More Tough Sailing

Completing a tack around the leeward mark in yesterday's light air races..

Today was the last day of finals at the 2010 European Championships. We were sent out for two final races in a puffy and shifty offshore breeze.

The first race had breeze from 5-12 knots. I had a boat tack onto port and hit me at the start, forcing me to stall at the gun. I quickly tacked to port and played the middle, coming back to the left at the end. Unfortunately the guys on both sides came across in front of me, and I rounded in about 40th place. I picked off a few boats on the downwind and headed to the left. The left was very favored, though, and everyone played that side so it was tough to pass more boats. I had another decent downwind, but as we gybed around the mark to start our bottom reach, the breeze shifted very far left and the reach became a run. Many boats in the back of the fleet got there at once, and it was a little chaotic. I didn't come out of the last mark rounding as well as I would have liked and lost a few boats up the final beat to finish in 38th.

After the race, the breeze died and it began to rain. We sat around as the Race Committee kept moving the course. It was pretty miserable: cold, pouring rain, little visibility, and most of the fleet was out of contention, so they had had enough racing. But the RC persisted and finally started the final race. As we started, the breeze began to build and build, reaching the high teens for the final leg. I had a great start near the boat and sailed off on starboard tack for a while. Once I got headed, I tacked to port and was crossing a lot of guys from the right. I continued right and was looking really good, when all of a sudden the breeze went left and I lost everyone I had just crossed! I rounded in the mid-thirties again. I had another ok run to pass a few, and then I played some shifts up the second beat to catch a few more boats. I stayed about there to finish in the high twenties in the last race.

Overall, it was another frustrating event. I've learned a few things about my sailing and what I need to improve on. Tomorrow morning I fly to Hamburg, Germany, for the final regatta of my European trip.

Final Results: