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!
