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.