Sailing Year in Review

Early in the year I put together the season schedule. There were 8 regattas, plus club sailing. This was an aggressive plan and it turns out it was just a bit too aggressive for year end. I dropped the Western Michigan regatta due to time and distance. I dropped the last regatta because it was the last of a series of regattas that kept me away from home too long.

Here's how it went:

• 2/5-2/6 Train Wreck, Lake Eustice, FL (9th place)


• 4/30-5/1 Cow Town Classic, Hoover SC, OH (2nd place)


• 6/4-5 MC Horse Race, Saratoga, NY (3rd place)


• 8/4-8/7 Western Michigans, Crystal Lake, MI (did not go)


• 9/10-9/11 nor'Easterns, Keuka Lake, NY (5th place)


• 9/14-9/17 National Championships, Keuka Lake, NY (7th place)


• 9/24-9/25 MCSA Blue Chip Championship, Spring Lake, MI (10th place)


• 10/1-10/2 Cowan Scow'n, Cowan Lake, OH (did not go)

I did not win any regattas. However in all regattas I performed well in most races. Unfortunately most races is not enough to win regattas.

TRAIN WRECK - in fourth place overall on a borrowed boat until the last super light air race.

COW TOWN - Messed up day 1 and won each race day 2 by a LOT of distance.

HORSE RACE - Lost 2 boats on the last leg of the last race to lose the regatta.

NOR'EASTERNS - A really bad race taking me out of 3rd overall. Best finish of 2nd. Not a good regatta.

NATIONALS - Only 4 races, one of which I won. I ended up 7th but only 4 points from 2nd with a better tie breaker. I just needed more races.

BLUE CHIP - Started with 2 bad races then a win. Ended up a very respectable 10th.

CLUB RACING - Far too little of it this year. I won it by just showing up.

So the season included very low lows, and some big race wins. It also was a significant time commitment at inopportune times. I'm struggling a bit with the balance between sailing and other commitments. The yard is unkempt. I only have seen one of my son's band competitions. The house has gone unmaintained...etc. etc.

I believe every person has something that gives them inner satisfaction. It may be a sport, a hobby, family, work, or whatever. Sailing is the thing that is a challenge to me. I know I'm good, maybe not great, but definitely able to compete at the national level. This year has shown me that.

What will it take to be a national champion? Where is the room for improvement? What skills do I need? Can I even put the effort into it? Can I prioritize that with the rest of my life? Can I afford it?

I know there are a few things I can do now. I can get in shape. I know my extra weight helped in the heavy air. But my lack of conditioning countered that. If I lose 20 pounds and get in shape I can still compete in the heavy air. But I also will be far better in the lighter air.

My equipment is as good as it gets. I have an excellent boat and a very good new sail. That can't get better.

I need practice on certain skills, particularly boat handling. More boat time will help.

I have to figure out a schedule that will be inexpensive, yet competes against the best in the country. Should I do 2 or 3 big regattas like Midwinters (FL), Nationals (MI), local regattas, and Blue Chip (MI) only? Or should I do more smaller regattas closer to home? I don't know.

But now it's off season. Marching band, indoor drum line, work, family, house, and cottage are now all higher priorities than sailing, at least until next year.

Confusion, Humiliation, Redemption, and Just Plain Fun

Last weekend was the final regatta of the year for me, and probably the last until next Spring's thaw. It was the Blue Chip, an invitation only event held at the end of the season.


When I was growing up, a Blue Chip invite in E-Scows meant you have made the big time. You have performed well enough to win place or show in sanctioned regattas, or maybe top 5 in an Easterns or top 10 in nationals. It's a regatta where everyone there is a great sailor that can win any race or place last in any race. Since I was a teenager I wanted an invite. As a skipper I never got one. As a crew I was on a few boats that received invites, but we never went. I'm 47 years old now and never got to go to a Blue Chip.


A few years ago I borrowed a boat for the local regatta and won the regatta. On the way to the first start was the first time I set foot in an MC-Scow. I received a Blue Chip invite for that. But I had no boat, no money, and absolutely no confidence I could sail an MC-Scow.


Flash forward to 2010. I sailed 3 regattas and failed to qualify. OK, fine. I get it.


So this year I set a few goals as you can see in prior blog entries. I wanted to win a regatta, (failed at that), place top 10 in Nationals (success), place top 3 in the local regatta (failed), and qualify and attend the Blue Chip and not get last (succeeded), and rank in the top 10 nationally (failed). Last year a couple people outside the local fleet learned who I was. This year I wanted become a more recognizable name by doing well and sailing with the "A-Fleet" boys.


Well I think many of them know who I am now.


So I'm driving 9 hours to Spring Lake, MI, Friday afternoon. I'm nervous, a really excited nervousness. I'm coming off a nationals where I got second in a clean hard fought race and won a local knowledge race. Yes, I tanked a race. But I'm stoked. I know I can sail with the top national level sailors. I'm listening to a book on tape and eating my wife's secret stash of candy. All the way across Ontario I'm getting more of a swollen ego than ever. I'm going to win this thing. I have the boat, the sail, the talent, and...well maybe not the fitness level I need.


Whatever. I carry my crew with me between my belt and chest.


I pulled into Spring Lake Yacht Club about 10 PM just as the last folks were leaving for the night.


Spring Lake: Seven miles of beautiful lake. Unfortunately it is not in my view. There must be more around the corner. It looks like I can clear this lake with a 3-iron. Hmmm.


The next morning I set up my boat and meet lots of really nice people. They jokingly explain the sailing area is somewhere between the 9th green and the 10th tee...right in front of the club. Oy.


I did something I hadn't done ever with my boat. I measured the rig. Rake was 2 1/2, and 3/4 inch difference between sides. Oh my. For non-sailors, it was like I had a car with a carb that was running rich and wheels out of balance. It may be fast but not a winner. I fix it.


Skipper's meeting: interesting black flag modification that if you are over you won't get called but you CAN restart. And if someone flips you back upright you can keep racing. I get it. This regatta is to be SAILED, not won or lost on technicalities.


There are something like 7 past national champions in the fleet, the current Junior Champion, and various regatta winners and age classification winners. I have sailed against about half at one time or another. The fleet is small though, only 23 boats. But the water hazard, I mean lake, probably couldn't handle more than 30 or so.


RACE 1 - CONFUSION


"Wind" was 2-8 from the NE-WNW all at the same time. It was a washing machine of directions. I poke around the lake checking shore effects and such. Easy peasy. Poke in this cove, hit that point, avoid that bay...etc.


The starting sequence kicks in and I have to poop. Now now. Easy there.


I think 20 of the 23 boats hit the line right and off we go. Tack, cross, duck, tack, in phase. Good. I'm sailing great! Speed is good, point is good, sail adjusted just fine. 3/4 up the first leg I'm in about 7th place playing with the big boys. I'm on starboard heading to a port layline 100 yards from the mark. I'm thinking of the pack and where I can slip in between other boats to get around the mark. Header - tack. Perfect. Right on the mark. The pack to the right is toast.


Header. Low on the mark. That's okay. I'll go to the starboard layline and cruise in. Not as much advantage but still good. More header. Hang on. Why would I tack 50 yards short of the layline? People seem to be though. I'll pick them up on the shift back, the inevitable oscillation. More header. Crap. Time to cut my losses.


Tack. Header. What?! 40 degree shift. Jeesh! The right comes in, the left comes in, the entire fleet rounds the mark and I'm stuck straight leeward of the mark in a hole. I finally get there 2nd to last, and significantly behind the leaders.


In 3 minutes I went from a big emotional high to total confusion. I did it right! I sailed the way you are supposed to. It didn't work.


Next to me is this kid that is singing and carrying on like it was his birthday. He was wearing multi-colored shorts so I mentally called him Happy Pants. I recognize him. He sat on me at the nationals for my first 2 miserable legs of the first miserable race. I'm thinking about redemption. But he's kind of funny carrying on and such.


I sailed the remainder of the race trying to pick up one boat at a time. I eventually picked up about 6 to lose 3 at the line doing the same thing, finishing 19th out of 23. But mostly I wanted to beat Happy Pants. He got last. Woohoo! There was a race going on up front but I couldn't tell you much about it. I couldn't see that far. But my arch nemesis Chris Craig finished well. Goal #1 of beating him was going to be tough.


RACE 2 - HUMILIATION


My bad race was out of the way. My butterflies are gone. Okay this is it.


Wind was the same - all over the place.


I start mid-line with a really good aggressive anti-sag push and a good kick. I smoke the person above me and drive. Well I wasn't quite good enough. I'm lee bowed by the guy below. I have to clear. I tack, take stern or two, find a hole, tack back, get tacked on, and try to clear out again. I'm third row, in the middle of the course and in a hole. In 1 minute this race was shot.


In this fleet every boat is about as fast as they can be. The winner is tactically smarter, handles the boat better, and extends their lead in clean air. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.


I'm 19th at the top mark (counting from the back), and about there at the bottom mark. Here is where someone in last has an advantage. The fleet is all over the lake, working both shores. I can see all the wind on the lake and exactly what is happening. Right is dying out, left is filling in, the pack left is laying the mark half a leg ahead. I go left.


Left dies, right comes in. The 6 of us left behind by the pack on the first rounding are now 2 at the top mark. I'm dead last with one guy ahead. As I round the mark I see the leaders about 1/4 of the way back up to the finish. I still have 2 legs to go.


I'm dejected. I'm crushed. For the first time all year I show some bad mojo. I'm standing (bad form in light), slouched, and just don't care. With each inevitable crap shift I'm more confused, cursing under my breath and pouting.


I catch Mark downwind. We round and split. I KNOW left will pay this time. Right pays better and I fall 10 lengths behind. The wind dies. We are the only two remaining boats on the lake. The time limit is now very much in play. Mark finishes. They give him a horn. Lunch is served, I'm still trying to drift over the line.


100 feet short of the line I hear a whistle and my number. The very generous race committee finished me, probably with little or no time on the clock.


Chris Craig had another top 10. Gap is now insurmountable. Goal #1 is fading away.


I go in for lunch. 44 points in 2 races in a 23 boat fleet. How much worse can it be? Chris has 16. Justin Hood won both races.


Lunch was tasty - lasagna, garlic bread, salad (eew), beer, etc. I meet Happy Pants. His name is Chris Lopez (C-LO). Good kid. We vow to fight to the death for last place if it comes to that. I'm sitting in second to last right now. He's a couple ahead of me.


RACE 3 - REDEMPTION


We sail out on the same air. We gather near the start and the wind dies. For about an hour we float around waiting for wind.


I stew. I'm a joke. Why did I think I could even compete here. These are the big boys! I can't start, can't beat them on boat to boat tactics, can't even pick the shifts. This can't get much worse.


It rains.


Wet, cold, depressed, old, worn out, and beaten, I draft the Craigs List note in my head: " 2008 MC-Scow lightly used, never won anything - cheep." I can probably save some money by leaving tonight.


The wind starts to fill from the opposite direction (generally) from before. It's nice, maybe 5-8 with a bit more at times. The race course is set up. The starting line boat is 3 lengths off the yacht club dock. It was like the old days as a kid in Jr. Sailing starting off the end of the dock. Getting the timing for that end was going to be tough. Right is the way. I'll start middle and work right.


I'm stuck right with a minute to go. The crowd is low of the line with a good right shift helping them accelerate late. I ride over 5 boats, 3 more. With 30 seconds to go I'm too close to the line. I look for an escape. None. Eric Hood (EHood) below me pushes. 20 seconds, way too close. Slower, stop the boat. Dan Fink (Blaze) is above me driving down. 10 seconds. Oh hell. 8 seconds, still too soon to go - way too close. 6 seconds and I go. EHood carries his speed from behind to a nice lee bow and Blaze drives down. I'm slower than both, sandwiched and totally screwed.


I have to get spit out the back. I wait, finally tacking to duck Blaze. I look and see I am now taking every stern. I can't clear anyone. I'm toast. Last place start. I'm headed right. The fleet is headed left. Left looks like good wind.


I'm deflated. I'm beyond deflated. Someone sucked the last bit of air out of the balloon making it all wrinkly and wet.


Whatever. I get lost in thought. The Devil on the shoulder kicks in:


Pack it in. The club is RIGHT HERE! Maybe nobody will notice I'm even gone. No. I can't do that. That would be more humiliating than the gutter ball last place trophy. Beside Happy Pants would beat me.


Maybe an injury. No. Nobody would believe it in a drifter day. The only possible injury is chapped lips.


What do the Japanese do? Hairy Carry? But no sword. Besides I wouldn't be able to spell it in the blog. But I have a knife. It's probably too short to get all the way to my heart. But there is a saw thingy in it too. I can cut away ribs.


I was sailing by feel. I look up for the first time in awhile. My sail is luffing. The shore is closing in. Whatever. Tack. Who cares.


I tack, trim in, look straight ahead and see the windward mark. Whoa! What? Yup I'm on a layline, and I'm hiking out in a breeze! How is this possible. I look through my window and see the fleet pounding up the left shore going like gang busters. That makes sense. This lift won't hold, they carry the oscillation back across and I get last like I should.


Hmmm it's holding. EHood calls out "tack or cross?" "Cross!" Absolutely cross. I'm on a layline!


Still on a layline. EHood tacks on my back hip in clear air.


I get a LIFT! What?! I peek through the window at the fleet. Looks good! Hike! Hike! You are IN THIS RACE!


I round first, EHood second, and there is a gap to third of about 100 feet. We both sail low and fast. I hold the lead at mark 2. Upwind I make a couple too many pokes into the right and lose EHood. He leads, I'm right on his transom, and Andy Molesta is on mine. Downwind I split from them, come back and slide right through them still all three of us bow to stern. That was cool. I lose Andy to an inside overlap.


Off the bottom mark I want right. Both guys ahead are hold. I'm in bad air. Andy tacks out. I have breathing room. I work to point, clear a width to EHood's left to reasonable air. He tacks to chase Andy. I go farther right. When we come back together, I'm a length in front of Eric.


I got...well let's just say I was very excited.


I went on the win the race holding off both EHood and Cam McNeil who caught Andy. Last in race 2 to first in race 3. And now with this entry everyone knows it was total dumb luck. Even a blind bird gets a worm sometimes. Take down the for sale sign. I'll stay another day.


Nemesis Craig got a 20. Happy Pants got a 16. The plot thickens.


We are sent to shore because of thunder. We soon realize the storm will be here for awhile and further racing for the day is cancelled. I'm 16th overall, out of gutter ball trophy contention. Time to party.


DINNER


Eric Hood was nice enough to arrange with Jamie Kimball for me to stay at their incredible house on the shores of Lake Michigan. We all go there. I don my jacket from 20 pounds ago, and what appears to be a child's tie. Off we go to the restaurant.


Nemesis, aka Serge (according to his name tag) buys me a drink. I realize I forgot my wallet. Uh oh. Dinner is great. Lots of laughs. But I pretty much stayed sober. I wasn't driving. I knew there was no way I could find Kimball's place ever again on my own.


So I became "DD" for a few people, 7 to be precise. We piled into a tiny car, blasted the country music and debated the virtues of Taco Bell back to the house. Great people. And Connor Davis is my hero.


RACE 4 - FUN


I wake to rain. Lots of rain. And lots of wind too. The forecast is for it to blow a lot and increase to blow snot.


I swap out the new sail for the club race sail. No sense blowing out the brand new sail. I'm not in contention for anything. I'm just going to go out and have fun.


The wind turned out to be much less than predicted, about the same as race 3 but from the opposite direction. We go down into this cove and start between someone's dock on one side of the lake and someone else's on the other side. I can't see the windward mark that is up the lake around the point. Apparently if you stand up and look between docks and such it is there somewhere. Needless to say the point is in play. In fact winning either end means tacking VERY SOON or hitting something.


I pull a hole pop start, mid line. This means I came behind everyone on port going fast, tacked into a hole, accelerated out of the tack and jumped off the line. It takes a lot of luck to have to timing fit the hole.


I have clean air, work the shifts and round the top mark top 10. I play all race anywhere from 7th to 12th or 13th. but every time I get out on a nice shot, there is 2549 again! EHood and I were always close. I think he was following me, or was I following him?


Right at the line I miss a shift and lose three boats to finish 11th. Very cool. I can actually count the boats ahead of me. In fact I was in touch with the lead pack most of the race.


Nemesis was 16th and Happy Pants 12th. Progress.


RACE 5 - MORE FUN


Same wind. More rain.


I abort another hole pop start because the pin is wide open. One boat there is early. I drive down and round up maybe 1 second early. Pin boat was over early. The Race Committee starts yelling numbers. I go back immediately and restart. As I'm restarting I realize they did not call my number. I won the pin and let it go. Oh well. I don't care.


Advantage me. The fleet is showing me the wind again. I get in phase and climb. I'm about 15th by the top mark, the same back at the bottom, and climb to about 10th on the next leg, right with EHood...again. Two legs later I lose a couple few at the finish and end up 12th. This is cool! I'm sailing pretty well!


Happy Pants pulls a 2nd. Wait, what? Nemesis and Brian Fox dog fight the last leg to not be last. Brien wins that last place with Chris just ahead. Up front Justin Hood locks up the regatta, for all intents and purposes.


RACE 6 - EVEN MORE FUN


Same wind, more rain, I'm hungry, cold, and I have to pee. I don't care. I'm loving every minute of this. The racing is tight, clean, VERY competetive, and intense. Risk reward balances are tough. Corners don't necessarily pay. Good sailing goes a long way.


I start mid-line sag with clean air and speed. Blaze is right with me. We work upwind staying front row with another 6 or 8 boats.


Dan Fink earned the name Blaze at Keuka. He wore this blazing bright orange jacket, which he was wearing again this day. You can't miss him. You can see him through your sail!


I round the top in the lead pack, like 6th and totally in touch with the lead. There's EHood, Blaze, Justin, Richard Blake, Ted Keller, ... This is so cool.


I mess around, play, take some chances and stay with that lead pack. On the last leeward gate I round right, Blaze rounds left with others. Coming together I'm within a length of him. We bot hare headed right in phase. I hard duck 2 boats. I lose 3-4 lengths on Blaze. If I had 1 more foot I could have crossed, sailed in phase and stayed with him. He went on to win. I finished on EHood's transom but three places behind him with Ted Keller and Justin Hood sneaking in between us. It was that close for 5th to 8th in that race.


Regatta over. Pack it up (in the rain).


At the trophy ceremony I collected my 10th place mug, the hardest earned and most rewarding mug of the year.


Gas, lunch, road. I went 400 miles of the 500 non-stop. I pulled in at home about 11:30. The car stunk (still does), everything was soaked (still is), I smelled like a rotted hot sweaty wetsuit. But I was still happy.


First time at Spring Lake (lots still to learn about that place). First time to a Blue Chip. First time I was last place in a regatta race since I was a kid. First Blue Chip race win. First top 10 in a Blue Chip.


It was a good way to end the year. Time to put the boat in storage.

Nationals Review

Day 3 of the national regatta started like the others, a little rain, cold air, and a bit of a hangover. I repeated the prior day's breakfast of champions: Excedrin Migraine, Prilosec, Sudafed, Immodium, and and allergy pill. I threw a diet Pepsi on top of that for good measure.

Race 5 was scheduled at 9:00 AM....really it was. So at 7:45 we crossed the lake to the club by motor boat. The wind was south 5-8 with the typical thermal band in the middle. I stopped and showed Jeff and Zack the "dust devil" type funnels of fog, and explained the thermal and how to sail it.

As race time approached, the thermal started to die. The Race Committee sent us out late after a last gasp of wind tried to show up. It fizzled out to nothing and the regatta was over.

I had a good regatta. I could have had a great regatta with another couple races. I firmly believe I could have picked up another 4 or 5 places overall with even one race. The door was open.

My goal going into the regatta was top 10. My stretch goal was top 5. A few of the names did not show up so finishing 7th was just about right where I expected. I had a really bad race, a bad start with a good race, and two good races all around.

The other goal I had was to become known in this fleet. I think I did that with a couple of the big names now knowing that I was in it to win, not just a local blaze of glory. I won a crap shoot race, but I was also 2nd in a hard fought grind of a race in race 3.

My goal for the year was to end up top 10 in the national rankings. Unfortunately that did not happen. It looks like I am 13th now and may slip a couple more. That is a bummer. I can place that entirely on two races: the last race of Horserace, and the last race of Train Wreck. Those two lost opportunities cost me about 8 places on the overall standings.

This coming weekend I travel to Spring Lake, MI, for the Blue Chip invitational regatta. There should be about 25 of the better sailors in the country there for this one. It will be my 6th regatta of the year, probably be my last regatta of the year.

Nationals Day 2

Started with rain and light air, ended with sun and light air. In the middle we had light air.

The class limit for starting a race is a minimum of 5 mph wind. We waited all day to find 5 in a direction that worked. In the end we started in wind that wasn't very good. I started at the pin second row laying the mark. The first time I got a header I tacked out left. I went about 20 seconds and went back on port just above the guy in front of me. I rolled him, then was the left most boat when the puff came from the left. I actually reached down to the mark rounding first.

Downwind was really a reach follow-the-leader (me) which I held the length of the course. Rounding the bottom mark they gave me a gun and finished the race.

The controversy was rampant. On shore the race was "abandoned" by the race committee. That was then protested by a competitor. The protest hearing found no grounds to throw out the race.

I now sit 7th (35 points) only 4 points out of second (31 points). There are three people with 31 points, and two with 32 points.

It was an emotional roller coaster. But in the end I won a race at a national regatta. It may always have a big asterisk after it but I won. The score is official and final. I feel good.

Tomorrow there is no wind forecast. If we sail it will be in a thermal South wind. By Noon I will know final results.

Nationals Day 1

The morning started with cold miserable drizzle. We took the motorboat to the club, had the skippers meeting and came back to the cottage to set sail.

The wind was light at 6-8 with maybe a 10 here and there. Northwest with lots of shifts meant a real head game, not a speed race.

I started very badly and rounded mark 1 38th. I stayed about there for three legs with all kinds of bad air. On the last downwind I picked up 8, and on the last upwind another 10 and finished 21.

Race 2 was more of the same. I won the pin, really winning it, taking it with me. When I rerounded I dragged it downwind to let others by. They owe me beer. At the top mark I was about 15th. I picked up boats throughout the race getting to 10th at the last mark, and 8th or so mid final leg. I lost three at the line to finish 11th. I was in 15th overall at the break at lunch.

The wind picked up for race three. I was second to the pin at the start and soon took over the left most position. I was 5th at the top mark, 3rd at mark 2, 4th at mark 3, 2nd at the last mark and held that to the finish.

Overall it was a good first day. I'm not as high in the standings as I hoped but not bad.

Not much more time to post. I have to go drink now.

Noreasterns Day 2

First place through fourth place all had 3 to 5 points. I had 11 in fifth place going into the day. To get to where I wanted to be I needed to have three solid races.

The day started hung over with an early start. We had an 8:00 harbor gun, and a 9:00 warning. The wind was light but building from the South, typical of Keuka's thermal.

Before the start of the first race of the day, I checked out the sides and conditions. It was fine. There were shifts to play and puffs to find. Any good start would allow me to do well. started mid-line, miscounted my own countdown (the last 15 seconds I count to myself so I don't look at my watch) and was about 3 seconds late to accelerate. I was lee-bowed and ended up second row. I cleared my air and ended up something like 8-10 at the top mark. I went west on each and every leg and made up good distance and time. By the downwind leg 4 I was within striking distance of the top 5. I made good decisions going upwind and at one point I thought second place was mine. But hitting every shift correctly put me out of position for the last couple. I had to get off cycle to get back to the line. I lost my gains and ended up sixth.

Bob Cole led that race wire to wire and looked very comfortable. Chris Craig who was in fourth had a bad race and dropped well back. So I think I was now in fourth overall.

The second race of the day was still in nice clean south air. This time I decided to be very aggressive on the start, even risking OCS. I timed it perfectly with speed, jumped out of the crowd, and within a minute I was able to freely tack and go wherever I wanted. I worked the west side of center and arrived at the top mark with the inside overlap on Scott Tillema. He fell in behind me toward the offset. We both jibed the mark to head west again. He drove high and hot off to the west and I briefly followed, maybe 5 seconds. It was enough though that Dan Fink in third closed the gap. At the bottom mark I still had the inside on Dan, and Scott was further back in third.

Dan was in my bad air off the bottom mark. He tacked to clear leaving me going west alone as I hoped. When I though he was coming back he stayed left. I could not better air in the center than I had on the right so I stayed right. We each sailed up good air closing at the top mark. Dan won the contest pulling out about 5-6 boat lengths on that mile leg. I was still in a solid second.

Downwind i held position, tried to close up on Dan but he had escaped to clear air ahead and I was struggling to keep my air clear. So the last leg just became a cover play, me covering 3rd and Dan covering me. We finished that way with me about 45 seconds behind first and about 45 seconds ahead of third.

On that last leg the wind was really starting to drop off, which Keuka does about 11:00. It also started showing right shots, southwest wind, which was forecast. During the break it dropped and shifted even more. Many boats were sailing up the center line of the lake on starboard.

In the last race the line was square, and the mark pretty well set. So I decided local knowledge says go west to catch the shifts and building west puffs (in this case a puff was 7 mph). With maybe 45 seconds to go something showed on the water way left. I was outside the boat to the right with no way to get there. I tried to penetrate the crowd at the boat only to get rebuffed. I started 2nd row 10 seconds late right at the boat. I was buried so I tacked to clear my air. 30 seconds later when I was ready to go back, I looked over my shoulder and saw my regatta go away. My heart sank. There was a massive left shift with wind coming off the East shore. Those on the pin were laying the mark on port.

So I have a decision to make. Tack over and chase that wind consolidating 15th place or so, or stay right and wait for the oscillation to come to me with the west. Factors running through my head include who is with me on the bad side, who is streaking away, and what the overall impact will be on the score. Regatta second was with me, as well as three other good sailors. The people streaking away were well behind me in the scores. Scott Tillema was leading that charge and he was about 7 or 8 points back from me. I decided if I went back I'd consolidate to about 13-15 place and have to work to get 10th. That might drop me 2 places in the standings. If I stayed put I might get the shift and consolidate to 10th or so and work back to 5th or 6th. If I didn't get the shift I'd still be able to catch 6 or 8 boats.

I stayed put, worked the right, and never got the shift. I had to work back against the SSE breeze to get the the mark. I beat only 2 boats there, and both the boat behind and in front of me were as fast as I am in this wind.

Now I had been 15th or so before, and picked up boats bunches at a time. But this time there was a big problem. I was MINUTES behind the leaders. And then the race committee shortened the course due to the lighter breeze. The leaders rounded the bottom mark shortly after I rounded the top mark. They picked up a nice South breeze with some volume while I was still going downwind. Picking up boats one at a time was going to take time, and I was out.

Besides working harder than in any other race that weekend, I had to roll the dice, risk a flier.

On the next upwind I hit the left corner, almost to the east shore, and closed the gap to the tail of the pack. Downwind I could do no better in a dying breeze than holding my position. Around the last mark I had to make a choice to hit the left or right corner. I needed to pick up 6-8 boats. The pack went right so I had to go left. I played the east shifts with good angles. But on the west side they had more air. When I converged with the pack I was close, very close, but still behind. I ended up picking up 2 boats on that leg and losing 1 that I had previously picked up. I finished 17th, but only 30 seconds out of 10th.

I lost 2 overall places in that race finishing 5th. Scott Tillema won the race and jumped past me to third overall. Bob Cole also did well enough to jump to fourth.

Years ago this would have been tragedy. I blew it. Age mellows. Yes I was disappointed, and a bit frustrated. But I know after the first tragic mistake I made, I made the best decisions I could. I took minutes off the gap, gained huge amounts, and balanced the risks with the reward. It didn't pay off. And sometimes that is just the way the cookie crumbles.

I now have three days off before Nationals. My repair punch list is very short. But I also need to find a way to make the new sail faster. I simply am not seeing the shape I like nor feeling the speed I expected. Nationals will be in very different wind, lots more, and cold. Let's hope I got out of the way all the bad starts and bad calls now.

You Can't Win a Regatta on Day One, But You Can Lose It

I wrote that at Hoovers in the SPring too. I ended up 2nd in that regatta.

Today I finished 5 and 6 in the first two races of the Nor'Easterns. I'm sitting 5th overall.

Race 1 started in 6-8 but the breeze quickly died. I had a second row start and split to nowhere to try to clear my air. I did and ended up 5th at the top mark going the long way. The air REALLY died. I found some streaks and made some money downwind to compete for the lead at the last bottom mark. I had an overlap on the inside but no speed. I got rolled by the leader and 3rd place rounded inside me. I was driven left on a right favored leg and finished 5th.

Race 2 was worse. I started mid-line on port on a heavily favored port shift. The top guys were all to my left. Farther left was the place to be. I could not get over there without losing my shirt so I went the bad way and rounded the top mark 15-17ish out of 22. I passed 4 boats downwind by jumping to the unfavored uncrowded side. The upwinds I banged the left corner and rounded the top mark about 8th. Downwind I made some moves and picked up 3 more. Then on the last leg I hit all the shifts right with clean air until the last few. I got to third, then lost 3 boats at the line to finish 6th.

The leader has 4 points, the next three have 5 and 6 points. I have 11 points in 5th place. To advance I need help from them in the form of bad results. I doubt it will happen. I'm quite disappointed. I will have to drink more gin tonight.

Blue Chip

This week I received and accepted my second ever Blue Chip regatta invitation. In my years of E-Scow sailing I never received this invitation as a skipper, and never got to go as crew. On MC's I got the invitation when I borrowed a boat to sail the local regatta years ago and won that regatta.

The MC Blue Chip is a bit different than the E-Scow Blue Chip. It is larger with a deeper invite list. But it still will be the most competitive regatta I will sail this year. Of course it also makes the remaining schedule a challenge.

This weekend - Nor Eastern Championships
Next weekend - Nationals
The following weekend - Blue Chip

Lots of sailing over the next three weekends.

Season Finale

Keuka's season was very short this year with a lot of windless weekends followed by hurricane Irene. There was no season racing between week 2 and Labor Day. The result was a lot of creaky bones and not much muscle memory on racing.

Sunday I sailed 2 E-Scow races in the morning. I sailed the second race in the jib man position for the first time on an asymmetrical boat. It was different. It used to be that sitting in first seat was the second most involved person after the skipper. Upwind jib handling drove speed and handling (small rudder era). Downwind working the pole on jibes was physically challenging.

Nowadays, first seat does far less. Downwind was downright boring. I think I'll stick to middle man.

We lost the first race when we tacked away from a trawling fisherman on leg one. We had the right people covered until then. We slipped to second and never got around Bob Cole after that.

Race 2 we were over early but didn't know it was us until 1-2 minutes after the start. We started very far behind. We ended up third after significant catching up.

On shore after sailing we found out the start for MC Scows was moved to 1:30 rather than 2:00. It was tight but I got back to the cottage, ate, launched, and sailed to the course in time. Only 6 boats made the start, and the sequence was messed up. I led off the line and cruised to a 2-lap win.

Race 2 was the first competitive 2-lap race of the year. 10 boats started in 5-15 wind from the South. I started right next to Bob Cole, and simply was faster upwind leading at the top mark by about 5-6 boat lengths. I held that lead and extended a bit on the next 2 legs. The last downwind leg had the pack close up on a puff. I still led but not by as much. I extended a bit on the finish leg to win by about 20 seconds.

Race 3 was time pressured due to the annual meeting. We did a one-lap in lighter air. I led at the top mark again. But I lost that lead downwind when Brent Penwarden simply sailed past me. Around the bottom mark I was right on his transom. But upwind the air got real messy with holes and shifts. I didn't quite pick it right and lost to Brent by 5-6 boat lengths.

Finishes of 1-1-2 meant I ended the season losing 3 races and not sailing one when I took Emily to college. I won the season with half the score of second place.

Crewing

I'm a skipper at heart. I have a competitive streak on the water that is brutal. Not driving drives me crazy.

As many of you know I've sailed with others on E-Scows for the past 10 years or so. The reason is simple - money. To be successful in scows you need to be able to sail the race without concern for equipment, crew, or sails. Money is needed to deal with equipment and sails. I simply had to choose between the priorities of family and sailing.

So I started crewing. First I crewed with someone who needed the help a lot, assuming I would get the satisfaction from helping him win. Driving from the crew spot doesn't work. We had fun but neither of us was satisfied.

Then I chose to crew with the rock star, George Welch, the guy that didn't need my help. I could learn from him. I did too. But I also think he benefited from my help. I got more trophies in the few years with him than all my years on my own. Now he is running into the family/sailing choice and our days are fewer.

Recently I sailed with William Hudson at Keuka for a race. I've sailed with him before. It's always fun. He has a new boat and sails taking that aspect out of the equation. So he can get to the top tier of sailing by building a crew and working on his own game. He's not natural on the sticks but a real hard worker, smart, and motivated. It's a family boat too with wife and kids sailing.

In the one race we sailed, the competition was limited and we did the horizon job on the fleet. It was close for 1 1/2 legs though. William is a typical sailor who over thinks the race. He seems to believe that when he gets close to another boat he has to out sail them. It is a common misconception. The race is not won through moves, but through perseverance. The guy who wins makes the fewest mistakes. Simply keep your eyes on the wind, make good calls and you will end up where you should. It really is as easy as that.

But to get there you need to practice, not tactics, but boat handling. Both the crew and skipper need to understand the skills and limits of the crew. You can't sail these thing anywhere you want. Only when skipper and crew are in synch can you succeed in getting down to the business of tactics.

William will do fine, with moments of glory. His boys will grow into the role. In fact, William, I suspect you will be kicked off your own boat by your boys in less than 5 years.

Crewing has its own rewards. I'm thinking of it as a coaching opportunity now. We'll see how that goes. I'm thinking of it as a caddie for a golf pro. I'm not hitting the shots but I like to think I have something to do with the win.

Of course in MC Scows there is no crew. It's all on my shoulders: boat, sails, and tactics are all on me.

Finally - More Sailing

It has been weeks since we sailed MC-Scows in races at the club. We finally got that chance yesterday afternoon. It was blowing SW 10-20 at lunch after the E-Scows had a thrilling ride or two in the morning. But by the time the 2:00 start time rolled around for the MC-Scows, the wind eased up significantly and got pretty shifty.

It is the end of July and I have a 1-point lead for the season. It was time to step it up. I put on my best sail, a mid-life crisis Melges Z-MAX. It is in its mid-life crisis, not me in mine. It has probably 30 regatta races on it and maybe another 10-15 local races. It wants to look good but knows it is sagging in all the wrong places, just like its mid-life crisis owner.

Four boats made it out in time for the 2:00 start. I had a clean start drag racing Sean Tracey off the line with little other pressure. He was ahead and below me so I drove down on him. He was driving down trying to tack behind me. He did, cleared, and we separated slightly with me to the left and him right. With 100 yards to go at the top mark it appeared he had me on Starboard. But then the wind Gods smiled on me with a big port lift, so much Sean could no longer make the mark. I rounded ahead and led the drag race to the finish.

Race 2 was our first 2-lap race of the year. The course was pretty good for a Keuka west wind. I had a clean start but got caught on the wrong side of a big right shift. I was overstood on Port on a long layline. I worked the traveller and reached as much as I could on a full hike. I was able to roll Brent Gillette and just lee bow another to get into touch with Sean as he rounded first. Down hill Sean extended as I fought hard to stay ahead of Brent. He is ridiculously fast downwind. I barely held the inside at the bottom for second place while Sean extended to about 15 lengths. Everyone split upwind chasing puffs and shifts. Half way up I caught up to Sean and spilt right again. RIght was hard to make work. I rounded second yet again but by only a length or two from the lead. Sean and I had pulled away from Brent.

Down wind Brent closed the gap but still remained 10 lengths behind. I had closed the gap on Sean to just round inside him. He split left and I let him go just a bit. When we crossed again I had to lee bow him, which was touch and go if it would work. It did and I led him to the line for the win.

Race three was a one-lap abreviated race with only four boats. The wind had dropped to 3-8 very shifty with plently of holes. The entire race was a search for breeze. I led the entire race. But every time I got comfortable, trailing boats would find that puff and close the gap. The race was much closer than the finish distance appeared.

After the race I had the biggest race of the day. I had a mile to sail home in light air while a storm bore down on me. My daughter showed up with the jet ski to tow me in just in time. I was putting the cover on the boat when the 20+ hit.

There were some new faces on borrowed boats out on the course yesterday, people I'd really like to see join us again. The fleet seems to get the afternoon sleepies. We need to keep the boat count up to keep the interest high.

It was a good way to end the week of vacation. I suspect the sailing will get tougher to fit in the schedule now. I know I will miss a week to take my daughter to school. But the September regatta season is right around the corner.

Testing

Memorial Day weekend came and went and there was no blog entry. Let's say I still don't want to talk about it and leave it at that.

With E-Scows, last weekend I had prior commitments and didn't sail. This weekend the South thermal lasted just long enough for us to stretch out a lead. The ensuing light and fluky wind meant that lead went from big to 5 seconds at the finish, but we won.

In MC-Scow racing, last weekend there was no wind and we cancelled racing. This weekend there was no wind and we cancelled racing.

However the wind came up around 3:00 in the afternoon and held pretty well. About 4:00 I rigged the boat and went out and did some playing around. There were a couple things I wanted to test. 1) Boots are not necessary 2) padded shorts are not necessary 3) short duration puffs do not require gear shifting.

So I can say with full confidence that traction on the cockpit floor is not sufficient to have full confidence when standing up sailing. I need boots.

Also my tender ass is old and soft. Yes, I can hike without pads but it sure makes it more comfortable. And comfort translates into stamina. The padded shorts stay.

So on to the real testing. The wind was West 5-15 with puffs rolling across the lake pretty consistently. I had to go from standing (leeward side weight) to hiking in seconds. The question is, do you put the effort into depowering (vang traveller etc.) when the puffs are short duration?

The question is a cost/benefit analysis. Minimum work is jumping onto the straps and getting weight over the rail, keeping the tiller controlled and trimming for the puff. Maximum work adds to that traveller dumping, vang loading, and cunningham snug. To adjust any means cleating the mainsheet during the puff, always a risk for speed when feathering is the only option other than capsizing.

On the E-Scow we do all this. And we can because we have six hands. On the MC I can only do two things at once, unless I steer with my foot. And with one hand to work a line, the cleating and uncleating has to be taken into consideration.

Long story short, the key is the prep. You see the puff, estimate the size, do one adjustment before it hits and get over the rail before it hits. The slight slowdown before the puff is more than compensated for by having a better rig setup. Maintaining the correct angle of heal is very important in these boats particularly with the center mounted rudder. Once is rides up forget speed. So sheeting is most important.

The tuning guide talks about vang sheeting. I found a different approach a bit better. As the puff is about to hit I over trim about 4-6 clicks and cleat it. When the puff hits I drop the track completely (to a knot) and pick up the mainsheet. This action will even further trim the main with the distance added in the mainsheet. That overtrim is comparable to vang on. When I have found the balance and speed, I can then recleat the main and track up if needed for point. The vang stayed cleated at snug. If I needed to sheet for balance the vang kept the top of the sail in.

There is a big risk here. If the puff is more than I can handle, the boom is nearly in the water before I can get the vang off. But that adds to the excitement!

The goal was improved speed in the puff and coming out of the puff. That seems to be where I ended up. Net gains are made by reacting before the puff hits.

It was a fun sail late in the day. I'll have to remember to pleasure sail more often.

Father's Day

The wind was up and down all day yesterday. My wife and I finished putting shingles on the porch roof late morning. After lunch I rigged the MC-Scow for the afternoon races. While I was rigging it my daughter helped me out a bit. I asked if she wanted to go sail with me, knowing full well that would never happen. Minutes later she was ready with a water bottle and life jacket.

We sailed about two miles to the start. The wind was 2-5 from the Northwest, and we had 340 pounds on the boat. This should be fun. We won the pin and port tacked the fleet. Okay, maybe not as dramatic as that. There were three other boats and we beat them off the line. We were first to the mark by quite a bit. Then I sailed into a hole and ended up even with last at the bottom mark.

Going into the bottom mark, about 10-15 lengths away on port, I cut across the stern of another boat on starboard, dove inside him and gained the overlap with about 5 lengths to go. I thought that was a cool move that would impress my daughter. "Dad! That was a dick move!" So much for impressing a 17-year-old.

We closed the gap to the leader to seconds but never got around him again. Still it was high fives on the boat.

My wife was watching by power boat. She gave my daughter the option to get off the boat. She stayed with me. What a mistake. Right after my wife left in the powerboat, the wind died, the races were called and we had 2 miles to go to get home. We were well past half way there after an hour when we got a tow from a friend. Still it was great to be out there with my daughter.

In It To Win It

Successful results are a matter of expectations. Twenty years ago sailing E-scows with no money, intermittent crew, and an old boat meant I had significantly lower expectations. If I could put together a good race, or a couple races in a regatta, I was happy.

In the two yeas and few regattas I have attended I have realized there are not that many guys sailing that I can’t beat. My biggest competitor is myself. If I could stay in a regatta mentally, sail each race to be consistently in the top and not have a bad race I will do very well.

Saratoga is a new stop on the regatta circuit. It is a beautiful lake just North of Albany, NY. Devon Howe and his wife put on a great regatta (i.e. free beer). Looking at the list of entrants going into the event, I was pretty confident this was a winnable regatta. The only person I did not know anything about was Zack Clayton. He used to be a professional for the Melges team. He isn’t a past National Champion but close to that for many years. He was there to put on a clinic Friday for the early attendees, then sail the regatta. My scout told me he was beatable.

The only real downside going into the event was the weather forecast – “calm.” I don’t do as well in the light and variable stuff as many think I do. I can get lucky like anybody else. But it is not my preferred wind.

Race 1 was late Saturday afternoon after waiting for hours for wind. And yes, we started drinking about 1:00, well before sailing. The wind dropped from 3 to 0 at the first start and I was caught well below the line. Luckily the half dozen or so boats at the pin end got caught with a big right shift 30 seconds before and pushed over the skewed line. The general recall was very much welcome.

On the restart I wasn’t going to make the same mistake and ended up touching the line with 30 seconds to go, was called over and had to round the end. The last place start was particularly difficult because this was a short course 1-lap race intended to at least get one in the books. I was 9th at the top mark, 7th at the bottom mark, and climbed to 5th at the finish, less than 20 minutes after the start (someone claimed 11 minutes). Although it was a poor finish in a regatta this size, it was a race I could be proud of.

Race 2 was much better. The wind came up a bit but it was still very light. I port tacked the fleet to win the start and led at the top mark. Brent Gillette passed me downwind, and I lost another boat on the last windward to finish 3rd.

In race 3 the wind finally came up to a tolerable level, maybe 6 to 8. The course was longer and square. I hit the line nicely at the start and rolled the boat below me. Unfortunately that boat decided to tack behind me. He went bow down to separate, then tacked. Unfortunately he misjudged. I was sitting on the low side when his bow hit me squarely in the back.

I stayed on the boat, recovered, and found myself in the lee of Zack Clayton. I tacked away to clear. By the time I was back in phase of the shifts I was about 4th at the top mark. Downwind I picked up a boat. On the next leg I picked up another and Zack and I pulled away from the fleet a bit. The last 2 legs were fun. Zack sailed the leg like a C Scow reaching more than running. I sailed right at the mark and close the gap to zero. He had the inside at the mark. I rounded up behind him and pinched to get above and behind him losing 3 lengths in the process. But I was on a layline for the boat and he had to tack. When he came across I was close enough to just duck his stern. He flopped onto port a second later just above me and accelerated just enough to beat me at the line by a foot.

At the end of day 1 I was tied for second with 10 points, 3 points out of first.

Dinner was great. I’ll have to tell you about the euchre games that night later. Let’s say it was raucous.

Day 2 8:00 in the morning had winds bordering on white caps. I was psyched. This was my wind. I could handle this fleet in this.

Race 4 start was clean. I didn’t lead at the top mark. I was behind Zack. But downwind I closed that gap and gained the inside overlap at the bottom mark to pass him there. Upwind he tacked left and I went right. I gained a lot of distance there and went on to cruise to a win.

So going into the final race, I had 3 points on Brent Gillette and 4 points on Will Hendershot. All I had to do was just do a reasonable race to win the regatta, probably 5th or better.
Race 5 was delayed a bit to adjust the course. During the delay I watched the wind slowly fade. The start was light. I started fine, and was in the lead pack at the top mark. Downwind I held my own and took the lead on the next leg. Half way up that leg I saw that Will Hendershot was way left. I still had a long distance over him but decided Zack wasn’t my race, Will was. I tacked to go cover him. That tack put me out of phase, in lighter air and lost me a couple places. I rounded the top mark right between the two boats I was competing against.

Downwind the air got really light. Will went way right and I stayed with the fleet left. Will rounded the bottom mark second behind Zack. Brent rounded 3rd and I was 5th. If it stayed this was I won the tie breaker and won the regatta. But the boat right on top of me stayed right on top of me. Getting free took half the leg and put me on the unfavored side. I watched as I slipped to 6th, then 7th. Will beat Zack to the line to win the race and the regatta. Brent finished 3rd putting him in 2nd overall and I slipped to 3rd.

The frustration level was high. I sailed myself out of a win. I blew it. Yes it was light and not my conditions. But I had it won and made the bad choice.

The 4 hour drive home, and the hour and a half cleaning and repacking the boat were spent stewing. Even today I’m kicking myself. It was not a major regatta. But I still really wanted to win. My perspective is skewed heavily now to winning and losing as opposed to placing well. Do I need to adjust that perspective? Or did I never win in the past because I was resigned to being happy with “good” results? I’ll have to mull that over for a few days.

Brent Gillette sailed a great regatta, the best he has so far. Will did well winning his first ever regatta. As bad as I felt, he was flying high with a great come back. Even Zack did well to get 4th in a borrowed boat with a spent sail.

Camaraderie was good. I made friends (I hope). The lake was a great lake to sail.

I’ll be back.

Season Opener

Ten boats on the line! It was a delayed start while the fleet had a meeting. We only got in three races. Before the first race in South 5-10 winds, I did some speed testing with Brent Gillette. We did essentially one lap. I can tell you he is fast.

Race 1 started well enough. Off the line I went left with Brent Gillette. We rounded first and second. I picked him up downwind and went on to win.

Race 2 was more challenging. The wind was getting light and spotty. My start was lame but ok. I went left again, contrary to typical local conditions. I rounded something like fifth, picked up a couple downwind, and charged on the final leg to just miss getting second, ending up third. Brent Penwarden with his son on board won the race.

Race 3 showed an obvious right favor. I won the boat and immediately tacked. then was called over. I restarted by looping around the boat and stuck with my plan to go right. I got lucky that others wanting to go right got forced left. I rounded second just behind Sean Tracey. Going into the top mark I decided I wanted the West side going downwind so I set up to jibe the windward mark. I spun hard to get inside Sean. I picked him up downwind rounding the bottom mark first. I went way West and actually overstood the finish badly due to a shift. Regardless I won the race.

Monday the wind never came up so there were no races. I finished putting a roof on the porch.

So the coolest part of the day Sunday was that there were a number of crews out there. We also had a newbie, E-Scow sailor William Hudson. He did well for his first races in the boat. I certainly do look forward to more crowded starts.

Scowabunga

I opted not to sail a regatta I was originally planning to sail in Tennessee last weekend. So all weekend I was thinking about what could have been.

Friday night I got the call from Chris Craig rubbing it in more. He was there. Sunday I called him to get a regatta report. Chris took second to Keuka sailor Bob Cole. He also said the wind was my kind of wind, that I would have done well.

So rather than drive 14 hours each way to sail, I finished tiling a shower stall, put bead board paneling on the porch ceiling, fixed a spigot, etc. I also spent some time with the family.

So in hindsight what would I rather do? Hmmmmm.....

Schedule Change

Gas prices, schedule conflicts, and general family time have made me reassess my schedule this year. I simply can't do the Scowabunga in Tennessee. THat leaves 8 regattas, actually a REALLY full schedule. I highly suspect Cowan or Blue Chip will fall off the plans too.


2/5-2/6 Train Wreck, Lake Eustice, FL (9th place)
4/30-5/1 Cow Town Classic, Hoover SC, OH (2nd place)
6/4-5 MC Horse Race, Saratoga, NY (new this year!)
8/4-8/7 Western Michigans, Crystal Lake, MI (No longer attending)
9/10-9/11 nor'Easterns, Keuka Lake, NY
9/14-9/17 National Championships, Keuka Lake, NY
9/24-9/25 MCSA Blue Chip Championship, Spring Lake, MI (if I qualify)
10/1-10/2 Cowan Scow'n, Cowan Lake, OH (probably not though)

Hoovers Regatta Report

I traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for the first regatta of the year with my own boat. It is about 6 1/2 hours away. I had checked out the satellite photos of the lake to find it is TINY. Winds with West or East components would mean very short courses.

Day 1 had just such a wind, East Southeast blowing 2-8, very light and very shifty. My goal for the 22-boat regatta was top 3, specifically beating Chris Craig who spanked me out of the lead in the last regatta we met at.

The first race was a near disaster for me. After starting very poorly I found I was way behind and falling out of touch with the leaders. The course was 3 1/2 times around a short course, a total of 7 legs. Mistakes were costly. Repeatedly I found myself in traffic that I simply could not get around. Back in the pack they tend to sail against the boat next to them rather than try to gain distance on the boats ahead. After 4 legs I was in 12th place and not really moving up.

I tactically picked up 4 boats on leg 5, found a great lucky puff on leg 6 to pass 4 more and close the distance. I picked up 2 more at the bottom mark to find myself in second place. I finished in third happy to have avoided disaster.

Race 2 was next. A 40-degree left shift with a minute to go meant a crowd at the pin. I had a great start planned, in a crowd on port at the pin. My timing was off, I had to circle around with seconds to go and ended up deep. I struggled for a second race, this time only recovering from 16th to 12th at the finish. There were 6 races scheduled with no throwouts. I could not afford any more races like this.

Race three after lunch was more of the same. The pin end this time was the obviously favored end. I had a great start, and approached the first mark in the top 5. I ducked another boat hard, the boat flattened and our masts hit. I had to do penalty turns which put me deep again. I started taking chances I should not have, which didn't help. For the third time that day I counted only 6 boats behind me. I clawed back to 9th place.

At this point I assumed I was out of it. It is not usually possible to win a regatta on the first day, but you definitely can lose it. I sailed off by myself to pout and argue with myself. I decided to sell the boat.

In race 4, the line was good with a bit of a boat favor. I hung out right of the boat pouting more, feeling very sorry for myself. Ted, the leader of the regatta, was over with me. With 30 seconds to go I moved into position to find a hole opening up at the boat. I won the boat, went right and was leading at the top mark. The boat was no longer for sale.

I lost the lead on leg three. Someone snuck past me when I wasn't paying attention. The two of us then battled for the entire rest of the race, at one point extending 1/2 a leg on the rest of the fleet. In the end I was unable to execute the pass and finished second.

When the results finally were posted I realized a lot of other people had bad races too. I was in a pack of boats between second and 9th that all were within 8 points. The leader, Ted Keller (ranked #3 last year) had locked it up pretty solidly with a ten point lead over second. There was hope. A second place was feasible if the chips fell right.

HOWEVER Chris Craig was just ahead of me in points and decided he and Captain Morgan would try to slow me down. A great dinner and most of a bottle later we called it a night.

Breakfast the next day consisted of 2 Tums, an allergy pill, Prilosec, 2 Excedrine Migraine and a Diet Pepsi. I am feeling old.

The wind had changed direction to blow from the South, and it was now blowing harder. Many people were excited to have their favorite conditions. All I saw was a lot of hard work.

Race 5 was a longer leg race only 2 1/2 times around. With 25 seconds to go I found myself near the boat with a crowd of all my competition around me. I dove for speed and tried to outrun them. Only Chris Craig followed. In the back of my head I also thought left was the way to go but the line was right favored. I found a hole, dove through it and hit the line going fast with a gap below me. I immediately trimmed for depowering and went bow down. About a minute later I was clear to tack, did so, and found I was left and higher than most. At the top mark I led by about 10 lengths.

Downwind I blew that lead and had both Richard Blake and Chris Craig on my tail as I rounded. I stayed on Starboard. They split right. I only went maybe 10 lengths and got a nice header. I tacked. When we crossed again I was well in the lead. I extended on each leg after that as other got caught up in traffic and won by a couple minutes.

In terms of score, others in the crowd stayed up front with me. Ted locked up the regatta with a 3. I was tied with a couple others for second r third range. I never am good at that math on the water.

Race 6 was still windy. I had an OK start, and worked hard on a short first leg. I stayed left, got good shifts and rounded in the lead. The wind built behind me bringing the fleet down on me. I lost three boats by the bottom mark. I quickly cleared my wind and set up for speed. It took half a leg to regain the lead followed by one other boat. We rounded close. Downwind I worked hard to stay between him and the next mark. He closed the distance but I maintained the lead. On the final leg, I let him split right, got a great left shift and pulled away. I extended after that and won by about a minute.

I locked up second, and Chris Craig finished tied with 2 other for 4th, ending up 6th (YES!). Sorry Chris but this is officially a rivalry now.

So three bad races and two bad finishes almost took me out of the running. Essentially it did. But it was a good experience, a good result. and I'm sure I'll go back.

NYS Senator Michael Nozzolio honors the champions from the Victor Centra...

Emily and Dannay are two of the honorees in Albany today.

Bad Ending

The day started with no wind, built a bit and the Race Committee sent us out. The line was good, the air was OK, light at 3-6 maybe with a few 2-3 areas. I wanted to start center line just getting on the front row. I got caught up with a novice sailor and had to spin out and duck. That put me 30 seconds late for my plan and I ended up bailing to the pin. I won the pin but it was very much the wrong side of the course. The right shift came soon after the start. I took sterns trying to get right. I ended up about 25th place at the top mark, very bad.

The wind started easing up to make downwind very frustrating. The second upwind I needed a miracle so I banged a corner, and lost ground. There were 6 boats behind me.

By the top mark the wind was 0-1 from nowhere. We drifted the last two legs. I drifted better than many around me and clawed my way back to a 22nd place.

I ended up losing the tiebreaker for 8th overall, 2 points out of 6th, 7 points out of 4th. Like golf, you remember the last hole more than the entire day. I walk away from this regatta with a rough feeling that I blew it. All I had to do was follow around a hot shot and finish 12th or so to get 4th overall.

People say "Ah well, it's a lesson learned." I'm 46. I should have learned that lesson long ago.

I almost had a good start to the season. Instead I have a bitter taste from a lame start.

Next regatta is possibly April.

Between now and then I am concentrating on Indoor Drumline season.