Mid Winter regatta report - a sailors prespective

After reviewing my GPS tracks Slight edit to my report heat 1 and 2 is now heat 1
http://gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2015-07-18&team=49
http://www.ka72.com/Track/t/156447


Midwinters at Marmong Sailing Club

A great wind forecast for this event, I was imagining high speed slalom action! However, after arriving at the club the wind was blowing offshore so our came the Formula course racing boards.

Here is a short description of how each race happened for me.

Heat 1 – As the gusts look strong I go with 11m Loft FR, 70cm Kashy and Patrik V3. Brett Morris and I start down near the pin end of the line and unfortunately for us the wind persistently lifts the guys to windward of us. To make up the lost ground I go for some tactical flyers, never works. I somehow manage to catch up with Rick Murray so I’m feeling lucky. I’m having trouble planning!! I decide to pull out of the race and go rig my biggest sail.  DNF!

Heat 2 – Rigging issues!! I have to find a batten end for my 12m Gun Sail which I get from one of the Gun Slalom sails but I miss the start.  Luckily 12m is the right choice and I sail through the fleet to finish with Rick again. My outhaul cleat fails just before the finish and I limp over! Still feeling lucky.

LUNCH BREAK

I sort out my outhaul cleats my harness lines and a bunch of other details, feeling ready now. Note to self don’t change stuff the night before. Get to chat with some of the boys and have a laugh about medical issues. Ha Ha. Feeling relaxed now.

Heat 3 – I’m first out on the course to make sure everything is now right. Everything is balance now and comfortable. When the gun goes only Christian Justesen can get planning the rest of us left standing there. I am the next sailor to get planning. Somehow I manage in the shifting winds to open up a good lead. I’m clear ahead when I drop off the plane coming into the bottom mark, oh shit!! Christian and Nathan Hohnberg pass me to leeward planning and we go the finish in that order. It was a good race for me.

Heat 4 – Good wind at the start and we are all charging off the line. Christian and I are coming first and second into the top mark but we have over layed the mark so I am reaching too fast and fin lifts me right out of the water and I have to wrestle the gear down losing about 6 boat lengths then we get hit by a knock and all of a sudden we cant lay the mark!! which brings in Sam Parker who is now perfectly on the lay line. As the race goes on Christian gets away to take the win and Sam and I are locked into battle. It comes down to the last downwind and picking the lay line was super difficult as the wind varied so much over the course. I wanted to go a bit further before gybing so not to have the trouble I had in the previous race. I have to avoid another competitor on the course and after the gybe we are neck and neck. Sam will get the inside rounding at the last mark with the position we are in and I will need to pass him to leeward not easy and my shoulders are burning from pumping, I don’t have the strength! We are both trying to go super deep with our backfoots in the inboard strap. I decide to change course and go to windward of him but now we have both ended up above the layline so we will both have to gybe twice to get around the mark. Sam does his last gybe hard right on the mark leaving no room and I sail around the outside of him as this point I conceded and we both cruise over the line. It was a great battle and great end to the day. Well done to Sam and well done to Christian for winning the event and Bruce Healey for winning the free formula.

Thanks to all the organisers for the huge effort of putting on the day for the sailors. More sailors should take advantage of it.

Kind regards Justin