I Survived My First Mid-Winters West!

The Last Day! After an on shore postponement followed by several on the water postponements we did not start a race until 2:00. By the time the race started it was blowing a steady 18 knots with gust into the low 20's out of the west, with a ton of chop and 1-3 foot waves. Game on! I had a great start at the boat end of the line, finally! I did a great job of holding my position on the line, making sure that I had clear air above me and a good hole below to power up. I played the middle left of the course which worked out well. At the top the course I was in the top 20, though I gambled on my port approach to the weather mark. Usually this tactic works OK, but in this fleet there was not a single gap in the boats turning down wind. I was the forced to take evasive action and turn downwind with them in attempt to get threw the line of boats. This worked out OK, though I lost ten or more boats. To make things worse I was so excited to get around the top mark that I forgot to round the offset mark. Arrrrrrrg! I then turned around and sailed back up course and rounded the offset mark.
I was now in last place by a huge distance! Not to be discouraged I focused on my strong point and that is down wind sailing in breeze. Half way down the run I caught up to the fleet and by the time I rounded the bottom mark I passed 6 boats. Back at the top of the course I some how managed to pass a few more boats to put me in 40th place. On the last down wind which consisted of a reach then a run then one more reach I put the pedal down and caught a few more boats, some of which were flipped over and stuck in the mud. In the last upwind sprint to the finish I found myself in a match race with my nemesis, I had to dig deep for some extra energy to beat him, and luckily GU was on my side to give that extra bit of energy when I did not i had it in me. I was able to pass my nemesis to finish in 33 place.
Overall this was an extremely challenging regatta. I got a lot of big fleet experience and a chance to sail against the top guys in the country. I broke my curse of bad starts and now I can move forward. I finished the regatta in 38th place out of 56, It was a well fought for position that I am proud of. My boat speed and pointing was equal to the guys in front and some how I was able to consistently sail through the fleet and consistently pass boats. This regatta gave me a lot of experience to build on, and I look forward to my next regatta.

Mid-Winters West Day 2

If only I could get a good start! . In case you couldn't guess I had bad starts all day long. I did get one good start, only to have it destroyed by a port tacking boat that I could not avoid and I managed to hit it. Proceeding the contact, I found myself at the back of the pack yet again! We had three races today the first two were in light winds out of the North and the last race was in moderate to heavy conditions, all three of my finishes were in the mid 30's.
The good news is that other than my starts the rest of my racing is going great! I am pointing higher and faster than most of the boats around me, my downwind speed is still strong I am making less tactical errors and I am consistently passing boats on every leg..
My focus right now is obviously on starts, if I could get a decent start I might actually have a chance at finishing a race in the top half of the fleet. So I have come to the conclusion that I have a mental block with my starts. In past season my starts have been my bread and butter, not the case this season. So I have narrowed it down to two theories: The first being that I am way to focused on what is going on around me and not focused on what I am doing or what I need to be doing. My second theory is that every since I got my brand new boat I have become very protective of it and I am worried that it is going to get damaged if I am to aggressive at the starts. My goal for tomorrow is to work on these issues and hopefully I will have some great starts and get back to focusing on sailing away from the pack and not trying to catch back up!.

Mid-Winters West Day 1

Let the fun begin! 55 Lasers and 50 Radial lasers (smaller sail than the full rig laser, for lighter sailors), several past world champions, a few Olympians, the Canadian Olympic team and a bunch of the best laser sailors in the country!

Race 1: 2-5 knots of breeze out of the north west, 68 degrees, smooth water and a trapezoid windward leeward course. I had a great start on the middle of the line closer to the pin end. I immediately tacked onto port and found myself in a clear lane and was pointing higher and sailing faster than any of the boats around me. Three-quarters of the way up the fist leg I found myself in the top ten! Unfortunately the wind shifted severely enough and the race officials decided to abandoned the race!

Actual Race 1: 8-12 knots of breeze out of the west, 65 degrees, bit of chop and a trapezoid windward leeward course. After two general recalls (this is where a majority of the boats prematurely started so the race committee was forced to restart the race), I ended up with a bad start on the middle of the line with out a clear lane. I quickly learned with this big of a fleet that clear air was a must! After struggling to find some clear air I eventually got in a groove and was able scrape by with a 38th place finish. Arrrrrg!!!!!

Race 2: 12-18 knots of breeze out of the west, 60 something degrees, a bunch of chop with a few big waves mixed in and a trapezoid windward leeward course. I had an OK start at the boat end of the line, I was immediately fouled and in the process I got sucked to the back of the pack! Now that I was in the back of the fleet there were plenty of clear lanes to sail in. I was then able to make a few tactical moves and get into at least 40th place. On the down winds I was extremely fast and made up for lost ground , and finished the race in 31st place.

Race 3: same conditions as last race except with a bit more chop and a trapezoid course. I went for a pin end start, which was highly favored! THe top guys in the fleet were breathing down my neck and at the last second I was forced to bail out at the last second due to the tide forcing me into the pin end boat. This was not good! I had to jib away and the I proceeded to duck half of the fleet before I could cross the start line safely. I immediately found a clear lane and was finally able to work on some tactics, like thinking about wind shifts and stuff. I rounded the top mark in the low 30's and was able to hold that position all the way to the bottom mark where I got into a slight confrontation with about a dozen boats. I was the inside boat at the leeward mark and some how another boat disagreed with my position and sailed his boat right into the side of mine causing a big pile up of boats. He claimed that I was at fault and tried to protest me, I denied his protest and politely explained the rules that he broke. In the end I finished the race in 37th place and was not protested.

With day one complete I am not to happy with my standings, though I feel that other than my starts I am sailing extremely well for my first time in a "Big" Laser regatta. I hope to build on what I learned today and hopefully have some better starts with some even better finishes tomorrow. Most importantly I was having fun out there today! Not to give any excuses, but I will anyways. I managed to catch a virus while I was down in Long Beach last weekend and its been kicking my butt all week! I am hoping it will die off any time now and let me enjoy the regatta a bit more.

Long Beach or Bust!

We made it! My wife Keely and I made the long journey down to Long Beach. We made a slight detour to stop off at our old college stomping grounds in San Luis Obispo for some dinner at Firestones Bar and Grill. The best place for tri-tip sandwiches and fries in the world!

Saturday: 5-10 knots of breeze, 75 degrees and very choppy water. The first race had a steep learning curve to it. I struggled to get in a groove and found my self at the back of the pack, I finished 13th out of 16 boats. Second race I was able to find a rhythm to the chop and I finished the race in 5th, within boat lengths of the leaders. The third and forth race I struggled again as the chop increased and the wind decreased. I finished 12th in the 3rd race, and I ended up in 9th in the 4th race.

Sunday: 5-10 knots of breeze, 70 degrees and very choppy water. The whole day I was plagued by bad starts. As well as bad starts I still could not consistently stay in a groove up wind. The only thing that I had going for me the whole weekend was my downwind speed. I was consistently passing 3-5 boats on every downwind leg. By the last race I finally figured the place out and was able to hang with the pack, it was a little to late... My finishes for the day were an 11th, 10th and 11th.


Overall it was a tough weekend of racing for me. I struggled to find a groove upwind in the chop. My downwind speed was amazing, and my starts were terrible. I finished the event in 11th place out of 16 boats. Even though my results were not what I was expecting, the weekend was an overall success. I went to this regatta with the intention of getting two days of solid practice in before Mid-Winters West, and that was exactly what I got. I learned a ton from those guys down there, and hopefully it will pay off this weekend at Mid-Winters West!

St. Francis Spring Dinghy

Good News, Bad News... The bad news is that we only had 12 boats show up for the regatta. The good news is that the best of the best showed up, which made for the most intense and closest racing of the season so far. My results were not as good as anticipated but giving the company I was in I am very satisfied.

Saturday Race 1: 5-10 knots of north breeze, 60 degrees and flat water with a 2 knot ebb. I had a good start on the middle of the line with clear air. I missed a shift and lost a few boats, and by the time I rounded the top mark I was in 7th place. On the downwind there were very few passing lanes due to the strong current so we were all playing follow the leader. On the next upwind leg I played the current a little better and was able to pass a boat and round the top mark in 6th. On the run to the finish I was able to just pass one more boat to finish in 5th place.

Race 2: 12-18knots of westerly breeze, 56 degrees and extremely choppy water with a 3 knot ebb. We were postponed for over an hour due to the change in wind direction and the race committees lack of ability to set a proper course in extreme currents. I was in a great position on the middle of the line when I went to power up at the start and my legs didn't get the message and I managed to capsize. I immediately got the boat upright and going when I found myself in last place by a considerable distance. I kept my head in the game and sailed hard, by the time I rounded the top mark I had caught up to the fleet. On the downwind I managed to link up a few waves and surf by a few boats. At the bottom mark I had a great rounding and forced a few boats to the outside of me, putting me in 8th place. The upwind leg was nothing special I covered a few boats and I rounded in 8th place. On the last run to the finish I was able to surf past a few more boats putting me in 5th place. Unfortunately with in the last 50 yards I could not catch a wave to save my life and I was passed, only to finish the race in 7th place.

Race 3: 15-20 knots of westerly breeze, 55 degrees extremely choppy with a 3 knot ebb. I had an amazing start! I was on the middle of the line with all but one boat to leeward of me! Everything was looking good for me! All of a sudden a port tacking boat went to duck below my transom and ended up t-boning me. The bow of the other boat ended up in the cockpit of my boat which forced me to capsize on top of him. I then had to jump on his boat in an effort to untangle our two boats. After I untangled our boats I then had to jump back onto my tutled boat. By the time I got the boat upright again and going I was a half of a leg behind the rest of the fleet. Some how I was able to compose myself and keep sailing. I was in last place for the entire race, and at the finish I had just caught up with the back of the fleet almost beating two boats.

Sunday Race 4: 8-12 knots westerly breeze, 65 degrees, choppy with a 2 knot ebb. Today was a new day! I started on the boats end of the line with a few boats sitting on me. I tacked to get some clear air and I did not tack back to stick with the fleet. I went for a flyer with the hope of catching up with the leaders. This did not work out! At the top mark I rounded in 10th place with my training partner Drake just behind me (who was sitting in 3rd place in the regatta). The two of us looked at each other and new that we had to sail our butts of to get back in hunt. Half way down the run I was in 8th place, and at the bottom mark I had a great rounding and passed two more boats. On the upwind I struggled to find a rhythm in the chop and lost two places due to my boat speed. It came down to the last 100 yards of the downwind run there was a pack of four of us surfing waves and trading places, I managed to stay ahead of three of them to finish in 8th place.

Race 5: 15-20 knots of westerly breeze, 58 degrees and a ton of chop with a 2.5 knot ebb. I had a great start! I was in the hunt! I played all of the right shifts and rounded the top mark in 2nd. On the downwind several boats sat on my wind no matter what direction I went this resulted in me getting passed by 3 boats. Arrrg! The next downwind I focused on covering what was left of the fleet so as not to loose anymore places. The last downwind leg to the finish I could not make any gains on the leaders and ended up finishing in 5th place.

Race 6: 15-20 knots of westerly breeze, 58 degrees a ton of chop and a ripping 3 knot ebb. I had a solid start on the pin end of the line, I was able to point higher than a few boats to windward of me which forced them to tack away. I then had clear air all the way to the top of the course. Unfortunately due to the crazy current I over stood the layline and found my self reaching into the top mark. I lost a bunch of boats! I rounded in 8th place with the lead pack within reach. I linked up a bunch of waves and passed one boat by the leeward mark. On the last up wind I finally got a good rhythm threw the chop! Unfortunately so did everyone else. I was still in 7th place at the top mark and new I had to put the pedal down to make up some places. There were five boats all within a close distance of me each trying to surf every possible wave hoping to get out in front. This situation forced me to sail the most intense and physical downwind ever! I crossed the finish line in 6th place having just caught a really good wave and narrowly missing 5th place by an inch.

To Sum It Up! I had a tough regatta, though I was able to hang with the big guys. Which consisted of one past Olympian, one future Olympian, one world champion, and two very experienced masters. These guys were great competition! Overall this was a great weekend, I had a several mistakes that I learned from, and I pushed myself harder than I have ever pushed myself in a Laser. I ended up finishing the regatta in well fought for 6th place.

*Pictures Coming Soon!*

March Madness!

It is going to be a crazy month of sailing! This weekend I have the Spring Dinghy Olympic Class Regatta at the St. Francis Yacht Club on the San Francisco city front. This is the first big regatta of the season. We should have 25 -30 boats on the start line. The wind either nukes or we work on our tans in the parking lot. I am hoping for a solid 15 knots and sunny sky's... Next weekend I will be travelling down south to the Long Beach Olympic Class Regatta at the Alamito's Bay Yacht Club. I have not participated in this regatta before, though I have race there a bunch in college. I am using this regatta as one last weekend of solid practice for the Mid-Winters West.

The last weekend of the month is the Mid-Winters West at the Richmond Yacht Club. This is a strictly Laser event that attracts competitors from all over the world, where there should be over 100 boats participating. The event counts towards my National ranking with the US Sailing team. This is the regatta that I have been training for all winter long.

With the 3rd place finish at the Richmond Mid-Winters last weekend, hopefully I can build on that and have some solid finishes over the next few weeks.

Podium Finish!

The results are in! We had 18 out of 37 signed up boats show up for the last Mid-Winters. It was sunny, light winds and flat water. My official scores were not as consistent as I would have liked, though it got the job done.

First Race: 5-8 knots of breeze, 65 degrees and flat water. I had a good start in the middle of the line with clear air. I kept a clear lane and avoided any excess maneuvers and found myself in third place at the top mark. On the down wind run I found an extra gear and was able to reel in the top two guys. I tried attacking the second place boat with some match racing tactics. It worked I was able to force him away from me, which gave me some clear air so that I could attack the first place boat. At the bottom mark I rounded in second place. On the last leg I was able to point higher and faster than the first place boat and I was able to roll over the top of him. While I was distracted with covering the second place boat, the third place boat went on the attack and managed to sail over the top of me. In response I went on the attack and was able to force him into a bad shift and I went on to win the race!

Second Race: A very shifty 5-8 knots of breeze, 65 degrees and flat water. I had a really good start on the pin end of the line and had some clear air. Unfortunately the shifts that I played on the last race were not there, in fact they were opposite. I had some bad tactics and a few extra tacks at the top mark due to the increasing tide, and I ended up rounding the top mark in 12th place. On the downwind run I found another gear and made up some ground. Bythe time I got to the bottom mark I found myself in 5th place. Durring the last leg I chose the wrong side of the course and I lost a few boats and finished in 1oth place! Arrrg!

Third and Final Race: A very shifty 0-7 knots of breeze, 70 degrees and flat water. I had a bad start on the pin end of the line, which was the favored end. With about a minute to the start the wind shifted to the right and the boat end of the line was hugely favored. After the start I ended up having to duck most of the fleet to get to a clear lane and the favored side. I did a good job of playing the shifts and I rounded the top mark in 7th place. On the downwind I was able to catch a few puffs and I closed the distance on the leaders. I was still in 7th place towards the bottom mark, when all of a sudden there was a 90 degree wind shift, which I noticed and was able to pass two boats at the mark rounding. On the last leg the wind died down to less then 2 knots, this made for a very slow and suspenseful finish. Right at the finish line I was able to throw in two quick tacks and I passed one more boat to finish the race in 4th place.

The Wrap Up: I made a few mistakes and learned a ton. I feel that over the course of this series I have made some huge gains toward establishing myself in the upper echelons of the fleet. My consistency in the top of the fleet led to my 3rd place overall in the series! This is a great launching pad for the rest of the season!

Richmond Mid-Winters 4

The last Mid-winters of the series is this Sunday! Right now I am sitting in a solid 4th place. We have 35 lasers signed up for this last event, with a forecast of partly cloudy and 5-10 knots of breeze. My goal for the event as usual is to make less mistakes, and finish consistently in the top 5 and hopefully move into 3rd place or better!

"Laser Days"

Here it is!, My first sailing video! Crank up your speakers because it is a must for this video! I recorded this last week while I was training out of Richmond yacht club. It was blowing 20+ knots with a crazy ebb tide working against the wind, the combination made for some great downwind surfing. I'm working on my cinematography, I will have two more cameras for this weekends training. You can also see the video in a larger format on my You Tube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rigboy6