Race 3 edit:
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Fenton Follies
Two regattas within driving distance this weekend made it a tough decision on what to do. Early this week I looked at the weather forecasts, my wallet, and my to-do list and decided it didn't make sense to go to any regatta this weekend. That lasted about 4 hours. Choosing to do chores versus sail was just plain silly. So I went to get the boat one weeknight and then off to Lake Fenton, Michigan, just south of Flint. I was making good on a promise I made to Chris Craig 2 years ago that I would come.
I drove 7+ hours through driving wind and rain. The furious forecast for the weekend was for LOTS of wind and not much sun or heat. Most forecasts had the wind over 15 and into the 20's at times during the weekend. I packed heavy. I took everything I owned except shorts.
Friday night I arrived about 10:15. I was met by Chris Craig and Richard Blake who immediately put a drink in my hand and kept me up late. The wind howled all night.
Saturday we awoke to 10-18 West. Five skippers didn't show. Let's just say Cam McNeil and Ted Keller tied for 18th place. Boats were rigged and nerves were checked. The skippers meeting was dominated with a giant chalk board showing the Fenton "figure eight" race course. After a few explanations I think I understood it. Yes it is a total of three windward legs and two reaches. I raised my hand and asked how to reach. Welcome to Fenton. Chris offered to lead the way if I liked.
So let me describe this lake. It is short course racing on a lake that has some sticky outy bits that get in the way of the race course. So there may be a leg where there is land between the mark you are going from and the mark you are going to. And there is no downwind. Local knowledge pays big.
I premedicated knowing pain killers were going to be the old man "vitamin" for the weekend. We launched boats and set off to the first race, my first race with any wind this year.
Race 1 - course 14521 (Ovid, NY zip code)
The RC measured a puff of 25 before the start. But it settled down and we sailed. The line was a bit pin favored but the lake was mostly right side favored. With 20 seconds to go I still hadn't decided where to start. The pin was blocked. I screamed across on port below people, found a hole, tacked with like 5 seconds to go and started about 5 boats up from the pin, second row but with clear air. Company around me included the people I wanted to keep an eye on. I dropped the traveller and settled in for a heavy air race. That lasted a minute or so, which I later found was one of the longer puffs.
People started tacking off the the right. I had no clear lane that way so I stayed left. Lucky me got a great left shift and led at the top mark by 30 seconds or so. Where do I go now? How do I reach? I know the basics but how much vang, where should the boards be, boat balance, rudder handling, and pretty much every setting on the boat was all a learning experience.
I wasted most of the lead on leg 2 trying to figure out how to sail. Leg 2 included my first eye opening blasting reach planed off pretty good for 10 seconds or so. Sail number 2524 started passing people and gaining on me. Leg 3 upwind put us up along and under an island and the windward shore. Puffs appear 10 seconds before they hit you. I had no idea what I was doing still, so I followed from in front and somehow held on. Then at mark #5 I had to again figure out how to sail. The leg starts with a deep dive low in a puff, out away from the high trees, then up high through the tree lull, down low again, then hot sailing across the face of the clubhouse point, then down low again to the mark that you can't see until you pass the club. Mysterious 2524 dude had cleared the fleet and was gaining again. He sails like Ted Keller.
At the last mark I rounded and pulled the windward board to see the outer cover of the board release line had broken. It was now only hanging on the inner core, and only part of that. I picked enough shifts right on the last leg to hold on for a win. Really? First? Nowhere to go but down from there. Stuart Strother finished third and Madman Mike Keenan fourth.
I was not the fastest boat. 2524 was (Who IS that man?).
Race 2 - Ovid course again but twice around
I nailed a pin start, caught some good shifts and led at mark 1. I carried that for 3 legs and let Clark slip inside me at the bottom mark at the end of leg 4. Upwind I had to clear my wind left and took it too far. I lost Chris and Pete on that leg to round fourth. Then I lost another on leg 6. I rounded the island mark with Clark and Richard.
I messed with Clark and Richard that leg eventually getting by Clark. I closed some of the distance to Richard just to see him sail this mysterious secret local knowledge path past some tree at the club and scoot below and through me. I was 4 lengths behind him at the last mark. Upwind I split with him and stayed split. At our first cross I ducked, then crossing 2 he ducked, then I ducked. Very close sailing. Then I got out to the right of him and a nice right shift came from nowhere. I ended up fifth. Pete Comfort on 2524 won the race followed closely by Chris Craig, Clark Wade, and Stuart Strother.
The wind had started building again. At lunch I met Pete Comfort (2524), we laughed at Chris with his head bump and watched some real big puffs roll through. After the RC started to leave the dock and had second thoughts we were under postponement. Then a nice rain cell formed north of the lake. I along with others pulled our boats out of the lake just to protect them. I was 10 minutes from sailing if need be. At this point I turned on the weather radio to hear the forecast of 20-30 with gusts to 40.
After the rain cell passed the wind settled down. We scrutinized weather forecasts and models and hatched various plans. One quickly dismissed called for 5:00 dinner with a 7:00 start that night. We came to our senses and the decision was made about 3:00 to cancel for the day. The next start was 9:00 Sunday.
So at the end of day 1, Pete Comfort led with 3 points, I was second with 6, and Chris Craig and Stuart Strother tied with 7.
That afternoon we measured lulls in the 17-18 range with consistent 22-23 wind. During a great steak dinner put on by the Fenton folks, a particularly impressive line of wind came through. It blew over a boat on a lift. It blew over my 1/2 full rum and coke. The RC measured 35 on the upper deck of the clubhouse protected by trees. It was windy.
Day 2
The early night led to an early morning. I showed up at the club just after 7 to find Chris Craig and Richard Blake already ready to launch. Motivations were high. I didn't have any line to repair my board release. So I prayed and sailed with it.
The wind blew all night. We woke up to 15-17 still from the West. The forecasts were for another building wind day.
Race 3 - Ovid course again, once around
Most of us put on good sails. Right on time we started race 3. The pin end was wide open so I took it. Unfortunately the left did not pay. I was fifth at the top mark. I started my recovery at that point. With just a one-lap race it had to be quick. I was thinking if I could just pick up one or two boats I'm still in this regatta. I was fourth at the next two marks.
I rounded the last mark third but in touch with Pete and Chris. I nailed two tacks and got to the right of the leaders. I picked up a right shift and held it all the way up the lake slipping into the lead. Chris Craig ducked below me and went farther right. It was a very close top three but split with Pete following me on my hip out to the left of the line and Chris to the right. It came down to the last puff and its direction to determine if it was going to be me or Chris winning the race. I got my header and tacked to the line. Chris looked like he had me. Then he lost his mainsheet. I won. Chris crossed just behind me on Starboard to pick off Pete for second. And Pete dropped into third. Richard Blake made it back to fourth after a bad start, and Stuart Strother was fifth.
So now I'm one behind Pete overall, and two ahead of Chris. With two races to go it is anyone's game. The board release is holding, mostly because I'm releasing the board from below deck whenever I can.
Race 4 - Same course
In the prestart I kept tight tabs on Pete and Chris. I ended up lee bowing Chris at the start mid line. He local knowledged it and immediately tacked to go way right. I couldn't follow due to traffic. When I could, it took me awhile to get right. Chris was well ahead of me. I stayed right of the lead pack and slowly picked up distance. At the mark I had to short tack it but ended up still able to just round in the lead. I extended a bit on the next leg as the guys behind jostled a bit.
Then came the island leg. I swore nobody was going to get to my left. And they didn't. Four boats passed me on the right. I dropped one more to sit in sixth for a crossing or two. I picked up two before the mark and ended up rounding with Richard battling for fourth. He won that battle and sailed away taking Clark Wade with him. now I'm in fifth. It takes me most of the leg but I catch Clark. After that there was no getting around Richard. He sat on me until the finish.
Stuart wins the race, Pete second, Richard Blake third, then me, then Clark Wade.
Now with one race to go Pete has a 3 point lead. I also have a 2 point buffer on Stuart who is suddenly a threat, and Chris actually dropped to fourth behind Stuart.
Race 5 - TWICE around Ovid course.
At the start I plow down the starting pin. Richard Blake is also over and follows me around the pin - last place or close to it. We duck 8-10 boats with him still on my tail. I find a tiny gap and shoot through the middle of the line crossing a handful of boats. Richard doesn't make it and has to tack in traffic. I'm all a mess from the fire drill. By the time I'm cleaned up I'm on the right shore. I tack, get lifted, and lay the mark. I round first just ahead of Chris Craig, who tells me he also had to restart! We have a good laugh and we drag race leg 2. I hold him off to round first. On leg 3 I dust off Chris but Clark catches up to me. We round together. I catch a shot that somehow misses him and off I go. I put quite some distance on the pack right behind me. I hold them off for what seems like forever. On leg 8 of 9, I cramp up - no arms left. Constant sheeting has taken its toll. I have 30 seconds or so over Pete in second place. That goes away pretty fast after the last mark as I struggle to trim in the freshening 15-20. I manage to hold him off and win by a very small margin.
I won 3 of 5 races, but lost on points. Pete sailed consistently. Chris dropped to fourth letting Stuart in for third overall.
As we are packing up, the wind pipes up even more. Timing was great.
Fenton sailing in a West wind is a mess. There is no rest, no way to catch a breather, no way to take off a sweat shirt. My neck is sore from constantly looking at the sail, the wind, the other boats, back to the wind, the sail, etc. Constant trimming and easing ate up my biceps. For a bunch of old men it was a tough 5 races.
I can check off another place I have seen. The club is great, the people wonderful, and the event should improve with time. I'll be back.
I drove 7+ hours through driving wind and rain. The furious forecast for the weekend was for LOTS of wind and not much sun or heat. Most forecasts had the wind over 15 and into the 20's at times during the weekend. I packed heavy. I took everything I owned except shorts.
Friday night I arrived about 10:15. I was met by Chris Craig and Richard Blake who immediately put a drink in my hand and kept me up late. The wind howled all night.
Saturday we awoke to 10-18 West. Five skippers didn't show. Let's just say Cam McNeil and Ted Keller tied for 18th place. Boats were rigged and nerves were checked. The skippers meeting was dominated with a giant chalk board showing the Fenton "figure eight" race course. After a few explanations I think I understood it. Yes it is a total of three windward legs and two reaches. I raised my hand and asked how to reach. Welcome to Fenton. Chris offered to lead the way if I liked.
So let me describe this lake. It is short course racing on a lake that has some sticky outy bits that get in the way of the race course. So there may be a leg where there is land between the mark you are going from and the mark you are going to. And there is no downwind. Local knowledge pays big.
I premedicated knowing pain killers were going to be the old man "vitamin" for the weekend. We launched boats and set off to the first race, my first race with any wind this year.
Race 1 - course 14521 (Ovid, NY zip code)
The RC measured a puff of 25 before the start. But it settled down and we sailed. The line was a bit pin favored but the lake was mostly right side favored. With 20 seconds to go I still hadn't decided where to start. The pin was blocked. I screamed across on port below people, found a hole, tacked with like 5 seconds to go and started about 5 boats up from the pin, second row but with clear air. Company around me included the people I wanted to keep an eye on. I dropped the traveller and settled in for a heavy air race. That lasted a minute or so, which I later found was one of the longer puffs.
People started tacking off the the right. I had no clear lane that way so I stayed left. Lucky me got a great left shift and led at the top mark by 30 seconds or so. Where do I go now? How do I reach? I know the basics but how much vang, where should the boards be, boat balance, rudder handling, and pretty much every setting on the boat was all a learning experience.
I wasted most of the lead on leg 2 trying to figure out how to sail. Leg 2 included my first eye opening blasting reach planed off pretty good for 10 seconds or so. Sail number 2524 started passing people and gaining on me. Leg 3 upwind put us up along and under an island and the windward shore. Puffs appear 10 seconds before they hit you. I had no idea what I was doing still, so I followed from in front and somehow held on. Then at mark #5 I had to again figure out how to sail. The leg starts with a deep dive low in a puff, out away from the high trees, then up high through the tree lull, down low again, then hot sailing across the face of the clubhouse point, then down low again to the mark that you can't see until you pass the club. Mysterious 2524 dude had cleared the fleet and was gaining again. He sails like Ted Keller.
At the last mark I rounded and pulled the windward board to see the outer cover of the board release line had broken. It was now only hanging on the inner core, and only part of that. I picked enough shifts right on the last leg to hold on for a win. Really? First? Nowhere to go but down from there. Stuart Strother finished third and Madman Mike Keenan fourth.
I was not the fastest boat. 2524 was (Who IS that man?).
Race 2 - Ovid course again but twice around
I nailed a pin start, caught some good shifts and led at mark 1. I carried that for 3 legs and let Clark slip inside me at the bottom mark at the end of leg 4. Upwind I had to clear my wind left and took it too far. I lost Chris and Pete on that leg to round fourth. Then I lost another on leg 6. I rounded the island mark with Clark and Richard.
I messed with Clark and Richard that leg eventually getting by Clark. I closed some of the distance to Richard just to see him sail this mysterious secret local knowledge path past some tree at the club and scoot below and through me. I was 4 lengths behind him at the last mark. Upwind I split with him and stayed split. At our first cross I ducked, then crossing 2 he ducked, then I ducked. Very close sailing. Then I got out to the right of him and a nice right shift came from nowhere. I ended up fifth. Pete Comfort on 2524 won the race followed closely by Chris Craig, Clark Wade, and Stuart Strother.
The wind had started building again. At lunch I met Pete Comfort (2524), we laughed at Chris with his head bump and watched some real big puffs roll through. After the RC started to leave the dock and had second thoughts we were under postponement. Then a nice rain cell formed north of the lake. I along with others pulled our boats out of the lake just to protect them. I was 10 minutes from sailing if need be. At this point I turned on the weather radio to hear the forecast of 20-30 with gusts to 40.
After the rain cell passed the wind settled down. We scrutinized weather forecasts and models and hatched various plans. One quickly dismissed called for 5:00 dinner with a 7:00 start that night. We came to our senses and the decision was made about 3:00 to cancel for the day. The next start was 9:00 Sunday.
So at the end of day 1, Pete Comfort led with 3 points, I was second with 6, and Chris Craig and Stuart Strother tied with 7.
That afternoon we measured lulls in the 17-18 range with consistent 22-23 wind. During a great steak dinner put on by the Fenton folks, a particularly impressive line of wind came through. It blew over a boat on a lift. It blew over my 1/2 full rum and coke. The RC measured 35 on the upper deck of the clubhouse protected by trees. It was windy.
Day 2
The early night led to an early morning. I showed up at the club just after 7 to find Chris Craig and Richard Blake already ready to launch. Motivations were high. I didn't have any line to repair my board release. So I prayed and sailed with it.
The wind blew all night. We woke up to 15-17 still from the West. The forecasts were for another building wind day.
Race 3 - Ovid course again, once around
Most of us put on good sails. Right on time we started race 3. The pin end was wide open so I took it. Unfortunately the left did not pay. I was fifth at the top mark. I started my recovery at that point. With just a one-lap race it had to be quick. I was thinking if I could just pick up one or two boats I'm still in this regatta. I was fourth at the next two marks.
I rounded the last mark third but in touch with Pete and Chris. I nailed two tacks and got to the right of the leaders. I picked up a right shift and held it all the way up the lake slipping into the lead. Chris Craig ducked below me and went farther right. It was a very close top three but split with Pete following me on my hip out to the left of the line and Chris to the right. It came down to the last puff and its direction to determine if it was going to be me or Chris winning the race. I got my header and tacked to the line. Chris looked like he had me. Then he lost his mainsheet. I won. Chris crossed just behind me on Starboard to pick off Pete for second. And Pete dropped into third. Richard Blake made it back to fourth after a bad start, and Stuart Strother was fifth.
So now I'm one behind Pete overall, and two ahead of Chris. With two races to go it is anyone's game. The board release is holding, mostly because I'm releasing the board from below deck whenever I can.
Race 4 - Same course
In the prestart I kept tight tabs on Pete and Chris. I ended up lee bowing Chris at the start mid line. He local knowledged it and immediately tacked to go way right. I couldn't follow due to traffic. When I could, it took me awhile to get right. Chris was well ahead of me. I stayed right of the lead pack and slowly picked up distance. At the mark I had to short tack it but ended up still able to just round in the lead. I extended a bit on the next leg as the guys behind jostled a bit.
Then came the island leg. I swore nobody was going to get to my left. And they didn't. Four boats passed me on the right. I dropped one more to sit in sixth for a crossing or two. I picked up two before the mark and ended up rounding with Richard battling for fourth. He won that battle and sailed away taking Clark Wade with him. now I'm in fifth. It takes me most of the leg but I catch Clark. After that there was no getting around Richard. He sat on me until the finish.
Stuart wins the race, Pete second, Richard Blake third, then me, then Clark Wade.
Now with one race to go Pete has a 3 point lead. I also have a 2 point buffer on Stuart who is suddenly a threat, and Chris actually dropped to fourth behind Stuart.
Race 5 - TWICE around Ovid course.
At the start I plow down the starting pin. Richard Blake is also over and follows me around the pin - last place or close to it. We duck 8-10 boats with him still on my tail. I find a tiny gap and shoot through the middle of the line crossing a handful of boats. Richard doesn't make it and has to tack in traffic. I'm all a mess from the fire drill. By the time I'm cleaned up I'm on the right shore. I tack, get lifted, and lay the mark. I round first just ahead of Chris Craig, who tells me he also had to restart! We have a good laugh and we drag race leg 2. I hold him off to round first. On leg 3 I dust off Chris but Clark catches up to me. We round together. I catch a shot that somehow misses him and off I go. I put quite some distance on the pack right behind me. I hold them off for what seems like forever. On leg 8 of 9, I cramp up - no arms left. Constant sheeting has taken its toll. I have 30 seconds or so over Pete in second place. That goes away pretty fast after the last mark as I struggle to trim in the freshening 15-20. I manage to hold him off and win by a very small margin.
I won 3 of 5 races, but lost on points. Pete sailed consistently. Chris dropped to fourth letting Stuart in for third overall.
1st Pete Comfort 2 1 3 2 2 10.0
2nd Chris Hawk 1 5 1 4 1 12.0
3rd Stuart Strother 3 4 5 1 4 17.0
4th Chris Craig 5 2 2 6 6 21.0
5th Clark Wade 6 3 6 5 3 23.0
6th Richard Blake 7 6 4 3 5 25.0
7th Mike Keenan 4 8 8 7 7 34.0
8th James Bingham 8 7 7 13 9 44.0
9th Urs Geiger 11 9 9 8 8 45.0
10th Rick Cyrul 10 11 11 9 11 52.0
11th Doug Wyrwicki 9 13 10 10 12 56.0
12th Mike Casler 13 12 12 11 10 58.0
13th Jack Coleman 15 14 14 10 13 66.0
14th Mike Farney 14 15 13 14dns 74.0
15th Julie Craig 12 10dnsdnsdns 76.0
16th Bill McInnes D nsDNS 15 15DNF84.0
17th Gerry Fischer DNSDNS 16 16DNS 86.0
As we are packing up, the wind pipes up even more. Timing was great.
Fenton sailing in a West wind is a mess. There is no rest, no way to catch a breather, no way to take off a sweat shirt. My neck is sore from constantly looking at the sail, the wind, the other boats, back to the wind, the sail, etc. Constant trimming and easing ate up my biceps. For a bunch of old men it was a tough 5 races.
I can check off another place I have seen. The club is great, the people wonderful, and the event should improve with time. I'll be back.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Hoovers 2012
The 2012 version of the Cow Town Regatta at Hoovers reservoir near Columbus, Ohio, is over. It is the first northern regatta of the year and usually the first time people get their boats wet unless they travelled to Florida.
The forecast early in the week was okay with medium air Saturday going light Sunday. Unfortunately the front passed earlier than expected Friday afternoon and Saturday was light and Sunday was even lighter, defined by most sane people as windless. Despite this, we got in 5 races, 4 Saturday and 1 Sunday morning.
Earlier this week Zack Clayton sent me an e-mail wishing me luck. My response was that I just wasn't feeling it. I've beaten everyone in attendance in multiple races, some many times. I've never beaten Ted Keller in a regatta, but I cam close at this regatta last year. The stats said I should be in contention but everything else was against me. I just wasn't feeling it.
So I get to the starting line of the first race. The "wind" was Northish blowing 2-8 with real big holes. Total registration was 33 boats on a lake where this is a crowd. I chose not to use the new sail and put on the Z-Max with 120 races or so, well past its racing prime. The sequence starts and I get in the zone. With a minute to go I'm in good position and get a first row start. But the wind was down and I was low side but not all the way low. I was hunched under the boom in the most uncomfortable position ever trying to squeeze any life out of the sail I could. I didn't have enough. I got rolled above and below and had to tack out to the wrong side to escape. At one point I was trying to escape one of those drives. I was below and a bit ahead of a boat on starboard. I drove down, tacked and was able to easily spin to clear his transom and go behind him. But our mast tips collided and I had to do circles.
At the top mark I started counting boats ahead of me and realized it was easier to count the few behind me. For the next three legs I continued struggling in the pack trying to find clean lanes on a lake where the few lanes were already taken. I was driven the wrong way more than once.
By the last mark I recovered to somewhere in the mid teens and rounded the right gate while the pack went to the other. Upwind the crowd went right feeding off a puff that had the whole pack above me laying the finish on starboard. I had no choice but to stay low of them and go for speed (albeit still on the low side). The puffs worked in my favor holding for me and dying for the pack. I picked up a slew of boats to finish 6th. However the finishing place was as high as I got in that race and it was well behind the leaders. It was luck that allowed me back in the race.
The next race was worse. This time I was nowhere near front row at the start and struggled again all race finishing very deep, I think 19th. There was one puff where I got to hike out though. At lunch the wind really died. It was unclear if we would get any more racing. But alas the breeze filled in enough to send us out there again, still nothing more than 5 or so. I screwed the starts of races 3 and 4. I had to work both races to get anywhere. Both were in the low teens for finishes. My only saving grace was that my sometime arch nemesis Chris Craig was also tanking the regatta. I beat him 2 of 4 races and at dinner we found out we were tied at 51 points.
Dinner was the best prime rib I've had in a very long time. Ron Stryker puts on a good meal.
Sunday I had one goal, beat Chris Craig. Well...2 goals, beat him and have a good race. The wind was forecast East at 4, but was North at 6-8. At the start I won the boat with speed on a right side favored course. I finally had a good start...until it was general recalled because the RC could not read two boat numbers over early.
For the second attempt they shifted the line and the wind also shifted left making the pin strongly favored. I was early for the pin and got squeezed out. Circling around behind the fleet with 20 seconds to go ensure a deep second row start.
On that first leg I went left and was only 8-10 lengths behind Chris. We both rounded deep, him maybe 15th and me maybe 20th. With absolutely no wind showing on the water we languished forever drifting around the course. At one point I had 3 boats behind me. I also spent a full windward leg not leaving the deep low side of the boat.
At the first bottom mark I rounded 25th or so around the right gate. Chris Craig was only just in front of me rounding the left gate. He went right up the course and I was driven left by the pack. I found a good lane back right and picked up 6-8 boats. Bout Chris picked up 20 rounding the top mark in the top five. He went on to win the race while I ended up like 19th again.
My final position in 14th overall was probably the worst regatta for me in 15 years or so. There were no redeeming moments. There were no great golf shots that make you want to go play golf next time even though you shot a 110. I simply shot a 110 with nothing memorable. Boat speed was never good. Starts were abysmal. Tactics were okay but digging out of such holes in light air is difficult.
So if I have a distinct hole in my abilities and it is light air, conditions I'd rather not sail in ever again. But to get better I need to practice in those conditions. So do I want to get better? That's the thousand dollar question.
The next sailing is Memorial Day weekend at Keuka.
The forecast early in the week was okay with medium air Saturday going light Sunday. Unfortunately the front passed earlier than expected Friday afternoon and Saturday was light and Sunday was even lighter, defined by most sane people as windless. Despite this, we got in 5 races, 4 Saturday and 1 Sunday morning.
Earlier this week Zack Clayton sent me an e-mail wishing me luck. My response was that I just wasn't feeling it. I've beaten everyone in attendance in multiple races, some many times. I've never beaten Ted Keller in a regatta, but I cam close at this regatta last year. The stats said I should be in contention but everything else was against me. I just wasn't feeling it.
So I get to the starting line of the first race. The "wind" was Northish blowing 2-8 with real big holes. Total registration was 33 boats on a lake where this is a crowd. I chose not to use the new sail and put on the Z-Max with 120 races or so, well past its racing prime. The sequence starts and I get in the zone. With a minute to go I'm in good position and get a first row start. But the wind was down and I was low side but not all the way low. I was hunched under the boom in the most uncomfortable position ever trying to squeeze any life out of the sail I could. I didn't have enough. I got rolled above and below and had to tack out to the wrong side to escape. At one point I was trying to escape one of those drives. I was below and a bit ahead of a boat on starboard. I drove down, tacked and was able to easily spin to clear his transom and go behind him. But our mast tips collided and I had to do circles.
At the top mark I started counting boats ahead of me and realized it was easier to count the few behind me. For the next three legs I continued struggling in the pack trying to find clean lanes on a lake where the few lanes were already taken. I was driven the wrong way more than once.
By the last mark I recovered to somewhere in the mid teens and rounded the right gate while the pack went to the other. Upwind the crowd went right feeding off a puff that had the whole pack above me laying the finish on starboard. I had no choice but to stay low of them and go for speed (albeit still on the low side). The puffs worked in my favor holding for me and dying for the pack. I picked up a slew of boats to finish 6th. However the finishing place was as high as I got in that race and it was well behind the leaders. It was luck that allowed me back in the race.
The next race was worse. This time I was nowhere near front row at the start and struggled again all race finishing very deep, I think 19th. There was one puff where I got to hike out though. At lunch the wind really died. It was unclear if we would get any more racing. But alas the breeze filled in enough to send us out there again, still nothing more than 5 or so. I screwed the starts of races 3 and 4. I had to work both races to get anywhere. Both were in the low teens for finishes. My only saving grace was that my sometime arch nemesis Chris Craig was also tanking the regatta. I beat him 2 of 4 races and at dinner we found out we were tied at 51 points.
Dinner was the best prime rib I've had in a very long time. Ron Stryker puts on a good meal.
Sunday I had one goal, beat Chris Craig. Well...2 goals, beat him and have a good race. The wind was forecast East at 4, but was North at 6-8. At the start I won the boat with speed on a right side favored course. I finally had a good start...until it was general recalled because the RC could not read two boat numbers over early.
For the second attempt they shifted the line and the wind also shifted left making the pin strongly favored. I was early for the pin and got squeezed out. Circling around behind the fleet with 20 seconds to go ensure a deep second row start.
On that first leg I went left and was only 8-10 lengths behind Chris. We both rounded deep, him maybe 15th and me maybe 20th. With absolutely no wind showing on the water we languished forever drifting around the course. At one point I had 3 boats behind me. I also spent a full windward leg not leaving the deep low side of the boat.
At the first bottom mark I rounded 25th or so around the right gate. Chris Craig was only just in front of me rounding the left gate. He went right up the course and I was driven left by the pack. I found a good lane back right and picked up 6-8 boats. Bout Chris picked up 20 rounding the top mark in the top five. He went on to win the race while I ended up like 19th again.
My final position in 14th overall was probably the worst regatta for me in 15 years or so. There were no redeeming moments. There were no great golf shots that make you want to go play golf next time even though you shot a 110. I simply shot a 110 with nothing memorable. Boat speed was never good. Starts were abysmal. Tactics were okay but digging out of such holes in light air is difficult.
So if I have a distinct hole in my abilities and it is light air, conditions I'd rather not sail in ever again. But to get better I need to practice in those conditions. So do I want to get better? That's the thousand dollar question.
The next sailing is Memorial Day weekend at Keuka.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
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:
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.
Monday, September 26, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, September 19, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, September 16, 2011
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.
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.
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