Friday: After the gold fleets sailed we had three silver fleet races. A light wind from the west coming off the city was very shifty and sometimes the pressure would evaporate. It was tricky sailing to say the least. I had one mediocre race, one 2nd place, and a poor result around 30th.
All in all this has been yet another humbling, tough regatta. It is hard to stay mentally positive when my results don't reflect how much I know I have learned in the last few years. Of course a little perspective always helps and I appreciate how lucky I am to spend as much time as I have been pursuing laser sailing and competing in these elite regattas.
I also know that although my laser campaign will end pretty soon, I will continue to race lasers and pursue the answers to what to do in every situation, and practice executing what I know.
In a couple days I will sail in the Masters' week in Jensen Beach and West Palm Beach which will be a great opportunity to practice executing good reliable starts and sailing tactically conservative.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Deluge
It poured most of the day. Laser and Radial Gold fleets each got one race in in the late afternoon before it got dark when the rain abated and the wind picked up. They go first again tomorrow, but hopefully the wind and weather will allow good racing so they can get 3 races off, and we still have time for 3 races.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Finally we have had some racing
Tuesday:
Although yesterdays forecast was for 15 knots, the beautiful breeze that was there in the morning died to nothing. We were eventually moved from our course area to one closer to shore that had more wind and we were able to get one race off in about 5 knots of wind and strong side current. I thought the right side seemed better and started at the boat but was a bit late. I was able to get a clear lane out to the right side of the course, but the left came in and I was in the back of the fleet at the windward mark. I was able to make some small gains on the downwind and next upwind by staying on the edge, and the right side was better on the second upwind. I was not too disappointed with a result in the high 20's in that kind of wind.
Today Wednesday:
We had three races today. The forecast was for squalls to move through the area, but we didn't see any squalls, just clouds and haze. The wind was pretty steady from the SE at about 6-10 knots.
Race 1: I backed out of my spot on the starting line when I was getting too close to the boat to leeward of me. I was thinking that I would back out and then go back in to the same space, but I didn't have enough time, so I ended up starting on port ducking starboard tackers. I had seen pressure up the course on the right side so heading that way was good I thought. We were just leaning out, not hiking (about 6 or 7 knots?) in chop. I got to the pressure, but the wind slowly shifted left never shifted back. The whole fleet got wound up inside of me and I rounded the windward mark in last. The breeze stayed at that new angle for the rest of the race and I was only able to pass one boat.
Race 2: I had a great start and was able to hold my lane most of the way up the beat. Yay! We were occasionally hiking (8 or 9 knots I guess?) At some point near the top of the beat I had trouble holding my lane and started dropping sideways. I'm not sure why. There were a lot of weeds on the course, so I cleared my daggerboard, but was still struggling. I think the pressure may have dropped a little. I lost at the top of the beat when everyone converges and the lanes disappear and there is no clear air. Then I lost a little bit more here and there all the way around the course. The downwind was tough and I may have zig zagged too much.
Race 3: Another good start middle boat end. In this race we were hiking on the first beat although it wasn't windy enough for the boat to feel lively. It was that slow, loaded feeling of hiking. I held my lane, was fast forward and was fifth at the windward mark. Held my spot on the reach, and only lost a few boats on the run. The second upwind was lighter, no hiking, but my boat speed was okay and there were a couple minor shifts and pressure changes that I think I played well so that I didn't lose boats on the upwind. The second downwind as I tried to defend the left side (since we round the last mark to port before reaching to the finish) a pack of boats was catching me. We were by the lee on starboard, and I was afraid they would pass me. I reached in front of them to get to the right where there was clear air, gybed to port, sailed by the lee, gybed back and sailed by the lee back to the mark and I was still ahead of all of them, including the really fast danish girl! I finished 13th and was really proud of that result in those conditions.
Unfortunatley, it is not possible to overcome results in the 30s and a BFD to make gold fleet. I am far back in the pack realizing that my boat speed upwind and downwind are still not good enough in these conditions. (Light and choppy) I think that I have improved in these conditions in the past couple years, but the people I am racing against here (and at the worlds) have improved faster.
Although yesterdays forecast was for 15 knots, the beautiful breeze that was there in the morning died to nothing. We were eventually moved from our course area to one closer to shore that had more wind and we were able to get one race off in about 5 knots of wind and strong side current. I thought the right side seemed better and started at the boat but was a bit late. I was able to get a clear lane out to the right side of the course, but the left came in and I was in the back of the fleet at the windward mark. I was able to make some small gains on the downwind and next upwind by staying on the edge, and the right side was better on the second upwind. I was not too disappointed with a result in the high 20's in that kind of wind.
Today Wednesday:
We had three races today. The forecast was for squalls to move through the area, but we didn't see any squalls, just clouds and haze. The wind was pretty steady from the SE at about 6-10 knots.
Race 1: I backed out of my spot on the starting line when I was getting too close to the boat to leeward of me. I was thinking that I would back out and then go back in to the same space, but I didn't have enough time, so I ended up starting on port ducking starboard tackers. I had seen pressure up the course on the right side so heading that way was good I thought. We were just leaning out, not hiking (about 6 or 7 knots?) in chop. I got to the pressure, but the wind slowly shifted left never shifted back. The whole fleet got wound up inside of me and I rounded the windward mark in last. The breeze stayed at that new angle for the rest of the race and I was only able to pass one boat.
Race 2: I had a great start and was able to hold my lane most of the way up the beat. Yay! We were occasionally hiking (8 or 9 knots I guess?) At some point near the top of the beat I had trouble holding my lane and started dropping sideways. I'm not sure why. There were a lot of weeds on the course, so I cleared my daggerboard, but was still struggling. I think the pressure may have dropped a little. I lost at the top of the beat when everyone converges and the lanes disappear and there is no clear air. Then I lost a little bit more here and there all the way around the course. The downwind was tough and I may have zig zagged too much.
Race 3: Another good start middle boat end. In this race we were hiking on the first beat although it wasn't windy enough for the boat to feel lively. It was that slow, loaded feeling of hiking. I held my lane, was fast forward and was fifth at the windward mark. Held my spot on the reach, and only lost a few boats on the run. The second upwind was lighter, no hiking, but my boat speed was okay and there were a couple minor shifts and pressure changes that I think I played well so that I didn't lose boats on the upwind. The second downwind as I tried to defend the left side (since we round the last mark to port before reaching to the finish) a pack of boats was catching me. We were by the lee on starboard, and I was afraid they would pass me. I reached in front of them to get to the right where there was clear air, gybed to port, sailed by the lee, gybed back and sailed by the lee back to the mark and I was still ahead of all of them, including the really fast danish girl! I finished 13th and was really proud of that result in those conditions.
Unfortunatley, it is not possible to overcome results in the 30s and a BFD to make gold fleet. I am far back in the pack realizing that my boat speed upwind and downwind are still not good enough in these conditions. (Light and choppy) I think that I have improved in these conditions in the past couple years, but the people I am racing against here (and at the worlds) have improved faster.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Day one in Miami
I'm sorry everyone for being an idiot today and letting myself get pushed over the line early on a black flag start. It is little consolation to know that many others in my fleet were also called over since I made some big mistakes that led to being one of the boats blatantly over the line.
Here the thoughts about starting that are running through my brain this evening:
Here the thoughts about starting that are running through my brain this evening:
- Be a bully - on the starting line you are no one's friend. Never be nice and always be selfish, and be vocal boss people around and tell them what to do if they are threatening you
- On a black flag - don't be one of the boats closer to the line than others - stay hidden
- Know your moves to defend your space and if someone comes in to leeward too close to you, head up hard and hit them with your transom corner while you are avoiding them
- If your space to leeward on the line is too big, sail down to the boat next to you to make it smaller and less enticing for someone to go there - this helps you to control your space better
Thats it - I could berate myself all night for starting off the regatta with a black flag, but tomorrow is a new day. I've got the mantra of 'make everything count' for the rest of the regatta.
Today's events: We were postponed on shore for quite a while waiting for the wind to fill back in from the east. It had started as a light northwesterly breeze in the morning, then died after the boys sailed their first race. We waited on shore and they waited on the water, and by the time they sent us out, it had started to fill from the east, but was still pretty unstable. I watched the start of the boys blue and yellow fleets second race, and the radial blue fleet. There was quite a bit of current going upwind and left. Our starts were pin favored, the first was a general recall on a U flag, and the second was a general recall on a black flag. Almost half our fleet was called over and after sailing by the signal boat and seeing our sail numbers written on the board, everyone who was scored BFD towed home. By this time it was about 5pm. I stayed out to watch the rest of our puny fleet start and sail the first beat. The wind had picked up to maybe 9 or 10 knots, and most of the fleet was hiking. I was very sorry to have missed this race - not getting to compete is the worst!
Pics from today waiting around:
Pics from today waiting around:
Curry for dinner! - Thanks Michelle
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Update - Olympic Trials Begin
I have been in Miami for a few days now, warming up for the start of the Miami World Cup Regatta. Racing begins tomorrow and this is the first of two regattas that combined will make up the Olympic Trials. The weather in Florida for the past two weeks (I was in Ft Lauderdale prior to Miami) has been very stormy and changeable. Each day a different direction, with some big wind and rain storms. I had a short practice yesterday with Lindsey Baab when most sailors weren't sailing due to too much wind. It was good to get out and sail, although we both bent mast sections. It is frustrating to know that you are likely to be bending either top or bottom sections when it is windy! I have already bent two bottoms since I have been here in Florida.
The format for the regatta consists of two races per day for six days. In the first three days our 80 boat fleet is divided into two even fleets, blue and yellow (based on ranking or current standing in the regatta). After three days we are split into the top and bottom halves called gold and silver.
The forecast seems to be steadying out a little bit with medium winds from the east clocking around to the SE over the next few days.
I'll send out updates as the regatta progresses, we have 18 Americans in the Women's Radial fleet. I hoping to be in the top five, but as is always the case, racing involves executing one thing at a time. It starts with the start!
The format for the regatta consists of two races per day for six days. In the first three days our 80 boat fleet is divided into two even fleets, blue and yellow (based on ranking or current standing in the regatta). After three days we are split into the top and bottom halves called gold and silver.
The forecast seems to be steadying out a little bit with medium winds from the east clocking around to the SE over the next few days.
I'll send out updates as the regatta progresses, we have 18 Americans in the Women's Radial fleet. I hoping to be in the top five, but as is always the case, racing involves executing one thing at a time. It starts with the start!
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Lauderdale summary
The Lauderdale OCR (a qualifier for Miami World Cup) was one of the weirdest regattas I have ever sailed. I have to give props to the race committee for being determined to run races in all conditions.
The first day was extremely light and unpredictable, with waves of wind and shifts coming from both sides. I determined that getting to an edge was very important, but how to commit to the correct side? In two races I called it wrong on the first beat and right on the second beat and had two top ten finishes. I was very happy with those results. In the second race I guessed that the right side was more reliable than the left and although it didn't pay in the first leg, I stuck to my guns and committed hard to that side all the way through the race. It payed off in the end. It was one of those times where it seemed to make sense to minimize your chances of getting every leg wrong by switching sides each leg.
Day two was one of the windiest days of racing I have had. Twenty plus knots of westerly offshore wind with gusts to 30. The shifts were very big and the wind was unstable coming off the land. We also had leftover swell from the southeast, which was interesting. Upwind we were surfing on port tack, but on starboard the swell was rolling under you. Downwind there was no wave surfing, although you could turn up to use a swell to get planing if you were in a lull and then turn back down sailing along the troughs of the waves and sometimes jumping over the swell sideways to the next trough.
Day three was just tricky and unpredictable. medium to light NW wind at an oblique angle to the beach meant that sometimes heading to the beach for pressure was good, but sometimes not. It seemed like the kind of day where you wanted to be sailing to pressure and staying on the lifted tack, which seems like an easy formula. It always seemed like nothing worked. I found myself confused and didn't know where to go most of the time. In talking to other sailors about this day, I have learned that it was just so weird I should ignore it, no one knew what to do. I think that is a condition I will file away in my head and continue to try to figure out over the years. Perhaps I needed to understand better what was happening with the weather? Or maybe it was the kind of random day where you sail the lifted tack even if it seems to be taking you away from pressure since the pressure won't be there when you get there.
All in all I finished 7th and was the top american woman. Mostly I was happy with my ability to sail well on the first and second days, feeling like my speed and decision making was pretty good compared to some top international sailors in those conditions.
The first day was extremely light and unpredictable, with waves of wind and shifts coming from both sides. I determined that getting to an edge was very important, but how to commit to the correct side? In two races I called it wrong on the first beat and right on the second beat and had two top ten finishes. I was very happy with those results. In the second race I guessed that the right side was more reliable than the left and although it didn't pay in the first leg, I stuck to my guns and committed hard to that side all the way through the race. It payed off in the end. It was one of those times where it seemed to make sense to minimize your chances of getting every leg wrong by switching sides each leg.
Day two was one of the windiest days of racing I have had. Twenty plus knots of westerly offshore wind with gusts to 30. The shifts were very big and the wind was unstable coming off the land. We also had leftover swell from the southeast, which was interesting. Upwind we were surfing on port tack, but on starboard the swell was rolling under you. Downwind there was no wave surfing, although you could turn up to use a swell to get planing if you were in a lull and then turn back down sailing along the troughs of the waves and sometimes jumping over the swell sideways to the next trough.
Day three was just tricky and unpredictable. medium to light NW wind at an oblique angle to the beach meant that sometimes heading to the beach for pressure was good, but sometimes not. It seemed like the kind of day where you wanted to be sailing to pressure and staying on the lifted tack, which seems like an easy formula. It always seemed like nothing worked. I found myself confused and didn't know where to go most of the time. In talking to other sailors about this day, I have learned that it was just so weird I should ignore it, no one knew what to do. I think that is a condition I will file away in my head and continue to try to figure out over the years. Perhaps I needed to understand better what was happening with the weather? Or maybe it was the kind of random day where you sail the lifted tack even if it seems to be taking you away from pressure since the pressure won't be there when you get there.
All in all I finished 7th and was the top american woman. Mostly I was happy with my ability to sail well on the first and second days, feeling like my speed and decision making was pretty good compared to some top international sailors in those conditions.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Ft Lauderdale
It's great to be in Florida so I can focus full time on sailing! I just arrived today from Rhode island. It takes 24 hrs of driving, so I stopped to sleep twice, and arrived today in time to unload, put together my boat and go for a sail.
If you have never sailed from Lauderdale Yacht Club you are missing out. The ocean venue can produce every type of condition. Today we had a kind of variable NE wind 5-15 knots I guess? Although I was not out for too long since I had to catch a ride in with some other sailors. The sail from the club to the ocean and back is long! You do not want to be left out there when the wind is dying and the tide is going out because you might not make it back for a long time.
The Lauderdale Olympic Classes Regatta begins on Saturday, and we have 3 days of racing - Saturday-Monday. Technically it is a qualifier for the Americans for Miami World Cup Regatta. There are enough slots at the MWCR for americans that most of us trying to get a slot at this event will get one, but completely blowing the regatta is not an option. The forecast is for a front to move through in the next couple days, followed by light wind on Saturday. We will see what happens!
If you have never sailed from Lauderdale Yacht Club you are missing out. The ocean venue can produce every type of condition. Today we had a kind of variable NE wind 5-15 knots I guess? Although I was not out for too long since I had to catch a ride in with some other sailors. The sail from the club to the ocean and back is long! You do not want to be left out there when the wind is dying and the tide is going out because you might not make it back for a long time.
The Lauderdale Olympic Classes Regatta begins on Saturday, and we have 3 days of racing - Saturday-Monday. Technically it is a qualifier for the Americans for Miami World Cup Regatta. There are enough slots at the MWCR for americans that most of us trying to get a slot at this event will get one, but completely blowing the regatta is not an option. The forecast is for a front to move through in the next couple days, followed by light wind on Saturday. We will see what happens!
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