Middle Nene Open Meeting
This morning I met Steve nice and early at the club to go to Middle Nene. I had loaded Bubble on Steve’s trailer yesterday, with Pete’s and Joe’s help, so we were ready to go. When I arrived Steve had already tied his boat, I fitted the light-board at the back and we were off.
We arrived there about an hour and half later, unloaded the boats, changed, started rigging, attended the briefing, finished rigging and went out. The format was 3 races, 1 discard. We were slightly late at the start sequence, but we were there before the start gun. The wind was quite strong and gusty and we both got in irons fright at the start. We were off and we started beating covering the lost ground. At some point I stopped advancing, but Steve carried on. I wasn’t very sure about the course, but I managed to stay on course and not make any mistakes like in Fisher’s Green. I was aiming in overtaking the people in front of me one at a time. Unfortunately, at some point I capsized and I lost some ground, I recovered and I tried to regain the lost ground. Finally, I finished 10th out of 14. We went in for lunch and I had a rest.
We went out for the second race, and somehow I still managed to be late for the start. This time I crossed the line late and I started beating. Once again I was trying to cover the lost ground and I focused on the boat ahead of me. My plan was to pass one at a time. At some point I capsized and the mast got stuck in the mud. I tried to get the boat up but the wind was pushing the hull and therefore the mast deeper into the mud. Eventually I asked the safety boat to pull the boat so the mast will get off the mud. Since this was outside help, I decided to quit the race and discard it. I brought the boat upright and sailed to the committee boat to tell them that I quit. I waited for everybody to finish, because the 2nd and 3rd races were back-to-back.
After everybody finished, the race officer took some time until he started the sequence and I thought he was maybe thinking of abandoning the race. Eventually, they started the sequence for the last and final race. Steve told me that if I should take it easy and my only aim should be to finish. Not to care about speed, position or anything else. I knew it, but I couldn’t think clearly. The moment he said it, I realised he was right. That’s all I needed to do: “Take it easy and cross the finish line”. I was already tired, so I knew it would be a struggle. The gun went off and I started beating. The wind had picked up quite a lot and my arms were feeling very heavy. The gusts and the shifts were very bad and were making things much more difficult than I wanted to. I capsized at some point, but I brought the boat upright got in it and I started sailing again. I didn’t want to give up the fight!
I had done 2 laps and there were 2 more to go. I was worried that I might get really tired. I was already choosing my tacks on the course so I won’t have to gybe around marks. In the runs I kept the centreboard down and on the beats I was pointing less, because I was dumping the mainsheet. I was making little progress, but my aim was survival and not performance. I was lapped by leading pack of the fleet, including Steve. On my third lap, I saw a bunch of boats going in and I thought that they were quitting the race. Then I realised that they were the boats that had lapped me and they had finished. That meant that I was on my final lap. Straight away, I thought I could finish. I was sure that I could finish and I was prepared to finish, no matter what. I had only needed to do a run, a reach and half a beat. I would definitely do it. My psychology changed and from feeling unsure and gloomy I became confident and I got a surge of energy I didn’t know I had. I stayed upright and when I went around the leeward mark, I started beating. Then realised, what I was doing wrong all day. I was de-powered. I had some much cunningham and outhaul on, in order to de-power the rig that I didn’t have enough speed to go over the chop! I let the outhaul off, a bit and the cunningham a bit more.
That was it I was moving through the chop, didn’t get in-irons again, after that and crossed the line. I went in, de-rigged Bubble, had shower, changed and went to check the results. It turned out that someone else joined the meeting, after the first race, so we were 15. On the last race I was 6th! The fact that I stayed out and played it safe, although I finished last, gave me a better positions from all those who didn’t finish. Overall I cam 9th! Steve was 8th. I joked with him and I told him that according to the results, he was just slightly better than me. He reminded me that he lapped me on a three lap race. The truth is, that at the right moment, he told me the right thing. He had the strength and the nerve to give me advice that helped me finish the race. This open meeting was a great experience for me and I managed to achieve the goals I had set.
I had two goals for this open meeting: 1) Not to finish last, 2) To finish all the races.
I was definitely not last, 9th out of 15! As for finishing all the races, I hadn’t accounted for getting outside help. I got outside help when the safety boat, helped me pull the mast out off the mud. I was sitting at the edge of that centreboard, rocking and shaking trying to bring the boat upright. The boat wasn’t moving, so I had to ask the boat to pull me. Tactically I made the best decision. I stopped racing and I conserved strength and energy for the last race and it paid it off. 9th out of 15. And to be fair, “Thank you, Steve”.