US National Championships

I am in California for the US National Championships.
Follow results at http://www.calyachtclub.com/

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Tuesday, August 2
I went for a sail today with Alex Heinzemann, Charlie Buckingham and Chris Barnard. We did some speed work and medium length racing. We had 5-10 knots, but with big waves which made the upwinds quite tricky when the wind was at the lighter end of the range. I am training again tomorrow. Racing starts Thursday.

Wednesday, August 3
Today was another gorgeous day, with 8-12 knots and big waves. I sailed with the same group as yesterday and did some more speed work and short course work. Racing begins tomorrow with the first race scheduled for 12:30.

Thursday, August 4
Today was the first day of racing. When we first got out, the fog was too thick and we were forced to wait for an hour before the first race got underway. I won the start at the pin end, but as soon as we started the fog rolled back in. I sailed by my watch since we could not see the weather mark. I found the weather mark, but as I approached the mark an RC boat told us the race had been abandoned and we were sent back down to the start line. On the restart I had another good start. I was in good position up the first beat, but made one small step to the left and missed out on some pressure that rolled in from the right, and I rounded the first weather mark around 20. I was quick on the last run and finished 11. In the second race I had a good start in the middle of the line and was able to tack and cross the pack above within a minute. I rounded the weather mark 5, passed a couple of boats throughout and finished 3. I am currently in 5th overall. Racing continues tomorrow with 4 races scheduled.
Weather: Sunny, 26 degrees, 5-8 knots.

Friday, August 5
Today racing got underway on schedule. Racing started out in about 5 knots and slowly built throughout the day to 6-10. In the first race I had a good start and positioned myself well up the first beat and rounded the weather mark second. I passed the boat ahead on the reach and extended on the first run and was able to hang on throughout to finish 1st. In the second race I fell back a bit on the first beat, but was able to come in late on the port layline and tacked under a big group of boats that had overstood the layline and roundedthe mark 4th, and stayed there for the rest of the race. In the third race I was 2nd to the weather mark and held throughout to finish 2. In the last race I had a good start in the middle but ended up with no pressure in the middle as both sides came in ahead. I rounded the weather mark around 18, and was able to make gains throughout to finish 9. After 6 races, I am in 4th overall, 9 points off the lead.

Saturday, August 6
Today we had 8-10 knots when we first got out and raced in 8-12 all day. In the first race I rounded around 5, dropped a couple on the first reach but had a good run to round the bottom 2nd, and held for the rest of the race. In the second race I had a great start and was punched out at the start and leading partway up the first beat. I was not aggressive enough in claiming a side and a few boats came in from either side at the top. I wasn't quick enough on the downwinds and finished 5. In the third race I had a decent start but fell out of the pressure a bit and rounded the weather mark around 12 and dropped a couple to round the bottom closer to 15. I made a good move at the last leeward mark and had a quick reach to finish 7. I was scored 9 so I will need to look into that tomorrow. In the last race I won the start at the pin and led the race from start to end. I am in 3rd overall, with two races remaining tomorrow.

Sunday, August 7
Today was the final day of racing, with two races scheduled. We had similar conditions to the previous days - 6 to 10 knots with swell. In the first race I had a solid start at the pin and got out nicely to round the weather mark 3rd. I passed one boat on the second beat and held onto 2nd. In the second race I lost my spot on the line just before go and was forced to bail. I started on port, but was able to quickly get into the front row again. I made a mistake towards the top of the beat and rounded the weather mark 8th. Alex Heinzemann rounded the weather mark 1st with a solid gap. With Heinzemann 4 points behind me going into the last race, I needed to catch up to 5th in order to stay ahead of him in the regatta. I passed two boats on the first run, and caught up to the boat ahead on the second beat, only to have us both passed by a boat who hit the corner on the beat. I was able to pass two boats again on the run, and rounded the leeward 5th. I passed one boat on the final beat to finish 4th, good enough to finish 3rd overall in the regatta. I will now do some training and coaching at home before CORK at the end of August.

Laser North Americans

I am in Brant Beach, New Jersey for the Laser North American Championships. Racing runs July 12-15. Results can be found at http://www.bbyc.net/LaserNAC/

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Sunday, July 10
Today was my first day of sailing in Brant Beach. I did a 2 hour session to check all my gear and to get a feel for the sailing conditions here. It was quite hot, and there was lots of seaweed. I have a little bit of boatwork to do, but other than that I am ready to go for racing on Tuesday.

Monday, July 11
Day off

Tuesday, July 12
Today was the first day of racing. We had an offshore westerly which made for very tricky racing with big differences in pressure and big shifts. In the first race I had a good start near the middle of the line, but with the pin end being favoured, some of the boats were able to tack out and cross. I was forced to work my way back to the top of the fleet. I rounded the weather mark around 10, passed 4 boats on the reach, a couple on the run and another two on the last beat to finish 3. In the second race I had a nice start at the leeward end and was up on the main pack on the left. A big right shift came through and never came back and I rounded 20ish. I made a couple of gains on the first reach and run, but went the wrong way on the second beat and lost a few again. I passed a couple of boats and got back to 16. In the last race I again started near the middle of the line, and again some boats were able to tack and cross from the leeward end. I rounded around 15, passed boats on the first run and played the second beat nicely and was 4th to the second weather mark. I passed one boat on the last beat to finish 3. After 3 races I am in 3rd.

Wednesday, July 13
Today was a very tricky day on the water. With light and variable winds it was very difficult to to figure out what part of the course was favoured. I had a tough time, and managed to combine not sailing too well with getting unlucky a couple of times. I sailed an 18,23,31.

Thursday, July 14
Today we had a strong northeasterly breeze in the morning. In the first race I had a decent start and picked the last two shifts on the first beat nicely to round the weather mark first. I lost a couple of boats on the run but held on to third place. In the second race I had a poor start, but was able to quickly get back towards the top of the fleet. I made the wrong gate call at the bottom and was stuck behind a pack of boats at the bottom of the second beat. I was quick on the run and passed a couple of boats to finish 7th. For the last race the wind had gone to the east. The race committee did not adjust the course enough which made for a very skewed start line and first beat. I was able to get out and rounded the weather mark around 10. I made a good move on the second beat, but tried to take my gain and bank it to the right where the wind had been coming from, but I got out of phase and lost a few of the boats I had passed. I was quick on the last run and finished 7th. Tomorrow is the last day of racing. Two more races are scheduled, and with one more race we will get a second drop.

Sail for Gold Regatta

I am back in Weymouth, England for the Sail for Gold Regatta.
Results can be found here.

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Monday, June6
Today was the first day of racing. After a long wait onshore for wind the Laser fleets were sent out. We sailed one race in medium wind, with a strong current against the wind. The current made the start quite tricky, and I misjudged the line and was forced to tack out right away. I sailed a poor first beat and rounded near the back. I had a solid first run, passing 10 boats, passed a few more on the next beat, and had another good run and was able to come back to the middle of the fleet and finish 31. Racing continues tomorrow with 3 races scheduled to make up for the lost race and 16-20 knots.

Tuesday, June 7
In the first race I was a bit late on the start but was able to get clear immediately. I played up the right side of the course, but the leaders all came from the left and I rounded the first weather mark around 30. I stayed relatively even to finish 32. In the second race I had a great start near the boat end and held to near the port tack layline with the rest of the fleet. I rounded the first weather mark around 20. I lost a few boats throughout to finish 25. In the third race I again had a solid start at the boat end, but didn't identify the bias in the line. The boats from the leeward end had a jump, and when the wind went left they were considerably ahead. I rounded the first weather mark around 25. My rudder downhaul line loosened and my rudder kicked up a bit, causing me to spin out several times on the first run, and I found myself at the back of the fleet and finished 49. Racing continues tomorrow with the final two qualifying races scheduled.

Wednesday, June 8
Today was the last day of qualifying races. In the first race I quickly got a lane out to the right hand side of the course. I had decent pace and rounded 20ish and stayed relatively even throughout to finish 24. In the second race I did not have a good start, but played the first beat well and rounded in near 20 again. I sailed well on the second beat but made a mental error at the top and misjudged the layline. I did a double tack and capsized, dropping about 8 boats, and finished 32. Despite the error, my scores on the day were just good enough to move me up from 66 to 61, qualifying me for the gold fleet.

Thursday, June 9
Today it was slightly lighter than the previous days. In the first race I did not have a good start, but was able to make some moves up to first beat to round around 35. I fell out of the pressure on the run and lost some boats and was caught on the outside of a pinwheel at the bottom gate. I was not able to catch up much, and finished 52. In the second race I was late at the pin, but held out to the left and played the left side well to round the weather mark around 15. I was able to hook into pressure on the run when the leaders fell into a lull, and I was able to sail around the majority of the pack and rounded the bottom in 3rd. I dropped a few boats on the next beat and 5 on the last run when I fell out of pressure and finished 12. I am in 55th overall with the final two races scheduled for tomorrow.

Delta Lloyd Regatta

I am in Medemblik, Netherlands for the Delta Lloyd Regatta.
Follow results at http://www.deltalloydregatta.org/
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Tuesday, May 24
Today was the first day of racing. We sailed in an offshore wind of 17-22 with short chop which was a bit difficult to handle. In the first race I did not have a good enough start, but was able to get some shifts up the first beat to round in the top half. I spun out a few times on both runs and missed a big shift on the second beat and finished near the back. In the second race my start was not better, but I was able to hitch out and quickly get in phase and I was near the front up the beat. I rounded the first mark in the top 20 and lost a few throughout to finish 24. Racing continues tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 25
After a delay on the water for wind, racing got underway in an unstable easterly. The first attempt at a race was abandoned when the wind went 45 degrees right. With the course reset racing got underway. I had a good start, but mistimed my first tack and was forced to tack back and I lost the advantage I had on the boats above me. I played up close to the front on the left side, but the right was heavily favoured, and I rounded the weather mark around 30. I had a good first run and stayed relatively even to finish 28. In the second race I found a late gap at the boat end, and had a jump on the boats on the right side of the course. I led the right side, but the first 12 boats came from the left side of the course. I lost a couple of boats on the first run, a couple more on the next beat, but had a good last run to get back to 13. The qualifying series concludes tomorrow with strong winds forecast.

Thursday, May 26
When we first hit the water there was 15 knots, and by the time the first race started it had built to 20. I fell back after the start but was able to hook into the first shift and played the rest of the beat well to round the first weather mark around 15. I lost a couple of boats on the first run, but gave up a lot of distance to the boats ahead. By the time we got to the second weather mark the wind was up to 28. I swam 3 times on the last run and fell back to 35. We were sent ashore after we finished - an hour upwind in 30 knots. After 5 races I am in 51st, good enough to qualify for the gold fleet final series, which begins tomorrow.

Friday, May 27
Today was the first day of finals racing. The forecast was for 17-22 knots at the start of the day with gusts in the high 20s, and for the wind to decrease to 16-18 in the afternoon with gusts in the low 20s. In the first race I did not have a good start, and bailed out to the right side. The left side came in and I rounded the first weather mark with 5 boats behind me. I was not able to make any gains, and finished 57. In the second race I headed right to a big cloud, and hit pressure, and rounded the weather mark around 8. I dropped a couple of boats on each run, and gained a couple on the second beat to finish 11. I am in 47th overall. Racing continues tomorrow with strong winds forecast again.

Saturday, May 28
Today again saw a strong forecast, but it was not quite as windy when we first got out. In the first race I sailed a nice first beat and rounded 10, dropped a few on the first run and passed one back on the second beat to round around 12. By this point the wind had picked up considerably. Again I lacked the control downwind and swam several times, and finished 49. By the start of the second race it was blowing 30. I had a solid start but rounded the weather mark in the deep 20s. I swam 4 times on the first run and was almost last around the leeward mark. I completed the race in 53, with several boats retiring due to breakages. There is one final race scheduled for tomorrow and again strong winds are forecast.

Sunday, May 29
Today was the last day of racing, with one race scheduled. It was again quite windy. I had a good start, and was up near the front halfway up the first beat, but made some poor moves near the weather mark and rounded around 20. My boathandling issues downwind in the big breeze continued and after a couple of swims I was near the back. I finished the race in 39th, putting me in 55th overall. Next stop is Weymouth for the Sail for Gold regatta.