Tomorrow is the RS200 Open Meeting at WSC, therefore I decided to race today, again, in the WHSA Autumn Series. As usual, 2 races back to back, break for tea and then one more race. Today, although I left home early, there was too much traffic on the roads in the area. I was planning to buy a coffee on the way and something to eat but because of the traffic I didn’t. So, I was quite hungry and not fully alert (I had a late night yesterday so I woke up late).<\/p>\n
Brent and Pete were already there training. Steve called saying that he is running late because of the traffic and he asked if we could rig his boat. I rigged his boat but he missed even the second race for a few minutes. The weather was good for sailing. It was quite gusty and I was overpowered more often that I would have liked. The problem is that from a completely loose state with a flapping sail to getting it to a completely de-powered state with a flat sail, bent mast and lowered boom you go through a “powered state”. This is were the problem was.<\/p>\n
On the first race I had a quite good start, and I came fourth. Once again the competition was not that good really but I saw people making mistakes that I don’t. Not because I am smarter or anything like that, but because I have already made those mistakes and I have learnt. It’s experience.<\/p>\n
On the second race I really messed up the start. Basically I thought that the 1 and 0 minute guns were the 5 and 4. So, as a result while all the other Lasers were heading off the line I was cruising around. By the time I realised, the leaders were rounding the first mark. So I decided to head in because I was getting tired. I thought I better stay in during the second race to have a rest and then go out for the third race. At around that time I saw Steve. He had just arrived and since he had missed the second race, we had a chat and then went out together for the third race.<\/p>\n
I had a good start but soon I found myself in the fourth place again. I could someone behind me catching me. He sailed passed eventually, on the last lap. He is much more experienced and he could point much higher than me. This is where I lost. Actually, this is what I need to improve. Eventually I finished fifth. Considering that Steve was racing and that he finished first he bumped down everybody else including me. So no big change there, but still I am quite glad with my performance. I still managed to capsize twice, but both times was outside racing, if it makes any difference. Well it makes, it didn’t affect my racing. First time was while I was going in after the first race, and second time was when I was going in after the third race. Actually on that one my buoyancy aid got caught on the mainsheet fairlead which is under the boom.<\/p>\n
On the other hand I made other mistakes that made people quite unhappy. You see with the strong wind and the gusts, I was struggling quite a lot and a couple of times I lost control. The first time I was on port tack and the boat was heeling to leeward, so as I was trying to get the boat flat. In order to that I had to head to wind and there was a GP14 coming from the other direction on starboard tack.<\/p>\n
The second incident happened while I was letting supposed to turn to starboard and as I was struggling with the tiller, I managed, somehow to turn to port. I almost t-boned a GP14. I mean the guy had to take avoiding action, I ended up doing a 360 and our bows missed each other by 15 cm (that’s 6 inches). I was expecting people to be angry at me for causing chaos and mayhem, but nobody really said anything.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow I am video shooting the RS200 Open. Steve will be driving a boat with me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tomorrow is the RS200 Open Meeting at WSC, therefore I decided to race today, again, in the WHSA Autumn Series. As usual, 2 races back to back, break for tea and then one more race. Today, although I left home early, there was too much traffic on the roads in the area. I was planning… <\/p>\n