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:

• 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