I am in Boltenhagen, Germany for the Audi Laser World Championships. I have almost a week of training with the Canadian team before the event starts on May 4th.
Results will be available at the regatta site: http://www.laserworldchampionship.com/
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Thursday, May 10
Today was the final day of racing. We once again had more of the same, tricky, offshore conditions, but today with a little more pressure. In the first race I had a great start at the pin and led the left side of the fleet and rounded the weather mark in 4th. I had a good run linking the pressure well and rounded the bottom in 2nd. I was leading for a portion of the second beat, but lost a bit coming into the weather mark and rounded 3. I dropped a couple of more boats on the last run and finished 6. In the second race I was a bit late at the pin end, and had to foot off below a couple of guys to get a clear lane. This left me just a bit back, and I was not able to make some of the crosses I needed to be in the front pack. I rounded the weather mark in the deep 30s, and was able to make a few gains throughout to finish 27. I finished 14th in silver fleet and 70th overall, narrowly missing the top 40% goal I had for the event.
Wednesday, May 9
Today saw very similar conditions to yesterday, with a southerly breeze that had large variations in pressure and direction. In the first race I got out from the start relatively cleanly but was a bit back from the leaders on the right. I had an okay first run, but was able to stay in phase nicely on the second beat to make some big gains. I picked off a few boats on the last beat and finished 12th. In the second race I got stuck in a marginal lane off the start going slowly, with other boats able to duck out and head to the corner behind me. Once I got clear I was a bit back, but found a decent lane and hit the pressure relatively well and rounded the weather mark around 15. I rounded in good pressure, and stayed high in the pressure while the majority of the fleet ahead dug low. I rode the pressure the whole way down the run and rounded the bottom in 1st, with the next couple of boats splitting from me. I did a decent job on the next beat and rounded the weather mark in 2nd, but ran out of pressure on the last run and lost a few boats on the last beat to finish 7th. I am currently in 15th in silver fleet with the final two races scheduled for tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 8
Today was the first day of the final series. We sailed in an easterly offshore breeze which made for some very challenging conditions with large pressure and direction variations. In the first race I quickly found a good lane and was in the first couple of boats playing the right side, but we were not able to get across, and I rounded the weather mark around 20. I had a nice first run, rounding the bottom around 12, but got stuck in a big hole off the leeward mark and watched as the boats behind avoided the hole and sailed around me. I rounded the weather mark around 45 and picked off a couple of boats to finish 42. In the second race I had a great start a couple of boats up from the pin and was punched out on the fleet, leading the left side. Up till the last 100 metres on the first beat it looked like I would lead by about 20 lengths, but the wind shut off as the right side filled in, and I rounded around 15. I dropped a few boats on the first run, but got a clear lane in good pressure heading left again, with what looked like more pressure ahead. With the wind phasing back and forth I thought I would be able to ride the first rightie out to the left and come back on the next leftie, but the wind kept winding right, and there ended up being more pressure on the right. I lost big again, and finished 33. It was a frustrating day with two races that could have been very good, but ended up well below par after tough second beats. Racing continues tomorrow with a bit more wind in the forecast.
Monday, May 7
Today was the fourth and final day of qualifying, with more of the light and tricky northerly breeze. In the first race I was able to get off the line well and was immediately playing at the front of the fleet. I made a couple of mistakes, but rounded the weather mark around 22. I had a good first run and connected it nicely into my second beat to make a few gains and finish 16th. After 7 races I was making the gold fleet cut (by one point!). In the second race of the day, I did not have a good start and was scrambling to find a lane. I did not get clear enough and rounded the weather mark deep. I was only able to make a few gains throughout, and finished in 42nd, which means that I will be sailing in the silver fleet tomorrow.
Sunday, May 6
Today was the third day of racing, and we saw more of the same conditions as yesterday. In the first race the wind was lighter and further right. I did not have a good start and went the wrong way on the beat and found myself near the back of the pack at the first mark. I was able to pick off a few boats throughout, but only enough to finish 40th. In the second race I again did not have a good start, but had a good followup and got a clear lane on the favoured left side. I rounded the weather mark around 15, played the second beat well to pick up 4 boats, but lost one on the last run to finish 13th. Tomorrow is the last day of qualifying. I am currently in 61st, only 1 point off the gold fleet cut off.
Saturday, May 5
The second day of racing saw more tricky racing with a moderate offshore breeze that eventually faded and swung to the north. In the first race I had a good acceleration, but did not link it with a good followup and did a few too many tacks off the line. I was able to get a partial lane out to the left side of the course (towards land) and linked into a puff on the left side which brought me all the way up to top 20 around the weather mark. I was even on the first run, but didn't have a great escape from the mark. I got the last shift on the second beat to gain back what I had initially lost, and finished 18th. In the second race I again did not have a good followup after the start, and started at the wrong end of the line. Being behind in the lighter northerly was deadly, and I rounded the weather mark with only one boat behind me. I made gains on the second beat, but the wind faded for me near the top again and I was only able to pass 5 boats to finish 48. After 4 races I am in 46th, with the points very tight.
Friday, May 4
Today was the first day of racing. We had a light to moderate offshore breeze ranging from 200-250 with slightly warmer conditions than in the training days. In the first race I did not have a very good start, and was scrambling early to find a lane, but had started at the right end of the line. Despite a marginal lane, I was already ahead of half the fleet, and in more pressure. I continued on port to the right side of the course, ahead of the other boats below, and was one of the first boats to get into pressure on the right and rounded the weather mark in 8th. I had a tough time seeing the leeward marks and sailed a bit of extra distance initially on the first run and lost a pack of boats, but was able to pick off three boats on the final run to finish 10th. In the second race I had a better start, but some of the boats below were able to tack and cross, and I was again not at the front of the fleet. I rounded the first weather mark in the mid 30s. I was able to find pressure on both runs, and passed boats throughout to finish 17th. After day 1 I am in 26th overall.
Saturday, April 28
Today was the first day at the venue in Germany. We had a 2-hour session with some boat handling, starting and racing. We had around 18 knots from the north, with relatively steep waves. The water here is quite cold, and with the wind we had today it made for some pretty chilly conditions.
Sunday, April 29
Today we had another 2-hour session and worked on similar things as yesterday. When we first got out we had about 20 knots, but it came down to 15-18 for the majority of the session, before picking up a bit again for the sail in.
Monday, April 30
Today we had very different conditions, sailing in a very light northerly. We worked on starts and did a few races with a larger group.
Tuesday, May 1
Day off
Wednesday, May 2
Today we had another windy northerly day, with winds around 15 knots. I had a short session with a couple of races before heading back in.
Thursday, May 3
Day off and final prep
