CORK

I placed 6th in the CORK regatta held at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour in Kingston last week. This result gave me 25 more points in the North American Laser Grand Prix. After missing regattas due to the Youth Worlds I have to make the most out of opportunities to gain points as these standings determine who qualifies for the 2009 Laser World Championships. Results available here.

Canadian Youth Sailing Chcampionships

I won the Canadian Youth Championships held at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron last week. The regatta saw light and inconsistent conditions making the racing quite difficult. Full results available here

2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships

I am competing in the World Youth Sailing Championships, held in Aarhus, Denmark. Follow results at http://www.youthworlds2008.org/Results/Results_YouthWorlds2008.aspx and follow the racing live through http://www.sportcasting.org/.
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Lead up
After Kiel Week I took some time off in Norway relaxing with family. I also got a chance to watch some of the 8 Metre Worlds. I had planned to sail a couple of days with Norway's laser rep Mathias Mollatt, but we were only able to get one day in because of bad weather.

Friday, July 11
I arrived in Aarhus Wednesday night, and received my boat yesterday. I was only able to sail for half an hour but everything seemed OK. Today was the practice race, with the start scheduled for 1. I went out a little early because of my lack of sailing yesterday. The clouds were causing the wind to jump around and the lasers did not get their start off before 2:3O. Despite a general recall, the fleet kept sailing. I had good pace and rounded the windward in 3rd, reached for a minute, sailed downwind for a couple of minutes, and then headed in as the rest of the fleet had already started heading for the harbour. Tomorrow is the first day of racing, with 3 races scheduled with the first gun scheduled for 12.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 16 degrees, 8-18 knots.

Saturday, July 12
Today was the first day of racing. The forecast was for strong winds, and then storms hitting with more wind and rain. In the first race I had a poor start. My original plan was to go to the right, but the entire fleet had tacked onto port and I was forced to take transoms out to the left to find a clear lane. I sailed very fast and passed all the boats on the left side I had ducked and rounded the windward in 8th. On the run I lost two boats but passed one, and then passed another boat on the last beat to finish 8th. In the second race I got too close to the boat to leeward of me and didn't have a good start, but I was able to tack and get a clear lane out to the right and sailed fast again. I took a couple of hitches up to reduce the leverage to the guys on the left, but they were too far ahead and I rounded the windward around 10th. I sailed a quick run passing a couple of boats. On the second beat the thunderstorms hit and a big squall came through with a large right component and winds measured at 38 knots at the windward mark and 30 knots at the coach boat below the course. I extended on the boats behind and finished 7th at the rear of the leading group with a big gap to the boats behind.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 17 degrees, 15-20 with heavy gusts.

Sunday, July 13
The second day of racing saw a forecast of less wind than yesterday. When I first got out it was quite light, but by 30 minutes before the start the wind had started to pick up, and by the start it was full out hiking. I had a great start with lots of room to leeward, but stuck to the left side when a 20 degree right shift came through, leaving me far behind. The laser from New Zealand and I stuck out on the left, but the wind never came back and we rounded the windward 34th and 35th. On the first run we passed a pack of 10 boats. On the next beat the wind was still right, but we picked the left gate and sailed on starboard below the fleet in clear air out to the left side and gained another 10 boats through pace and a slight left shift. On the last run we passed another 4 boats, and then another boat on the last reach to finish 6th and 7th. I am very happy with my pace as I was able to turn this race into a keeper from a dismal first rounding. In the second race I had another good start and stayed with the front pack and rounded the windward in 4th, and stayed even on the first run. I lost one boat on the next beat. On the final run I was again quick and caught a lot of distance on the Irish guy ahead, but I needed another 100 m to pass him, and I finished 5th. After 4 races I sit 6th, and I am very happy with my consistent series so far.
Weather: Partly cloudy, 18 degrees, 8-14 in the first race, 14-18 in the second.

Monday, July 14
The third day of racing saw an offshore breeze and big shifts. In the first race I identified the big line sag and had a great start in the middle of the line. Off the line we were on a big right shift so I hiked hard and tacked back on the leftie, and was looking great above the fleet with the Aussie and the sailor from Cyprus. I saw the boats to leeward tacking onto starboard so I tacked to lead back to the next shift, but the wind went way right and never came back. I was behind the leading back and rounded the first leeward in 14th. I had a great second beat, passing 5 boats by picking the shift, and passed another on the last run to finish 8th. In the last race I had an okay start, but the French guy above me had a great start and rolled me, and I was forced to tack a couple of times to find clear air. I was behind again, and rounded the leeward mark around 14th. Again I had a really quick second beat, passing 6 boats, but I couldn't get going on the downwind and lost 3 boats and finished 12th. After 6 races I sit in 7th. Tomorrow is the lay day - it will be nice with a rest for the legs after 3 days of hiking.
Weather: Mostly sunny, 18 degrees, 14-18.

Tuesday, July 15
Lay Day

Wednesday, July 16
Today was the fourth day of racing, with 3 races scheduled to make up for the lost race on the first day of racing. In the first race I had an okay start. When the boats on the left flopped in the first leftie, I was the leeward boat, and therefore footed off to get to the next shift first and to get over the boats on the right. I got past the boats on the right, but the wind never came back, so I lost some distance on the boats on the left. I made the mistake of going low on the last run when the course was skewed to the right, and I lost some boats to finish 11th. In the second race I had a poor start, but I knew I had to pick a side so I stuck it out, and let the boats ahead of me tack on the first shift. I waited for the next shift and tacked over and rounded the windward around 6th. I stayed even on the run, and then decided to go right up the next beat. I played the shifts well and took advantage of pressure on the right to round the windward in first, well ahead of the next boats. I rounded the reach mark in a big lull, and the boats behind caught up as the next puff rolled in. The New Zealand and US sailors passed me, but I was able tyo sail quickly at the bottom of the run, and won the race. Before the start of the last race the wind was down to 6 knots. I had a poor start at the boat end, but was on the right side of the course as a massive rain cloud came through bringing high winds and a big right shift. I rounded the windward around 10th, and then passed a couple of boats initially on the next beat, but with pressure on the left a group of 8 boats passed me. I sailed quickly on the reach and the run and caught up to the pack ahead, but just couldn't get overlap at the mark and I finished 12th. There are three races left in the regatta, with two races scheduled for tomorrow.
Weather: Mostly sunny, 18 degrees, very variable winds, extremes of 6 knots and 22 knots.

Thursday, July 17
The fifth day of racing saw similar conditions to the fourth day, but with more distance between the big puffs. In the first race I had a poor start near the pin, and was forced to stay in a bad lane out to the left. I picked up some boats, but I was too far behind and I finished 13th. In the second race I got rolled at the boat of the start, but was able to flop out and get a clear lane. A big puff with a rightie rolled down the right side of the course and I tacked below the group on the right. I footed off a bit to make sure I got past the boats on the left and to be in a safer position in case the wind went back. The wind stayed right, and I rounded the windward in 6th. I passed two boats on the reach, lost one on the run, and then passed everyone on the next beat. I let the Russian boat get bow forward on me to leeward coming into the windward mark and when the next puff came he was able to make the mark and he snuck around before me. I wasn't able to catch him on the run, but held onto the 2nd. Tomorrow there is one race scheduled. I sit in 5th, tied on points with the 6th place boat. I cannot move up, so I just have to cover the British boat behind me.
Weather: Mostly sunny, 18 degrees, very variable winds, extremes of 6 knots and 22

Friday, July 18
Today was the last day of racing. After a short delay on land, the fleets were sent out. There was a building breeze from the south, very similar to the wind on the first day of racing. I had a poor start, but remembering my first race of the regatta I decided to go left, and I got into good pressure and rounded the windward in 2nd. I played it safe on the run as I was well ahead of the British sailor so I dropped one boat. I lost one boat and passed another on the next beat to round the windward in 3rd. I once again played it safe on the final run. The Danish sailor came by me, but 1 minute after passing me he was flagged. I was well enough ahead of the next group and I finished 3rd.
Weather: Mostly sunny, 18 degrees, 12-16 knots

Although I did not meet my goal of a podium finish I am very happy with the way I sailed in such a challenging fleet. Over 12 races my worst finish was a 13th. Thank you to the Kingston Yacht Club, the Kingston Yacht Club Corinthian Fund, Ontario Sailing and the Canadian Yachting Association for their support. Also a big thank you to team leader Tine Moberg and Matt Dubreucq who made everything easy for me off the water.

Kiel Week

I am competing in Kiel Week, an ISAF Grade 1 event held in Kiel, Germany. This event is a good lead up event before the Youth Worlds in Denmark, which start on July 10th.
Results: http://www.kielerwoche.de/eng/livecenter/olympic.php
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Wednesday, June 25
Today was the first day of sailing at Kiel Week. There are 156 boats sailing in the Laser fleet, so the fleet is split into three fleets for the two qualifying days. In the first race today I had a bad start, but was able to make up a lot on the first beat with good boat speed and rounded the first mark around 10-15th. I was a bit slow at the top of the run but gained back again on the second beat and finished 12th. In the second race I punched out well at the start, but got rolled and got bounced around before finding a good groove. I sailed quickly throughout the rest of the race and finished 16th. After one day of racing I am in 35th.
Weather: Partly cloudy, 18 degrees, 6-14 knots.

Thursday, June 26
The second day of racing saw stronger winds and big waves. In the first race I had a poor first beat but a great first run and a good second beat and finished in 17th. In the second race I had a poor start, and was very slow at the top of the first run and finished 23rd. In the last race of the day I had a poor start, tacked a couple too many times and didn't have great downwind speed and finished 29th. With one discard after the five qualifying races I sit in 57th, just outside of the gold fleet cutoff.
Weather: Partly cloudy, 20 degrees, 16-20 knots

Friday, June 27
Today started out with a light southerly wind that clocked and gradually increased throughout the day. In the first race I had an okay start, but got pinched off shortly after and then bounced around on the wrong side of the course. I had a quick run and top reach and finished 18th. In the second race I bailed on the boat end start too late and didn't find a hole on the line, leaving me second row. I picked the wrong side up the beat as well and was very deep around the windward and finished 48th. With forecast of a 90 degree wind shift and high winds racing was called off for the rest of the day. After 7 races I am 64th overall.
Weather: Rain, 16 degrees, 6-14 knots

Saturday, June 28
Today was another "typical Kiel day" with light rain, cold and wind. In the first race I had an okay start, but lost my lane. I still managed to sail a quick beat and picked off boats on each leg and finished 10th. In the second race I had a good start, but was caught on the wrong side up the first beat and rounded the windward mark around 30th. I sailed a great first run and passed 10-15 boats and passed another couple of boats upwind and three more downwind to finish 7th. In the last race I had my best start of the day, but couldn't tack so I was forced to sail through the first shift and had to try to catch up. I sailed a slow first run, but passed boats on the next beat and on the final beat to the finish line and finished 28th. Tomorrow is the last day of the regatta and there is one race scheduled. I am currently sitting in 62nd.
Weather: mostly cloudy, drizzle, 16 degrees, 15-23 knots

Sunday, June 29
Today was the last day of racing. My fleet had 3 general recalls before finally getting underway. With the confusion of the three generals I forgot that my watch was two seconds late and I was late pulling the trigger on the start. I was deep around the first windward mark, but passed 10 boats on the first run and another couple on the last beat and finished 9th. I finished 60th overall in the 156 boat fleet. Now I am heading back up to Norway to relax and train a bit before I head down to Aarhus for the Youth Worlds.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 16 degrees, 12-18 knots.