Bad Start
Today I arrived at the club nice and early for the evening race. I was planning to race a Laser unless someone would ask me to crew for them (quite unlikely) . Since nobody asked I rigged a club Laser (one of the good ones with all the XD fittings) and I was quite early at the start line for the start sequence. I was checking my watch to make sure that I would not loose any time.
Unfortunately things didn’t go to plan. I am always worried that I might cross the line too early. In that case I will have to turn back and cross the line again. Usually it is very difficult to turn back because boats will be coming behind you , so you cannot really turn back. You end up going straight and when everyone else passes then you turn back and cross the line again. By that time you have lost too much time. So I am really worried about it. This time I decided to point a bit further to the line so I would cross definitely after the start gun. It turned out I was pointing too far I didn’t have enough speed and I lost too much time. 30 seconds after the gun I was still behind the line. Eventually I tacked and crossed the line but I was already trailing behind. I tend to start well on the second race on Sundays. I don’t do well on first race and Wednesday race.
The wind was changing constantly and some times there was no wind at all. This made the whole race quite difficult. A couple of people, from other classes, gave me advice as they were sailing passed me. It seems that every time I do something wrong and learn not to do it next time. It’s just that a few times I go from one extreme to the other. One day I sail to close to the wind, next time I bear away too much. One day I have too loose sail, next time too tight and so on. I think it will take a bit of time until I get it right. I guess it’s part of the learning process.
After the race I talked to a couple of people and I was asked if I consider myself a “Laser man”. I said I don’t really know. I am too heavy for a Merlin Rocket or an RS200 (especially to crew) and there are not many GP14s in the club. On the other hand the Laser has only one sail and when I reach the point where I can set it properly and sail satisfactorily, then I could move to another boat with more sails (gib and spinnaker). But right now if I would find myself helming a Merlin I would set 3 sails wrong in my attempt to go faster. I haven’t bought a boat yet and I am not planning to buy one. I am trying to learn as much as I can and I think that the Laser is good for that. On June 25th there is a Laser Open meeting at the club. I hope I will improve by then, so I can bring a presentable result.
I have training day lined up before that and there also a prospect for a Laser-specific training a week before the Open meeting. Hopefully they will help.
More racing on Sunday. Forecast says it’s going to be hot with not much wind. Hopefully it will change by then.