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.
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