CORK OCR

I am sailing in the CORK OCR regatta in Kingston.
Racing runs August 20-24. Follow results at cork.org

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Saturday, August 20
Today was the first day of racing. In the first race I got a bit rafted up at the start, and was late getting off the line. I made a nice move to the left side of the course at the top of the beat and rounded the weather mark around 10. I was quick on the run and passed 5 boats on the run to round 5 at the bottom. I lost one boat on the next beat and finished 6. In the second race I had a good start, but the boat above me had a great start. I rolled the two boats below, but got rolled myself. I was forced to tack out, but I was able to find some space eventually. Again I rounded around 10, but was quick on the run and rounded the bottom 6 and held to the finish. In the last race of the day I won the pin end start and was leading after the gun. I closed out to the left side, but the first 4 boats came from the right. I was 6 at the bottom, passed one on the beat and lost two on the last run to finish 7.

Sunday, August 21
After a delay on shore for wind, we were sent out to the race course, only to sent in again 5 minutes into our first race. With thunderstorms in the area and a big storm approaching, racing was cancelled for the day.

Monday, August 22
Today we sailed in a tricky northwesterly. In the first race I was on the wrong side of the course on the first beat and found myself deep at the first mark. I sailed a quick race throughout and was able to get back to 7. In the second race I made some good moves at the top of the beat to round 5. I was 4 at the bottom, but sailed a terrible second beat and lost 4 boats. I gained distance on the boats ahead on the last run, but was not able to pass anyone and finished 8. In the third race we had a big right shift as a storm cloud went through. I rounded the weather mark 3, but the race was abandoned, and we were sent in for the day.

Tuesday, August 23
In the first race I got stuck at the pin, and was late starting. I went low out to the left, but wind filled from the right and went right on the first beat. I was near the back of the fleet at the first mark. I passed 10 boats on the first run, but got stuck in traffic at the bottom of the second beat. I was not able to make more gains and finished 27. In the second race I got out nicely to the right side of the course and made a good move back across the course to round the top 2nd. I was second at the bottom, passed one boat and lost two on the beat to finish 3. In the third race I didn't have a great start, but was quick enough on the first run to make some gains. I was quick at the bottom of the second beat, and finished 6. In the last race I didn't have a great start but was again able to get clear quickly. I made a mistake near the top of the beat and had to do a couple of crash tacks and rounded the weather mark around 8. I was quick on the run and rounded the bottom 2nd. I was a bit early in coming back across to the right on the second beat and lost a couple of boats to finish 4. I am currently in 6th overall, with 7 points separating 3-6. Tomorrow is the last day of racing.

Wednesday, August 24
This morning we had winds ranging from 16 to 21 knots, and unfortunately the PRO decided it was not safe to send the sailors out. We went out regardless and had a great training session. I finished the regatta 6th overall, tied on points with the sailor in 5th.

Opti Coaching

I coached Opti sailor Campbell Patton from Bermuda at the CORK International regatta. Campbell finished 1st in his age group and 25th overall in the 86 boat fleet. The Kingston Whig has an article on Campbell's sailing: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3264593

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.