up going for speed to the right corner. There was a big hole again at the top mark as most boards came off a plane and had a double tack. I got stuck again but managed to escape with a group of boards with C-Rad just ahead of me. He had a wide rounding at the leeward mark and I took advantage of it by sneaking in there and getting my nose up and climbing on him. We tacked at the same time and I was able to beat him out on the finish line…another deep finish in 8th but a decent comeback. In the top of the fleet was Seth, Steve, Mike Percy, and Bill Wier.
The 3rd race, my hands were beginning to numb up and I couldn't feel my fingertips. The fog was coming on strong and calling the lay-lines became a whole adventure in itself. I got a clean start with a clear lane and I avoided making the same mistake at the top mark again as I sailed well past the layline and came down with speed as lot of guys who tacked early got stuck again. I gybed immediately after the windward mark to get back out into the breeze. Jason Voss, Bill Wier and myself all caught the gust at the same time and rode it down to the middle. Bill was just in front of me and I think both Jason and I were waiting for him to gybe, as we couldn't see the leeward mark. I opted to go a few board lengths further as I still didn't see the mark. It was a little too far and I ended up coming in reaching to the bottom mark. Jason was stay in front of me to the finish and I ended up 3rd.
The RC said the next race would be the final of the day as things were getting pretty fluky and the fleet was spreading out. Seth, Steve, Bill and I all rounded the top mark and managed to escape from the rest of the fleet. At the leeward mark, Steve had moment where it looked like he was going to go in and I tried to slip in to windward of him. I got in there as Bill was just in front of us heading toward the city front. Bill tacked and had to duck us as he was on port. Steve and I tacked at the same time but he got going just a second or so before me to leeward and held on to get second place behind Seth. I kept my lane and was able to squeeze Bill out as he lost some ground ducking us.
That put me in 4th place for the night behind Seth, Steve and Bill. A few minor mistakes pushed me back in the first 2 races and some close racing made it exciting in the last 2 races. I'm glad I had the 11.0 as it saved me a few times in the light stuff but Steve S still proved it's possible to win on a 10.0 in those conditions. The North team faired quite well with 4 out of the top 5 spots.

2004 midwinters- Florida

Friday day 1 midwinters: 4 races today light winds building to 15-18 by race 4.

87 boards on line for formula fleet. I sailed 11.7 all 4 races with c3f 70 fin. The course was a double outer loop with a gybe mark just before the finish line to make things interesting. New fin felt really good but I was lacking and angle in the light stuff. By the last race I had much better angle perhaps because of the breeze perhaps because of more time sailing the fin.

Race 1: decent start off the line and continued to left side. A lot of guys started on port going immediately to right side. There was a fairly short upwind beat so first beat was tremdously important. Right side more favored with more wind and only one tack to deal with. Downwind I kept speed and continued to the to layline but once I rounded leeward mark I continued to right side and mistakenly sailed through starting line so I got a dsq. Otherwise a decent race just important to read sailing instructions.Race 2: Decent start on port and got over to the right side early. Good downwind but it got kind of light at the leeward mark and I really had trouble getting up on a plane after rounding. I lost quite a few boards here as the puff from behind came and several boards came planning past me. Upwind I made sure not to cross the line again and immediately tacked off the left side. It was still kind of light over on the left side and I got stuck in a few holes. Downwind I felt speed was there but gybed to early to the leeward mark and had to double gybe back in the light air, slow! Finish 28
Race 3: Better port line start and to the right early and looking really good but I tacked too early before the layline and thought I had enough room to come up but as a few more boards came and tacked to windward of me I wasn't able to make it and had to tack 2 more times to make it around. I made up some on the downwind and sailed smart upwind by squeezing around the pin end of the line and continuing to the right side on one tack. Finish 19.
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Race 4: Breeze was up 18 by last race of the day. I stayed on 11.7 as it's got a lot of range and is faster on the downwind. A good start on starboard near the pin end with Seth a few board lengths below me. I was able to keep my lane and tacked over and rounded the top mark in the top 20. The top of the fleet is really competitive and board speed is amazingly similar! You just have to make fewer mistakes than the guy in front of you. I felt pretty fast in the breeze and held my position to the end finishing just 2 behind Seth as he snuck in front of Mike Z on the last leg.

Day 2 midwinters: the good wind continued with a 10-15 knot breeze from the southwest - a little shiftier than Friday but there wasn't as much tactics involved in today's racing as most. This was because we had a really short upwind leg and picking one side to go to was a 50/50 gamble. The breeze was really off and on with some major lulls and big puffs coming down the course.

I opted to go to the right side on both races partly because it was one less tack and I was hoping to get a land shift off the shore. Starting on port in a big fleet is somewhat dangerous - especially when there a big group of sailors coming both on port and starboard down the line.

I ended up ducking most of the starboard tackers and crossed the line at the mid to boat end in both races. In the second race a big lull came through 30 seconds before the start and my approach was really slowed down. I wasn't able to get off the line and got stuck in all the bad air and chop that was left in a second row start. Fortunately most of the fleet was in the same position as me and only a few of the top guys got off the line clean. I struggled to get my board moving to and finally got going to the right side. I tacked on what was the layline but as I got closer to the windward mark another big hole was present and I had to double tack to get around the top mark…really frustrating when your deep and things get worse!

I got around the mark and was able to gain a few boards downwind as I was now in the middle of the fleet and my speed was a little better than most of the other boards around me. I played the downwind layline a little cautious as I didn't wasn't to stall out going to deep to make it but there was a nice puff that allowed a few boards that gybed earlier to sneak in there and round just in front of me. Upwind I made sure not to make the mistake of going through the closed line and just cleared the pin and made it to the right side. It was pretty much a parade from there and I ended up in 28th.

There was a lot of waiting around between races as the race committee wasn't too organized but I think there were just waiting for the wind to fill in- which it never really seemed to do.The first race ended up being really similar to the second one but I was able to get off the line clean and bang the right corner. A few minor mistakes set me back a few places but overall my board speed and pointing was well. I finished 22nd a few back from where I was yesterday but felt good about the results.There was an attempt to do a 3rd race after 3 or 4 general recalls and most of the fleet took off continuing to race unaware that there was a general recall. I had the best start of the regatta and was one of guys who continued to race. I went around the course in the top 10 and was really excited when I finished 9th but my bubble was burst when I came in and Seth told me that the race didn't count. The race organized really did a poor job of notifying the racers of the general recall and should have properly informed us at the windward mark. This kept them form starting another race and everybody waited on the water for at least another hour. The wind eventually died and the called it a day.

Sunday day 3 midwinters:
The winds really took a while to fill in today and the RC waited to send our fleet out after all the other fleets had already had one or 2 races. It was still really gusty in the off shore breeze and the shifts were 20-30 degrees…making it an interesting day of racing.

We had a couple of general recalls as most of the fleet was pretty anxious to get off the line. I had my 11.7 and debocheit r12 fin. I really didn't have a chance to test out this fin before on the new board but the fin was my light air/flat water fin that worked last year. Unfortunately it didn't quite have the angle I needed and I lost a few boards on the upwind races today because of it. Otherwise it was a really good day of racing for me with a 14th and 15th place finishes.

Both races I started on port and headed to the right side of the course. I definantly had some luck near the top mark as I was just able to get around with the help of a little puff and a lot of pumping. Again the board speed felt good on the reaches and downwind but I lost 1 or 2 board I was a little cautious on the downwind lay-lines. In the first race I was in the top 10 most of the race until the last 100 meter leg where we all ran into a big hole and fell off a plane. A few board snuck in from behind with the breeze but I was able to pass a few as a well as I got up planning sooner than them. In this case it paid to be light!The second race was equally full of holes but I really had some good luck avoiding them. I played my lay-lines conservatively sailing past what I thought was going to take me to the mark and far enough to come planning in with some speed on top of the sailors who took in too tight. This let me get out in front with the top group and stay there. From then on it was really a parade around the course and I finished in 15th…much better than yesterdays mediocre results.Overall I finished 7th in the men's fleet and 20th overall which qualified me for the formula world championship! This was my real goal for the regatta and I made it.

2004 Olympic Trials

First day of the Olympic Trails today with 9 men competing for one spot on the Olympic Sailing team. Today's conditions were very challenging - light and shifty winds. This is not my best condition as I am the heaviest sailor here at 170 lbs. The course was set just south of the sailing center near the least shore of the river to accommodate the east winds. By the time the one o'clock start rolled around the winds were up to 6 or 7 knots max, and even less in the lulls. My pre race strategy was to go right as there looked to be more wind there as I was sailing the course before the start, but with 20 minutes to go, the puffs starting coming in stronger from the left side. My start was not so good and I was forced to tack over and go right immediately. The rest of the fleet was playing the left middle as I banged the right corner. It looked like I might come out well but as I got to the starboard layline and got another left shift - exact what I didn't need and rounded the top mark in 7th. Downwind it really got light and I didn't make any progress on the guys in front of me. On the 2nd upwind, most of the fleet went to the left side again and all I could do was follow. The light guys ahead were starting to gain as I was hoping just to maintain my position in this race and use it as my throw out later in the regatta. Not much changed the rest of the race as I struggled to keep railing upwind but made some gains downwind with some powerful pumping technique. Not the best way to start the series with a 7th place!
We had a 30-minute break in between races and I got mentally prepared for another tough battle, as the wind was just as light. Luckily later in the race it did pick up some but no more than 10 -12 knots. I managed a better start near the pin end just under the crowd and worked my way to the left side and got to the top mark just behind the top group in 8th - but within striking distance. Downwind the wind again was going left and it was almost a one-gybe run. Back upwind I played the middle left but didn't really gain on anyone. Actually I felt pretty slow as I must have had weeds on my fin. It was only on the last downwind by catching the puff from behind that I caught up over the 2 guys just in front of me. I was pumping as hard as I ever have and thought they would head me up as I passed them to windward but I had much better speed that I just rolled them and was gaining on the guy Alf in 5th place but too little, too late as 2 minutes later I crossed the finish line in 6th. A better effort but still not where I need to be. After the first day of racing I am in 7th place - just 3 points out of 5th and a few more out of 4th. Peter Wells is in 1st; Kevin Jewitt; 2, Dan Kerkoff, 3; Ben Barger, 4; Alf Imperato, 5; Phil Meuller, 6; and myself 7th. Tomorrow's forecast is 10-20 knots so a better day is expected for me.
Day 2 of the trials was somewhat better for me. I was able to sail in the game more and was in the front of the fleet but failed to finish the same way I was sailing. I made some small mistakes that defiantly set me back but did take advantage of the breeze and sailed smart. We had a decent breeze today from 16-18 knots directly from the north down the river. The course was set to the east of the inter-coastal waterway, near the east shore of the river so it was impossible to really take advantage of the right side. Luckily that wasn't the favored side, as the left was looking better as I sailed the course before the race. Actually I observed 2 other guys sailing the course (one up the right side, one up the left side) before the race and noted that the left side was indeed favored.
Again my start was pretty bad. I was lined with a nice hole to leeward and pumped off the line well but fought to get into my harness and lost the distance the leeward and the Dan popped out in front of me. All I could do was sail in his bad air to get to the left side of the course. A few other sailors peeled off and there were 3 of us headed to the left corner. As we tacked back on the port layline we looked good headed in the leeward mark. I rounded the top mark in 6th and was closing in on the guy in front of me on the top reach but never really got him the rest of the race as I held my position sailing somewhat conservatively. I didn't feel like I had as much advantage downwind in the breeze as I did yesterday going track forward with the powerful pumps. Once back upwind though I was able to really sail higher and really closed the distance on Peter going upwind on starboard. Unfortunately the legs were quite short and I wasn't able to capitalize on it long enough to really make a difference. Back downwind, the fleet all continued off the windward mark on starboard to the middle of the inter-coastal and gybed directly onto the layline. I thought I might catch up some here, as I was pumping pretty hard. Overall I finished 6th. I just need to get a better start and I will be in the game more.
Race 2: breeze holding out at 6-18. Left side favored. I went for a start just above Peter and below Phil but didn't pull the trigger soon enough and immediately had to go below Peter and start to foot. This wasn't the best way to start but I was going in the right direction at least. I sailed to the left side again and rounded the top mark in 5th, really close to the 2 guys just in front of me. On the top reach we all held our places and got somewhat more spread out on the downwind leg. USA 111 was just in front of me within reaching distance. All I needed to do was really be aggressive on the downwind with my pumps and sail smart upwind and I could catch him. USA 68 was far enough behind me that I wasn't really worried about covering. We rounded the bottom mark and again the fleet was playing the left middle up the beat. I felt I was gaining somewhat upwind but again the legs were pretty short to really take advantage of it. I was kind of settling into my position thinking I wasn't going to get the guy in front of me but them down wind, one of the leaders fell on a gybe and another opportunity presented itself to catch up. Less than a few minutes to go in the race and I was pumping hard to catch the guy in front of me. Not enough time for me to really make my move and I finished in 5th - getting better, one position at a time. Overall I felt I had a better day today and sailed smarted but just didn't nail the start to really get up there and take control. Tomorrow's forecast is for the same wind so expect a better flight from me. After 2 days of racing I am in 6th place- looking to move up to 4th by tomorrow!
Day 3 of the trials got windier. We stated out with 18-20 knots but by the second race the puffs were defiantly in the mid to upper 20's. A lot of my success came with capitalizing on other people's shortcoming. A few people got slammed upwind and including myself for a brief dunking upwind after the start of the second race. I was hoping to get better starts today but only really had one half way decent start in the second race. Both finishes were extremely close and I narrowly missed getting a 3rd and a 4th and had to settle for a 4th and a 5th. This put me a few points closer into 5th but the real star was Ben who got 2 bullets (1st places) today. I have to really give him credit as he really got ahead and beat the rest of us by at least 30 seconds. I started just above him the first race and he continued pumping off the line and really popped out in front of the fleet. I had a bit better angle than him and was starting to climb but he had much better speed going up the first leg. Dan was right to windward of me and I managed to pinch him off so I could tack and get over to the right side. The 3 guys who went right earlier got a nice lift over on the right side and crossed in front of me on the starboard layline. I got to the windward mark in 5th and started to gain downwind with some pretty powerful pumps in the puffs. I rounded the bottom gate and went to the left middle again and was a bit closer to Kevin who just crossed be on starboard on the layline. Downwind we held our places but I think he slowed down on the mark rounding and I was able to cross him upwind. At the top mark he was in front of me as he capitalized on the right shift but I powered over him on the top reach and was ahead going downwind. It felt like I was gaining but just at the leeward mark he gybed and got the inside mark rounding and I had to give him room. In hindsight I should have gone a little bit deeper and slower to prevent him from getting in there. We pumped to the finish line but he was able to hold on and I finished a close 5th.
Race 2 was windier and the puffs stronger. I got off the line cleanly with Ben just to leeward and slightly ahead and Kevin above - between the 2 I was getting sandwiched. Kevin couldn't hold my angle but I didn't have room to get any speed with Ben right below and ahead. I held out for as long as I could but decided to tack away to get clear air. A few seconds later I got slammed to windward but water started out of it and lost maybe 10 seconds. In retrospect I should have had my booms a bit longer to make my sail flatter. Around the top mark I was in 4th behind Ben, Peter, and Alf. I held this position all the way downwind and went up the right side with Peter as the other 2 went left. It was an even split as we rounded the top mark in the same order and distance. Meanwhile I noticed a several dark clouds approaching from the right side and decided to go right again upwind. It paid off and Peter and I both rounded closer to Alf in second. Downwind he continued off on starboard but we both gybed off and headed towards the clouds. Peter got to the wind first but we bit gained a lot on Alf who sailed towards the other side. When we came to the leeward mark Peter crossed in front of Alf and I was close behind. Alf stumbled on his gybe and I was closing in but rounded inside me at the mark and had the upper hand to the finish - another close race but I finished 4th.
Overall it was a better day but I just have to start doing better on the starts so I am not playing catch up the entire race. I had much better angle than most of the guys, as I was able to pinch off a few and really gain a lot when I was in clear air and a long tack. Tomorrow's forecast is for 15-20. Another chance to move up!
It was another tough day on the water today - 5 days of sailing are taking their toll. We had 10-12 knots from the north in the first race today with shifty conditions. The second race slowed way down to 6-8 knots and many lulls below 5 knots. I did manage to get off the line cleanly in both races today but still not sail a good first beat. During the hour before the race things looked decent on the right side, as there was a shift off the land but more wind on the left. The key would be to stay in the breeze. In race 1, I got off the line smoothly in mid line and sailed towards the breeze to the left. At the same time most of the fleet went right as there was a decent puff coming down the shore. I had to tack a long header back to the right side and duck several transoms along the way. I arrived I at the windward mark in 8th and caught one board downwind and with Peter processed up the left side again towards the breeze. This would be the ticket as I passed 2 more boards and was working on 4th place. Down wind I again tied to stay in the breeze gibing and pumping the whole way down the course. I was just trying to cover the 3 boats behind me up the next beat and preceded the play the shifts conservatively up the middle. Once I got around the top mark again I really took off in a puff on the top reach and was catching up to Alf in front of me. I split gybes with him downwind and was much closer at the leeward mark but just not enough time to pass him on the last leg. Finishing in 5th puts me now in 1 point out of 5th place 11 out of 4th.
Race 2: Things really lightened up for the second race today. We were still sailing the double inner loop course and it took 47 minutes of pumping to finish. I really didn't feel in the game as my light air speed wasn't there and I fell back to 7th and stayed there the whole race. It was disappointing but I knew I couldn't stop pumping as things might change as they always do in these light and shifty races. You can never count your self out but after 3 laps I wasn't going to catch up with the guy in front of me and just covered the 2 guys behind me for the remainder of the race. Finishing 7th put me back a point again from 5th and am now in the same spot as where I began the day today - 2 points behind Dan. Tomorrow's forecast is for stronger winds 15-20 knots and I am looking forward to some track back conditions where I can use my weight to its best advantage.
From bad to worse. I had one of those days today where nothing seemed to go right - even the forecast for 15-20 was off today, way off! It was 5-10 knots on the course today. Both starts I failed to get off the line and struggled right from the beginning. I couldn't seem to get any off the shifts today and even in the puffs my board speed was just not there. I tried clearing my blades several times through out the race in case I had weeds but to no prevail. It was only after the race ended that I flipped over my board and found a 6 foot long piece of plastic wrapped around my centerboard. I tried to forget about it but race 2 went even worse. It was light, very light and the puffs avoided me like the plague. I managed to catch up some downwind with powerful pumps but lost it again upwind in the light stuff. My finishes of 6 and 7 today put me back 4 points behind Dan and with 4 races left in the series, I will have to beat him every race to beat him overall.

There was light wind today on the course and the race committee kept us onshore until 2:30. Once we went on the water, the wind never got above 5 or 6 knots and racing was cancelled for the day at 3:30. The first start will be at 12 tomorrow and they will try to get in 3 races if possible. I am still 4 points out of 5th so I will make a big push tomorrow for some strong races.

We started today at noon in a 8-10 knot breeze with an incoming tide with the plan to do 3 races if possible. That's what I needed to get a head of Dan but it turns out he was the better sailor in the light breeze and he ended up 4 points ahead of me at the end of the regatta. We had quite a battle the regatta back and forth for 5th place- defiantly out of the top battle between Ben and Peter but that's what makes regatta so fun- the competition through out the fleet - over an 8 day regatta you really get to know the sailors who are most near you, their strengths and weaknesses as well as yours!
Overall, Peter was the best sailor among us all and will be representing the U.S. in next years Olympics in Athens. Ben was next, then Kevin, Alf, Dan, myself, Phil, Mark and Fenn.
The first race I failed to get off the line I the front row and struggled up the first beat. Once behind I just should have taken some risk and separated from the fleet but the right side just looked more favorable. That's one of the biggest lessons I learned here: you have to take risk to get ahead, but once there its really important to cover the fleet. The saftest place in osellating winds are up the middle of the course and that's where I failed to go and lost out to Dan, Phil and Alf who were just infront of me during the race. I finished in 7th right behind Dan.
In the next race, I got off the line and immediately tacked over to go to the right side, Both Kevin and I got over there and were up to the top mark in 4th and 5th. If I could hold out to the end of the race and Dan was 7th I would be one point behind him and only needed 1 more race to beat him. Downwind I kept the pace but failed to consilidate on the upwind leg and let the other 2 get too far to the right and pick up the next shift. I was able to get Dan at the end but the RC didn't want to do a 3rd race for the day so that's was the end of the regatta. So overall it was 6th place for me- not bad considering 6 out of the 8 days it was marginal track back conditions. The 2 days we did have wind, I was in the hunt.
Regatta post mortem
1,) Starts: overall my starts went good at all. I wasn't able to get off the line with speed. Then I would fall back into dirty air and be catching up from the first beat on. The few good starts I did have in the breeze, I got off the line, found my lane and went off with the same speed or better angle. Once you start to get bad air its generally better to tack off and find a clear lane rather to fall behind right away in the game.
2.) Pre starting: check the line, wait at the pin end on port to someone on starboard at the boat comes across close-hauled. Arrange to test line with partner.
3. Sail the first beat with someone and one board goes one way for 2 min, the other to the other side, tack back at same time. This should tell you what side of the course is favored at that time. If you can't find a partner, watch to see if other people are doing this, especially sailors who tune up with each other.
4. Get a sight on the line wherever possible. With this you will have confidence to jump out in a mid line sag.
5.Sail all out, all the time. You never know what will happed to the guy just in front of you, if he will fall or make mistake.
6. Never give up. No matter how far out of the race you think you are, things happen, holes appear, shifts happen on one side of the course and not the other. You can never count your self out
.7. When you can shut the door on your opponent, do it. Take advantage of their weaknesses. Exploit their faults. , If they can't point for instance, squeeze them out early.
8. Cover when you ahead.
9 Most likely you wont beat someone by following him or her to one side of the course. Split tacks if necessary when behind but don't obviously do the wrong thing just because the rest of the fleet is doing the opposite.

10. In shifty conditions, sail the middle of the course.
11. Make sure you are prepared for everything. Look at the weakest thing in your entire program and try to fix it. Have spare equipment ready. Replace lines, hardware or anything that can break.
12. Be aware of current around the course. Before the race measure the effects of the current at different places on the course. At the start, the windward mark, both sides of the course. When and where does it change? How will affect you by going to one side of the course or another. 0 usually upwind you will have to foot or can pinch if the current is one side of your nose.
13. Sail you own race. Don't be worried about any individual sailor in the fleet. The pecking order is established early. Don't subscribe to the idea that one sailor is always better than another sailor. Sailors make choices in races that affect their outcome. Any sailor is capable of winning a race if they are prepared with the right equipment, mind set and information about the wind, current and knowledge of what the wind will do.
14. Read the sailing instructions. Know them in and out.

15. Draw course diagrams on your sail if there are many
16. Get sticker of international flags and codes on sail.
17. Have enough water on the course as well as power snacks.

18. Always have clear air.

19. If you are close to an opponent in points for a series, know what you have to do to beat him. Determine the number of sailors you need to out between your self and him.

20. Details count. Racing is all about one little thing after another, whether it be making fast transitions, to sanding your board, having minimal drag, maintaining the right form.

21. Eat a good breakfast before the race. Make sure you have enough energy for the races.
22. Stay positive. A bad attitude will lead to poor decision-making.
23. Keep it simple. Don't have extra stuff on your board, rig, sails and body that slow you down and can be replaced with some more efficient.
24. Keep in mind that you're doing this for fun. Sailing competitions are a game. You should leave their outcome on the course and not get worry about their results back on shore. Don't associate your results with who you are.
25.Try to think about what will happen 2 steps ahead of the next move. Think ahead and pro-act rather than react.
26. No matter what you do, do it with your full effort, don't just give a half ass effort to make the gesture - this applied to everything in life from littlest detail to overall broad plan.

27. On your way out to the course, as well as while your presailing the course keep your eyes of the boat. The other boats may tell you or reconfirm things you already know or need to confirm. Which side of the course is favored?28. Avoid the big bummers. Don't take risk you can't afford. Avoid catastrophe at all cost.29. Always are prepared to change things. If you are going slow, find out why. Right before regatta, I found sail range to be much smaller than I actually thought and sailed my sail much flatter than I did the previous weeks before. The same thing with the harness lines in Cadiz.

30. Change gears when ever conditions change.

31. Learn to be flexible with your plans. Things change and you should be capable of changing your plan once things change

32. Keep your eyes out of the boat and on the course and competitors. Keep an eye out and know where everyone is - before and after the start as well as upwind and downwind.
33. learn to keep pressure on the foils, especially the fin. You need to tell the foils what to do, i.e. by railing the board you want stall out as easily in the lulls and the pressure will remain on the foils.

2003 IMCO Worlds- Cadiz Spain

Day 1 of the 2003 World Championship. First a few notes about the great venue. We are having our world championships with the 10 other Olympic classes. It is an incredible venue we are at with approximately 1800 sailors. Are there 120 IMCO men and 75 IMCO women but there are just as many in the other classes – the fleets are huge. It is really amazing to have so many talented sailors in one place at one time.

“Les Ventes” has finally arrived bringing 20-30 knots of offshore breeze. The puffs were coming from the right as well the incoming tide. The fleet was stated in 2 groups so we had 60 men on the line for each start. I got stuck in the 2nd row at the start but stuck to the left side of the course. There was a big left shift near the shore as our windward mark was set a ¼ mile off shore in puffy shifty conditions. I came into the mark with speed approximately in the middle of the fleet, rounding in a big pack. Downwind I didn’t quite have the same angle and seemed to loose a few boards. Back upwind I stuck to the left side because it seemed I could hold my lane on starboard. On the top reach I was able to pass a few more boards and managed to finish 35th out of 60.

Race 2: I started in the middle towards the pin end but failed to pull the trigger early enough and got beat off the line. At the upwind mark, I went to gybe and buried by nose and lost the rig to leeward. From that point it was catch up and I finished 43^rd

Day 2 saw similar conditions with the wind building 20-25knots. I got a second row start and immediately tacked over to find a lane and made my way to the right side. I tacked a little bit below the layline and got a great lift coming in. It looked like I might make it but there was a left shift and a drop of velocity the closer I got to the windward mark. The guys who went left were coming in strong. On the top reach I managed to catch a few guys but really blew it as I carved too deep on my gybe and really lost it. Confidence is an important part of racing and I was thinking about it too much. There went the middle of the fleet sailing by as I uphauled my sail! Down at the leeward mark I was on the outside of several boats coming into the mark at once so I took a wide turn with speed and really foot off to the right side. Downwind I gybed a bit too early and got caught behind a puff. Although it seemed like I sailed a decent race, the fall at the top put me way back in 49th.

The 2nd race I went right again off the line and gained rounding the top mark in mid fleet but downwind didn’t play the shifts all to well and finished 44th.

Upwind my speed seemed good but perhaps trying to squeeze out too much angle. A better sailing day than yesterday but results didn’t show it.

The breeze was a bit lighter than the previous days but building to 20 knots by race 2 There were big shifts to be found near the windward mark from both the left and the right, so it would be a gamble to get to the layline too early. In race 1 I immediately tacked over and got a clear lane to the right side where I tacked to understand the mark but still got a 20 degree shift and came into the top mark with a group, all sailing with our tracks back. I immediately gybed and got back to the left side downwind in pretty good position. I still didn’t have the same angle downwind as it seemed I wasn’t pumping as hard as the others. I again rounded the bottom mark with a big pack and was forced to the outside where I ended up footing and making my way to the right side. Upwind I really felt in the groove and rounded the top mark in 28th just behind my teammate Ben. The wind really shut off on the top reach as we went track forward. I gybed immediately after the mark to get any new breeze that was coming but went too deep track forward as the wind wasn’t there yet. A group of 10-15 boards came planning over me as I was just outside the new breeze that was coming in. I managed to get track back and start going and by the time I got to the bottom mark the entire fleet had ridden the puff down and there was the biggest group of boards at one mark rounding I have ever seen. One more reach to the finish – another 1 minute of pumping but with 40 boards making their way to the finish. The only way to go was up to get clear air and I crossed the line with 10 other sailors. How the Race Committee ever got the finishes would have been a miracle and I ended up 46th. Not the result I wanted but I was really sailing a better race.

Race 2: Not a good start at all as I had to get 3 tacks to finally get clear air and a lane to the right -middle. Upwind I was playing the shifts in the middle trying to protect the right side. This worked but I again lost a few boards downwind as I wasn’t sailing the same angle as most around me. The 2nd upwind was again really shifty but I played it safe and really didn’t gain or lose anyone around me. I finished 41st but think I could have been in the low 30’s if I would have worked harder downwind.

Tomorrow is the lay day and the fleets will be broken up into gold and silver according to the positions after 3 days of racing

Day 5, IMCO World Championships, Cadiz, Spain. I was a bit frustrated over my results in the past few days but after yesterday I had a chance to rest and really think about things better and put it all in perspective. This is a chance to challenge myself-pushing myself to my personal limits- not basing any personal satisfaction on whom I beat or how I finish in the fleet.

Today things were a bit lighter that the previous days with a 15-20 knot off shore breeze. The wind was very gusty and oscillating throughout the course. I did manage to sail a much better race all together with a clearer head and no expectations. I also lengthened my harness line after my coach’s repeated suggestions and was able to really keep the rig upright upwind- improving my pointing, something that really gave me trouble the previous week of racing here.

Downwind things also changed for the better as I was sailing near the top of the fleet and working much harder to keep my position. My downwind angle was on par at least half of the time and I pumped more and tried to stand the rig up right as much as possible.

Race 1: Not off the line as well as I wished but managed to hold a lane and tacked over about a quarter up the windward leg. I got a nice left shift that took me right to the layline and rounded top mark in the top 20. On the first reach I managed to pass another guy who went low while I stayed high for the breeze to come down. Immediately I gybed at the mark to stay in the wind but faltered somewhat as the rig got away from me. Downwind I was working hard but couldn’t quite get the same angle but I got a few of the boards I lost downwind back by playing the shifts smart up the middle of the course. On the last reach into the finish I rounded with 3 other boards who got caught up with each other and both sailed high while I went for speed towards the finish line and crossed in front of them both. I think I finished somewhere in the low 20’s.

Race 2: Finally a good start off the line with speed and a lane. I played the middle right side of the first upwind leg and rounded the top mark in 6th. I probably lost that many downwind as the guys at the top are really working hard and are a lot faster but I’ve never worked so hard like that leg when I was up in front. At the bottom mark there was a group just in front of me so I tacked over and went to the left side early where ITA 2 and myself got the left side first. This was the way to go as we got a nice lefty and gained all those boards I lost downwind. I rounded the top mark in the top 5 and again was really motivated to stay out of the harness and work my ass off like I never have before. I stayed in the breeze but lost a few boards that gybed immediately after the mark and got a nice puff coming down. On the bottom reach to the finish I pumped past one board to finish in 9th place. Best finish yet all because I sailed smart and had a clear head today!

The last 2 days of the Championship turned out to be very light wind with only 1 race in the silver fleet. The race was run in under 7 knots of breeze and I really struggled to keep it going. It an anti climactic way to end the regatta but I knew I sailed several decent races was capable of finishing strong with the right preparation and mindset. At the end I finished in 90th place ouut of 120 boards, 4th amoung the American sailors. Overall I learned much in the past month racing and training here in both light winds and in heavy. It was good preparation for the upcoming Olympic trials next month in Florida. Before I leave Spain, Alex- my wife and I will travel and get to see some of southern Spain and do some of the tourist things you never get to do when training and sailing a regatta.

2003 SF Classic

SF Classic course racing Day 1: 18-24k gusty conditions with strong ebb outside and more breeze outside.
Race 1:Starting line was boat end favored but right side of course was significantly favored. I won start at boat end but sailed too far left towards the beach. Majority of fleet either started off on starboard and tacked immediately or port tacked and ducked the fleet at the start. Either way, the guys that went right first got to the upwind mark earlier than Bill and I who sailed to the left first. I immediate gybed around the windward mark and got back out to the middle where the breeze was. Coming into the bottom mark in good position I took my gybe a little too tight and wiped out, losing 4-5 boards in the process, UHHH not a good way to start regatta. Finished 8th
Race 2: Same strategy except don't fall at leeward mark rounding! Another decent start at boat end but just lost the jump to Percy who squeezed me out 10 seconds before the start. There was big knock 1 min before the start leaving a significant gap at the boat. Except for those who came in high. Most of fleet was down at middle of line. I was able to tack back to port 30 seconds after the start and worked my way up to a decent rounding in 2nd with Mike Z, Brian and Ben hot on my trail. We all caught a puff and rode it as far as we could downwind when we has to gybe at shore. Rob and Bill rounded behind us but gybed immediately after mark and also caught big breeze outside and caught us all at the leeward mark. I was looking golden coming into mark 4th but again blew gybe and fell in. Mentally I didn't have it together. I was doubting my gybes and thus I ended up falling. It really takes a lot of confidence to not think about your gybes and to just do it. Obviously I need a little bit more work in this department. I again finished pretty deep in 10th place after almost having 4th in my pocket.
Race 3: Determined to do better, I jumped gun 2-3 seconds early and was called over early and has to restart. I was sailing through all the bad air of the fleet but still managed to dig a 10th place. Not bad for starting last!
Race 4: Good start at the boat and immediately tacked over to right side. Rounded top mark in top 5 but got stuck in a hole downwind close to shore with Ben. You defiantly have to keep your eyes open and be constantly looking around to see where the wind is. Good bottom rounding but upwind lost speed battle with Ben as he footed to middle and passed me at finish line, I should have tacked sooner to fetch the pin end of the line.
Conclusion: Be more aware of laylines. I could have gained 1 or more spots in race 1 and 4 if I called the layline better.
Day 2 SF Classic: Breeze was building early in the day and it looked like it might be a windy race. At the start we had 18-20k in strong ebb. I chose 9.0 and r14 fin. My start was at mid line...a bit too conservative as I t wasn't able to hold my lane upwind with the guys above me starting to foot off in the ebb. I was forced to really dive down and lost out immediately. First tack outside the bride I fell and spend 20-30 sec uphauling...seemed like forever as 5 or 6 boards sailed by. Outside the gate near red nun there was really big swell with 3 knot ebb going out! Alan and I rounded mark together and but collided on tack. Anytime you can avoid collision do it. This is the fundamental rule of fair sailing. Avoid collisions even if you think you have the right of way. You can get thrown out in the protest room if you fail to avoid a collision even if you are right to begin with.
Next we sailed down to Presidio shoal where breeze was lighter and fleet came together again. Like most of the fleet, I had to gybe 2 or 3 timed to get down to the mark in strong ebb. Back upwind to Nun and down to Anita. Breeze was light on inside and those who stayed in middle for longest gained the most. Once I rounded Anita with Jean and David, we has nice reach across the bay to Harding where wind was completely dead and leaders were struggling to round in ebb tide. I had a close situation as I tried to cross a ferry coming upwind and the ebb pushing me downwind. Luckily I made it around but struggled to get around the mark as I tried the butterfly pump to go straight downwind. Once again the fleet came together and we struggled to round mark for good 2-3 minutes. A lot of the guys behind us never rounded and dropped out at this point. Those who escaped caught a puff and rode it down below Alcatrez. I rounded above just behind Jean and came to the next mark 20 seconds behind David. From there it, the fleet was spread out and it was hard to make any significant gains, I maintained my position and finished with a time of 1 hour, 18 min and 32 sec. finishing 11th overall. A little off the pace from the leaders but I had UN Challenge to prove myself.
Back upwind I chose to come back up the city front in the stronger breeze. This proved to be a pretty good plan as I was always powered up but with out anybody really close to me I wasn't able to judge my speed. My time back to the finish was 50 min. 12 sec- 9th overall just 11 seconds behind Brian. If just would have made a few of those tacks a bit faster. Next time!the starting line I would have been in 3rd overall. But it doesn't matter what could have happed, only who crosses the line in front of you.

Day 3 SF Classic, Course racing: Longer course with 12 pm start time. Breeze was starting to build but still in the low to mid teems at start of race 1. I went out with 10.9 and started at boat again with Mike Z just below me. We sailed to left side and tacked 200 meters from the shore as breeze was dying. Again those who went right had a little more breeze but Mike and I rounded in top 5. Good downwind leg but lost David Wells and Mike Percy upwind as they sailed with better speed than me. 10.9 was getting to be pretty big!Race 2: I switched to 9.8 and was a little slow off the line with R12 fin and getting to the windward mark but managed to make it up by staying in the breeze downwind and gaining a few boards who went inside. I rounded bottom mark in 4th and held my own to finish.

Race 3: Early to start line and had to come down line with speed but Fernando was there coming up into me. Not enough time to react on my part and we both went in the water. The force of my catapult broke my harness so I was out for the race. Not what I was looking for but I now had my throw out! I sailed in and switched to my R14 fin and got my back up harness

Race 4: Everybody early for the start and numbers were called by the RC. I thought for sure I was over but since I was having such a shitty regatta I decided to keep going and just sail. Fortunately I was not over early as I realized when I came in later. I got to top mark in decent condition. The short upwind leg don't allow for a lot of tactical decision but rather emphasized speed and quick maneuvers. Downwind there were some hairy situations with the red and white ferry as well as a close encounter with Jean in the steep chop. Upwind Ben got me again as he had much better speed. I was hoping for one more race because I knew I was just a few points behind several people and I could move up a few spots with a top 3 finish.Conclusion: Good racing at top of the fleet but still making many mistakes that put me out of contention. Without the 2 falls at the leeward mark and the mishap on the starting line I would have been in 3rd overall. But it doesn't matter what could have happed, only who crosses the line in front of you!

2003 Friday August 1- SF

Everybody's been gearing up for classic next week sailing a lot and tonight we had a big crowd on the starting line. In contrast the last few Friday night races; tonight's tide was a strong ebb! The best strategy is to start at midline and go for speed. It took me the first 2 races to figure this out as Ben was off the line and to the layline first in the first couple of races when he started down by the pin end.
The first race I started off with my 9.8 but came in and switched to my 10.9 and had better speed downwind getting through the light stuff. Knowing what equipment to use is sometimes just as important as going the right way. Another big thing with the ebb tide was overstanding the windward mark. Chris Radkowski seemed to be the first to tack to the layline and got lifted up with the strong inside ebb. By the last race, I nailed the start, was the first to tack on the layline and got the windward mark first. If at first you don't succeed, keep trying and never repeat the same mistake more than once!