Sorry for the delay in posting. Travel.
The last day of racing in Sydney was almost as windy as the day before, with 25kts gusting to 27. We were one of about 6 teams that chose not to sail. There was a very high risk of breaking stuff and injuring ourselves, so we opted out. Honestly it is very depressing to not sail two days in a row when there is an awesome breeze. I would never bail out on Lasers on a 25 kt day. I think I am still in a bad mood from it. The teams that did sail had an exciting day. Check it out at http://www.18footerstv.com.
I am finally in Miami getting ready for a serious 49er training session, and the sailing is getting delayed again. We are supposed to sail tomorrow, but we are going through some drama trying to get a hold of our mast bottom section which accidentally hitched a ride to Brazil. If all goes well, we will get a new one tomorrow night and be ready to sail the next day. Starting to go stir crazy.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Races 4 and 5
Made it around the bouys yesterday for race 4, and had a blast sailing our 1 rig and actually competing. We were duking it out with Haier and ASCC and managed to pass both of them before the finish. (although ASCC did capsize right before the finish).
Today for race 5, we had pretty good breeze, so we sailed our 2 rig. The southeasterly directions is so difficult, the race is a marathon of different legs that crisscross the harbor. The gusts and lulls are huge, and even though we spend most of our time upwind easing the main, we still have to run in off the wire in many of the lulls. Today we had a few mishaps and two capsizes, but we are improving steadily and getting better at anticipating what is coming.
Tomorrow is another lay day and then two more days with a pretty full-on forecast. (20-30 kts). Hope we can make it through!
-Christine
Today for race 5, we had pretty good breeze, so we sailed our 2 rig. The southeasterly directions is so difficult, the race is a marathon of different legs that crisscross the harbor. The gusts and lulls are huge, and even though we spend most of our time upwind easing the main, we still have to run in off the wire in many of the lulls. Today we had a few mishaps and two capsizes, but we are improving steadily and getting better at anticipating what is coming.
Tomorrow is another lay day and then two more days with a pretty full-on forecast. (20-30 kts). Hope we can make it through!
-Christine
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Finished Race 3
We sailed with our number 2 rig yesterday along with a few other boats, including the other girls team. Once again, on the recalled start we were looking good, but for the actual race, we got rolled and had to tack and duck the whole fleet. We will keep in mind starting at the boat and tacking right away on the days where we have a smaller rig.
We thought our speed was okay upwind even with our little rig, and we did a good job of looking ahead for the breeze. It was much easier being a weekday, the harbor traffic was much lighter. The Northeasterly breeze was more predictable too. You could see what was coming since the wind was coming down the harbor instead of off the hills. We almost caught up with the other girls after our bad start, but we had one mishap heading in towards Shark Island that set us back again. Anticipating the lulls is so important in these boats, and the lulls are super hard to see when you get close to land. We hit one that I didn't see coming and we stopped so hard that all three of us went flying forward, swinging into the bow wires and racks with our arms and legs.
In the end we beat a few boats, but the long race really became a parade after a while without much passing.
Today the forecast is for Southeast 10-15 kts, so that should be interesting. We will focus on anticipating and avoiding the lulls.
-C
We thought our speed was okay upwind even with our little rig, and we did a good job of looking ahead for the breeze. It was much easier being a weekday, the harbor traffic was much lighter. The Northeasterly breeze was more predictable too. You could see what was coming since the wind was coming down the harbor instead of off the hills. We almost caught up with the other girls after our bad start, but we had one mishap heading in towards Shark Island that set us back again. Anticipating the lulls is so important in these boats, and the lulls are super hard to see when you get close to land. We hit one that I didn't see coming and we stopped so hard that all three of us went flying forward, swinging into the bow wires and racks with our arms and legs.
In the end we beat a few boats, but the long race really became a parade after a while without much passing.
Today the forecast is for Southeast 10-15 kts, so that should be interesting. We will focus on anticipating and avoiding the lulls.
-C
Monday, February 18, 2013
Day 2 finished, now gearing up to sail Day 3
Day 2
We had a beautiful start that turned out to be a recall. Getting back to the start was difficult with all the traffic, and by the time we got there, we were late in our approach. We started on port behind the fleet, and made our way around the course in 5-8 knots with chop and big lulls. Finished 25th.
Now we are rigged with our #2 (small) rig for today, looks like a nice 12-14 kts out of the northeast. Hoping it holds, and looking forward to the sea breeze direction.
We had a beautiful start that turned out to be a recall. Getting back to the start was difficult with all the traffic, and by the time we got there, we were late in our approach. We started on port behind the fleet, and made our way around the course in 5-8 knots with chop and big lulls. Finished 25th.
Now we are rigged with our #2 (small) rig for today, looks like a nice 12-14 kts out of the northeast. Hoping it holds, and looking forward to the sea breeze direction.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Does this sail make me look fat?
Before
AfterOur mainsail after I went through it. Behind you can see that Yamaha has a similar issue. We never even made it to the start. I think there must have been over a thousand boats on the water. I have never seen so many sails at once. We watched two skiffs get tangled up and run over by an ex America's Cup Yacht as we sailed out.
We have a different sail for today, and we are determined to make it to the start and sail the entire race! I am already learning a ton about the small but important details involved in 18 sailing, so I am excited to put it all together.
Katie Love, CC Childers, Christine Neville
More pics of everyone coming in after racing:
Friday, February 15, 2013
Practice Race down, now on to the real deal
Luckily we had about 5 practice starts yesterday, and a very long practice race. Just getting used to the launching program was good. Basically, there is a ten minute launch window, you aren't allowed to go out early. The start today is at 4:00pm, so basically we want to be rigged and dressed by 3:00pm, with the boat on it's side. At 3:15 they ring a bell and we are allowed to go upright. At 3:30, they ring another bell, and that means we can start launching. Lumix is the "Rabbit" boat, and they have to launch last, but ideally they are on the water by 3:45. The race committee waits for them to sail upwind and down, and then they start the race. One of the most important things we learned yesterday about racing in Sydney Harbor is that the wind is never steady. The lulls are huge, and staying in good pressure is difficult. Anticipating pressure changes is important, as is avoiding the hilly shorelines where the breeze gets weird.
Yesterday our starts got better each time, but we have tons to work on to get up to speed. Here's our list of things to do better today:
- Know the courses.
- Get accurate time from the race committee (this is hard to stay close and not miss a gun, since keeping the boat under control is a full time job.
- Set up early and far back to allow for an easy approach.
- Wail on the Cunningham and Vang as hard as I can.
- Communicate well about mainsheet trim, pressure changes, and body movement.
- Adjust Jib trim more to match the main.
- Faster hoists.
- More perfect Spinnaker sail trim - ease more without collapsing the chute!
- Douse faster, and pick timing better.
Plus we have a work-list for the boat for this morning. Good thing we have some time, the late afternoon starts are necessary to get everything done.
Here's the Program for the week:
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Sailing in Sydney Harbour
After 25 hours of traveling from Miami to Sydney, I walked from the train station down to Double Bay, and found Katie and CC rigging our 18! Although it was midnight in Miami, we had a beautiful afternoon sail. We learned that traffic on the bay is a major concern. Fisherman, Ferries, Cruise Ships, and Sailboats. Sydney Harbour is not that big compared to San Francisco Bay, you can run out of water quickly in an 18. Today we will get out early to be on the water in time for some good warm-up before the Practice Race which starts at 4pm.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
On my way to Australia
TV footage at www.18footerstv.com.
49er on its way
Spent yesterday packing the 49er for its container ride to Europe. Hope everything makes it there safely!
Lauderdale
Finished Lauderdale OCR with Assn epic day of big waves. Much to learn, its not every day that you get to sail in those conditions. Boy was it fun though!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Last Day - Miami World Cup
After my poor day on thursday, and with the reset of the scores, I was almost out of an opportunity to make it in to the top ten. So on friday I was going for broke. I was 15 points behind the tenth place girl, which meant that I could get into the top ten if I won two races and she had a couple 8ths or something similar. It was our windiest day!
My first race started out well, and I rounded the windward mark in the top 5 I think, but the best sailors are relentless, and they slowly picked away at me to finish 10th.
The second race I had an amazing start - too good actually since I was OCS. I sailed the race as best I could knowing it might not even count, but I was loving it - rounded the windward mark in 1st right outside Annalise Murphy (who won 4 races in a row in breeze at the Olympics - she is the fastest when it is windy) and led a screaming reach and most of the downwind. Unfortunately lost some upwind on the first shift, but in the end it would have been my best finish - 7th.
Overall, I am happy that I have come closer to achieving my potential, and I am putting together most of what makes a good regatta. Now I need to become more perfectionist, and really grind away at my weaknesses and refine the things that make me lose a boatlength here and there.
The things I improved on this regatta since the NA's, Worlds, and Miami OCR last year are primarily my starts. Except for the OCS's I was generally off the line in a decent lane. My disaster management has gotten better, and I have fewer major race ruining mistakes. I am becoming a more solid sailor and seeing more things that I didn't used to anticipate.
Here is my work list of things I need to improve:
More time in the boat - focusing on always being by the lee or reaching with flow over the sail, and doing a power press the right direction to accelerate down waves. I think I need to get stronger squat muscles so that I can press harder.
Need to work on stopping, not going sideways, and backing up when needed, as well as recognizing a bad situation and getting out asap!
Also - I am getting my spot and getting bow out, but I rely too much on my line sight, and I get a little too close to the line. Need to work on refining where I line up so that I am bow even with the windward boat and can pull the trigger earlier. That way I will be full speed at the gun, and not OCS.
Learned a ton from Mike Kalin about body positioning and mainsheet trim for both of these and can't wait to work on them. - Roll gybes are all about fast hands on the mainsheet.
I have improved this a lot in the last year, but I need to be more perfectionist about sail trim and boat angle of heel. I think going fast in light air is about constantly making adjustsments with body weight, and sail controls to always be set up perfectly.
Learn how to use it to track shifts. I think this might have helped me on thursday and friday with slow oscillations in the breeze.
Hope you have enjoyed this blog, next regatta is the Lauderdale OCR which starts Friday!
-Christine
My first race started out well, and I rounded the windward mark in the top 5 I think, but the best sailors are relentless, and they slowly picked away at me to finish 10th.
The second race I had an amazing start - too good actually since I was OCS. I sailed the race as best I could knowing it might not even count, but I was loving it - rounded the windward mark in 1st right outside Annalise Murphy (who won 4 races in a row in breeze at the Olympics - she is the fastest when it is windy) and led a screaming reach and most of the downwind. Unfortunately lost some upwind on the first shift, but in the end it would have been my best finish - 7th.
Overall, I am happy that I have come closer to achieving my potential, and I am putting together most of what makes a good regatta. Now I need to become more perfectionist, and really grind away at my weaknesses and refine the things that make me lose a boatlength here and there.
The things I improved on this regatta since the NA's, Worlds, and Miami OCR last year are primarily my starts. Except for the OCS's I was generally off the line in a decent lane. My disaster management has gotten better, and I have fewer major race ruining mistakes. I am becoming a more solid sailor and seeing more things that I didn't used to anticipate.
Here is my work list of things I need to improve:
- Downwind speed -
More time in the boat - focusing on always being by the lee or reaching with flow over the sail, and doing a power press the right direction to accelerate down waves. I think I need to get stronger squat muscles so that I can press harder.
- Holding my spot on the line -
Need to work on stopping, not going sideways, and backing up when needed, as well as recognizing a bad situation and getting out asap!
Also - I am getting my spot and getting bow out, but I rely too much on my line sight, and I get a little too close to the line. Need to work on refining where I line up so that I am bow even with the windward boat and can pull the trigger earlier. That way I will be full speed at the gun, and not OCS.
- Roll tacks and Gybes -
Learned a ton from Mike Kalin about body positioning and mainsheet trim for both of these and can't wait to work on them. - Roll gybes are all about fast hands on the mainsheet.
- Light air technique upwind -
I have improved this a lot in the last year, but I need to be more perfectionist about sail trim and boat angle of heel. I think going fast in light air is about constantly making adjustsments with body weight, and sail controls to always be set up perfectly.
- Get a compass -
Learn how to use it to track shifts. I think this might have helped me on thursday and friday with slow oscillations in the breeze.
Hope you have enjoyed this blog, next regatta is the Lauderdale OCR which starts Friday!
-Christine
Friday, February 1, 2013
A short update on the last two days - Miami WC
From my phone, so this will be short. I had a great start to yesterday, rounding the windward mark in third after leading for a while. I was going fast downwind in a great grove when I capsized. needless to say I lost a bunch of boats. Second race was the other way around, I rounded behind a huge pack of boats, but played a shifty second upwind well, and finished 8th.
Weeds have been a major player in these races, I have been working on my wed clearing technique.
If you check the results, you will see that the regatta format is new. Today we started a second series, and only carried our place in the first series over as if it was one race.
Slightly poorer starts today, with only decent speed upwind, led me to tack out of bad air when I should have hung in with a shift. I finally put it together in the third race today, but was ocs trying to have a better start.
Now in 16th. Only two races tomorrow, forecast for 14 to 17. I expect the scores to mix up some more. I plan to go out and sail as best I can, keeping in mind all I have learned in the last week of racing.
heading to bed now, ready for another great day of racing, loving laser sailing right now!
Weeds have been a major player in these races, I have been working on my wed clearing technique.
If you check the results, you will see that the regatta format is new. Today we started a second series, and only carried our place in the first series over as if it was one race.
Slightly poorer starts today, with only decent speed upwind, led me to tack out of bad air when I should have hung in with a shift. I finally put it together in the third race today, but was ocs trying to have a better start.
Now in 16th. Only two races tomorrow, forecast for 14 to 17. I expect the scores to mix up some more. I plan to go out and sail as best I can, keeping in mind all I have learned in the last week of racing.
heading to bed now, ready for another great day of racing, loving laser sailing right now!
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