Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Day Two

Okay so today was day two of racing here in Palma. Got down to the boat park early and managed to get our package from England - NEW matching rashguards so we look like a real team! We launched at 10 am for an 11 am start in light wind from S-SW. Breeze was filling more on the left, so we started down at the pin for the first race. Actually managed to have a great start! Were right up at the top of the fleet which is so very nice! Missed a shift on the first upwind and ended up too far on the left at the top. We rounded in 21st which is still great. Lost a few on the reach, had an okay run, lost a few at the mark (Spanish boat doing I don't know what inside the gate snagged our spin sheet on their tiller and much shouting and foul language ensued). Second upwind did okay, but again missed an opportunity to pick up boats. So we ended up farther back in the fleet, but I'd rather work on slowing the loss of boats than trying to gain them back after a bad start. The second race the wind was all unstable and all over the place, big black clouds and white fluffy ones all around and the sea breeze trying to come in. We started at the boat planning on going right. Our start was not great, basically we were a bit early and so didn't accelerate enough and then got totally rolled by the Russians, who did exactly what we had been trying to do! So we tacked out to the right, missed an opportunity to cross the fleet, and then got wound up on the outside of the fleet as a massive left shift came down. Finally we tacked over, and then a massive right shift came in. One of those races.... so we rounded the top mark second last. The reach was okay, the downwinds in this race were actually really good, we picked up a few boats. The second beat we had no idea what was going on and couldn't get our speed on and spent too much time in the middle of the course. So today we had much better starts, but then after the starts we missed big opportunities to gain by crossing the fleet. This is a lesson for both of us - don't wait for the fleet to go, because everyone else is waiting for you to go. So we all just wait for someone to tack first, and sail out to the corners of the course. We got off the water at 2 pm today - really early! And just as we finished rinsing off the boat the seabreeze finally kicked! Well, at least the 49er's made use of it. Tomorrow is the same schedule with an 11 am start and two races. Same game plan - get off the starting line, make better decisions, try and climb up some more.

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