|
Race Day.
I came down here to participate, even though I really don't like to race that much. I had a good time, though. I raced in the Open division, which was for all the really good sailors. I didn't do it because I am really good, but my equipment didn't fit into the Limited 7.5 (I would have had to use my 6.6 instead of my 7.5, so I figured I'd rather be the slowest guy in the Open than in the Limited). The Fun Fleet was for some of the newer sailors and such and I don't think I really fit there.
I went out about 20 minutes before the first start to get comfortable. It was a little windy and the chop on the lake was decent for the light wind. I'm so used to the shallow Laguna that even 20 mph on a lake is choppier than 30 on the Laguna (much choppier, actually). But I stuck it out. I would have liked a bigger sail, but I was able to move along okay with the 7.8. I find longboards to be really slow, even when planing. It's like driving a big slow truck that doesn't have a top speed of more than 50.
At about the time the start was to happen I start sailing close to the start line, waiting for the sequence to start. I don't want to be a long way away and miss it. So I tack and jibe, over and over, close to the shore and the windline. The near-shore wind was swirling and less consistent. The start line was set at the wind line and I was try to stay just shore-side of it. After about 40 minutes of this, I was really tired. I was trying to pay attention to the boat, so I was always looking that way. I must have tacked or jibed every 30 seconds to a minute and I didn't use my harness much because I was sure the flag was going to start at any minute and I was always watching for it.
After awhile I finally dropped my sail and talked to a couple of sailors in the water near the line. They didn't know what was happening either. So I sailed close to the committee boat and asked them what was going on. They said they were taking on water and had to swap boats.
Finally, about 90 minutes late, the races got underway. I got a bad start and ended up near the back of the fleet to the first mark. Many of the good guys were on 9.0's and such, but I wasn't too far back yet. During the upwind leg (first mark was a reach) I was able to point a lot higher than the Formula boards but I couldn't go as fast. Plus, I was going so far upwind that I was pounding some decent chop so my progress was slow. I made it to the upwind mark about 3rd from the end (probably 15 racers in the Open). Downwind I was able to plane at first, then it just died completely for about 2 minutes. I was being pushed by waves and couldn't get anywhere at all. Finally I caught a gust as I was passed by someone in my division. After that I couldn't tell where I stood because when I reached the reaching mark again, I got mixed in with some stragglers from the Limited & Fun fleets, which raced around the reaching mark and back. I suspect I finished either last or close to last in the Open. Better than last in the Fun Fleet, I guess. ;-) I will say that there were better sailors in the Limited than I, but I'm glad I chose to race in the Open.
They did 3 more races, but I didn't race. I was tired of fighting the Equipe, tired from the tacking and jibing waiting to start and just tired. I hung out for a bit then borrowed a demo pointer fin (54cm) for my Allstar and went out on that a bit. I was able to plane for awhile, but it was some scary rides. The chop was more than I'd been on that board in, and I couldn't get comfortable in the half-hour I was out there.
All-in-all not a bad day, but I'm not really into racing that much. I like to go out and play.
|