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.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
NYS Senator Michael Nozzolio honors the champions from the Victor Centra...
Emily and Dannay are two of the honorees in Albany today.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Train Wreck Day 1
Pretty darn good day.
I am sitting in 4th place after three races. Finishes are 6, 8, and 6.
I woke up this morning, kicked open the door, streched my legs and aired the stink out of the car (yes I slept in my car intentionally). It was cool, mostly sunny, and windy.
After breakfast I set about rigging the boat and getting ready. It was a borrowed boat with modifications I needed to get familiar with. The forecast was for a front to pass through midday, 10-15 in front of it and 10-15 after with 15-20 during its passing. When we set out to the course it was all I could handle.
I also very quickly realize how old, fat, and out of shape I am when I got tired limping along to the start.
I started mid line sag 1.5 lengths in front of anyone around me. Top mark I was 10th or so and worked my way up to 5-6 range through good upwind and an ocaasional good downwind. In fact I can sya this about each race. I stared mid line front row with clear air in all three.
The whole day I was challenged with the boat modifications. The mainsheet constantly got tangled in the double end block and cleats, and any line falling next to the traveller blocked its movement. Most tacks were failures. I lost a lot of distance on boat handling, probably 2 or 3 places in each race.
Race 1 was heavy with big right side gains. Race 2 was medium/heavy with right side gains and one left sied win (course changes got ahead of the clocking wind). I picked them all correctly.
Race 3 was light, post-front and 90 degrees different from 1 and 2. It was fogged and misted in with no visibility of the mark or shores. I flipped a coin and went left, way left. When people appeared out of the fog to see the mark and fleet, it was a crap shoot to see where you were. I was overstood a bit and left most boat. I rounded 12th or so. The rest of the race was sunny with a LOT of hard decisions on shifts and puffs. I did better than most actually ending up only a 150 feet or so behind the winner. I was in a pack battling for 4th through 10th. I made huge gains right and had to come in underneath a line of boats from the left. It was one of those cases where if I crossed I would be 4th, blow the tack and finish 10th. I did the best I could with the cards dealt.
I'm really happy with the results. If we get 2 races in tomorrow regardless of finished I will have had a good regatta to start the season.
Now I'm off to Walmart to get a pillow.
I am sitting in 4th place after three races. Finishes are 6, 8, and 6.
I woke up this morning, kicked open the door, streched my legs and aired the stink out of the car (yes I slept in my car intentionally). It was cool, mostly sunny, and windy.
After breakfast I set about rigging the boat and getting ready. It was a borrowed boat with modifications I needed to get familiar with. The forecast was for a front to pass through midday, 10-15 in front of it and 10-15 after with 15-20 during its passing. When we set out to the course it was all I could handle.
I also very quickly realize how old, fat, and out of shape I am when I got tired limping along to the start.
I started mid line sag 1.5 lengths in front of anyone around me. Top mark I was 10th or so and worked my way up to 5-6 range through good upwind and an ocaasional good downwind. In fact I can sya this about each race. I stared mid line front row with clear air in all three.
The whole day I was challenged with the boat modifications. The mainsheet constantly got tangled in the double end block and cleats, and any line falling next to the traveller blocked its movement. Most tacks were failures. I lost a lot of distance on boat handling, probably 2 or 3 places in each race.
Race 1 was heavy with big right side gains. Race 2 was medium/heavy with right side gains and one left sied win (course changes got ahead of the clocking wind). I picked them all correctly.
Race 3 was light, post-front and 90 degrees different from 1 and 2. It was fogged and misted in with no visibility of the mark or shores. I flipped a coin and went left, way left. When people appeared out of the fog to see the mark and fleet, it was a crap shoot to see where you were. I was overstood a bit and left most boat. I rounded 12th or so. The rest of the race was sunny with a LOT of hard decisions on shifts and puffs. I did better than most actually ending up only a 150 feet or so behind the winner. I was in a pack battling for 4th through 10th. I made huge gains right and had to come in underneath a line of boats from the left. It was one of those cases where if I crossed I would be 4th, blow the tack and finish 10th. I did the best I could with the cards dealt.
I'm really happy with the results. If we get 2 races in tomorrow regardless of finished I will have had a good regatta to start the season.
Now I'm off to Walmart to get a pillow.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Trying to Get South
The Storm of the Century, they called it. The most snow since whenever. 6,000 flights cancelled. And what did we get? MAYBE 3 inches.
I was cancelled off 5 flights. I'm currently scheduled to get to Florida Friday. Let's hope that happens. I'd like to sail.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Regatta by Air
This weekend will be the first time I will compete in a regatta getting there by air. I have been generously loaned a boat for the Train Wreck regatta in Florida. This is the regatta where I purchased my boat last year. So it is the one year anniversary of sailing MC-Scows.
So there are a couple challenges wit hthis regatta. First, I haven't sailed, worked out, or even slightly exercised since sailing ended last year. I am woefully out of shape.
Second, I have to pack whatever I need and carry it with me including a sail. I took a coupe hours today to clear out my family room furniture, unroll the sail, fold and roll it, pack it in a tube, and put the tube in a ski bag. It should be good to go. I emptied my scuba gear bag and started filling it with gear: life jacket, boots, rain gear, gloves, glasses and such. The bag is 2/3 full and I still need to pack clothes.
On top of this I am putting the regatta into a business trip, meaning I still have to pack the business clothes and laptop bag with reports. It ends up being a week long trip.
Last year at this time there was a nasty storm crossing the country as far north as Pennsylvania and as far south as North Carolina. It made the drive interesting to say the least. This year the storm is hitting as I try to fly. We'll see if I even get there.
A month ago this regatta was a 20% possibility, two weeks ago the business trip plans fell in line to make it work, maybe a 90% chance of sailing. I hope I get to sail.
I've been sailing competetively since I was about 10, winning my first junior regatta at 12. But living in NY this means sailing from June through September. Each WInter by March or April I would be stir crazy, really going through withdrawl, not so much sailing withdrawl but competition withdrawl. I miss the chess match aspect, the intensity of a close race.
Graduating to E-Scows and getting a drivers license allowed me to sail some regattas starting around Easter and ending in late September. In college these were full blown road trips, coolers, tents, all night travel, the works. We could do a regatta for the cost of gas, registration, beer, a loaf of bread and some peanut butter (and Dad's boat).
Later when I had a real job I would do regattas with hotels, day travel, time off from work, etc. The cost jumped way up. Well I have two kids about to need college tuition. I'm back to cheap regattas. I have to figure out how to get back to basics.
MC-Scows have a great regatta schedule, but it isn't very local to the Northeast.
So there are a couple challenges wit hthis regatta. First, I haven't sailed, worked out, or even slightly exercised since sailing ended last year. I am woefully out of shape.
Second, I have to pack whatever I need and carry it with me including a sail. I took a coupe hours today to clear out my family room furniture, unroll the sail, fold and roll it, pack it in a tube, and put the tube in a ski bag. It should be good to go. I emptied my scuba gear bag and started filling it with gear: life jacket, boots, rain gear, gloves, glasses and such. The bag is 2/3 full and I still need to pack clothes.
On top of this I am putting the regatta into a business trip, meaning I still have to pack the business clothes and laptop bag with reports. It ends up being a week long trip.
Last year at this time there was a nasty storm crossing the country as far north as Pennsylvania and as far south as North Carolina. It made the drive interesting to say the least. This year the storm is hitting as I try to fly. We'll see if I even get there.
A month ago this regatta was a 20% possibility, two weeks ago the business trip plans fell in line to make it work, maybe a 90% chance of sailing. I hope I get to sail.
I've been sailing competetively since I was about 10, winning my first junior regatta at 12. But living in NY this means sailing from June through September. Each WInter by March or April I would be stir crazy, really going through withdrawl, not so much sailing withdrawl but competition withdrawl. I miss the chess match aspect, the intensity of a close race.
Graduating to E-Scows and getting a drivers license allowed me to sail some regattas starting around Easter and ending in late September. In college these were full blown road trips, coolers, tents, all night travel, the works. We could do a regatta for the cost of gas, registration, beer, a loaf of bread and some peanut butter (and Dad's boat).
Later when I had a real job I would do regattas with hotels, day travel, time off from work, etc. The cost jumped way up. Well I have two kids about to need college tuition. I'm back to cheap regattas. I have to figure out how to get back to basics.
MC-Scows have a great regatta schedule, but it isn't very local to the Northeast.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
2011 Season is Starting
I am confirmed to sail my first regatta of the year, the Train Wreck regatta in Lake Eustice, FL, the first weekend in February. At this regatta last year I purchased my boat. For this one, I hope to borrow a boat. I just so happen to be in Jacksonville for a businss trip. What a coincidence.
In the off season athletes train constantly to keep in tip top shape. The schedule for training may be easier in the off season with a bit more relaxed approaches. With me, I emphasized the relaxed approach more than the exercise. So I am completely and totally out of shape. I did get reading glasses for the first time in my life.
Time to kick-start the season. I'm going to drop a few ponds before the event, and maybe even start some sort of exercise plan. Yeah... I think I will. Sure.
So if I can find the money, time, and approval, my plan is to sail this regatta schedule:
- 2/5-2/6 Train Wreck, Lake Eustice, FL
- 4/30-5/1 Cow Town Classic, Hoover SC, OH
- 5/14-5/15 Scowabunga, Privateer YC, TN
- 6/4-5 MC Horse Race, Saratoga, NY (new this year!)
- 8/4-8/7 Western Michigans, Crystal Lake, MI (tentative)
- 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)
Now that I have all this on one page, it is a lot, maybe too much. but I'm not getting any younger. I've always wanted to do a full campaign. Maybe this year is the year. But it means I will miss most of the marching band season, which I really enjoy as much as sailing. It's my kid after all!
I'll have to ponder. Maybe early season success will convince me to persist. Or early season flops will teach me I'm just a local hack sailor and should stay with that.
Time will tell.
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