I decided to wait a couple of weeks following the Laser Master's North Americans to get caught up on work, kids and life before I locked into the summer racing schedule. My mother and father's heath has been pretty fragile and so I am thinking it makes sense to try and stay pretty close to home for a while.
Jay Lutz graciously offered me a chance to steer a J-122 in Block Island Race week which was also going to serve as the J-122 North Americans. I was very excited about this opportunity but in the final analysis, taking a full week off to go up there was going to be tough with all of the variables considered.
A few months ago, I accepted an invitation to be Glen Darden's tactician on his New York 42 ("Hoss") in a big event that will be held July 11-14th in Newport Rhode Island. I haven't sailed with Glen since I crewed for him on the winning Mallory Cup team in 1980 (along with Kelly Gough). I have competed against Glen for many years, most recently in the J-80 Worlds that he won in Corpus Christi (to my 3rd place).
I have always found Glen to be a real gentleman on and off of the water, a great competitor and usually has about the most organized program going. It will be fun to sail in Newport and I am looking forward to the challenge of trying to help get us around the race course in an environment that I am totally unfamiliar with.
Following that event, I wil be taking the kids, my fiance Amy and her 3 girls to the beach for a week. I will be taking all of the gear....paddle boards, surf boards and windsurfing equipment, etc. so there will be plenty of exercise to be had by all.
As for the Laser Worlds training, I have made the decision to see how the next month goes with my parents health issues before I make any final decision on going. In the meantime, I am going to sail the Laser every chance I get and really spend my time off the water getting has fit as I possibly can. I think I can drop my weight into the high 170's and continue to work on my downwind speed and be competitive. If everything stabilizes on the home front, I am going to look at trying to go somewhere in July for a week of training. All of the kids will be in camp during the 2nd week of July, so this may be the best time to try and go somewhere.
There will be a training camp in Caberete during this time frame or perhaps I will go to the West Coast or Corpus Christi for some high-wind, downwind training.
Both of my boy's want to start playing tackle football this fall and they are scheduled to begin every day practice around the first of August. I would like to be here a much as I can for that and probably won't travel much during the month of August. There is a chance though that I might try making the Laser Master's Nationals in Monterrey, CA in mid August if I can arrange a charter boat. That might actually be a pretty good practice venue for the Worlds.
So...with that said, I think by mid July, I will have to make a go or no-go decision on the Worlds. As I think more about it, by the time you go to Nova Scotia, you might as well travel to Europe, Austrailia or just about any other venue for the worlds. This year won't be my last crack at it. I will just have to make sure that it fits in well with everything going with the people that are most important to me.
In late September, the J-22 North Americans will be held in Dallas at the Rush Creek Yacht Club so that will be a great event if the Worlds don't work out.
I have to say that I did get a pretty good feeling about my chances after the 2nd place finish (tied for 1st) at the North Americans. I think that I can get the focus where it needs to be, I will have a chance to do well at the Worlds....if I can get away to do it.
I will keep you posted!!
Scott
I guess I failed to mention in my post earlier this morning that if there were no more races today, I would actually finish in a tie for 1st and lose on a tie breaker. Peter Vessella from San Francisco Bay was able to throw out a 28th in the 3rd race to my worst race of 6th place. On a non-throw out basis, I would have won fairly easily......but a throw-out came into play once 6 races were completed. Peter won two races to my zero which gave him the tie breaker. I guess I just assumed we would get at least one race in on the final day today and the tie breaker issue probably wouldn't come into play.
Well...with thunderstorms eminent, the race committee decided to end the regatta around 10:30 this morning. Even though it ended my chances to potentially win the regatta, I certainly understood their decision. It could have been disastrous for 90 plus Lasers to be scattered about the Atlantic Ocean in a big thunderstorm.
In retrospect, I got a big boost in having a relatively light air day on Friday which took the downwind speed issue a little out of play. Had the winds been strong every race, I realistically would not have had a chance to win with my downwind speed so I really can't be too disappointed with the outcome.
While I certainly would have preferred to win, I had a blast and actually exceeded my expectations on how I thought I might do. I honestly thought it would be a stretch for me to win this event in open water conditions. You just can't expect to compete against the best in North America in conditions that you aren't familiar with.
In hindsight, I underestimated my upwind speed. I underestimated my tactical ability. And...I underestimated how important it is to go fast downwind in a Laser in waves.
What my experience now tells me is that sailing a Laser on Lake Travis can help you with your fitness and sailing tactics but it just isn't going to provide the conditions to be competitive open water venue that the Laser Worlds will be held later this summer.
I think a few weeks of practice in such a locale would absolutely be necessary to have a chance to compete on an elite world championship level. I am not even sure that just sailing down wind in waves is enough. I think one must simulate real race conditions (i.e...sailing between two buoys with a bunch of other boats to contend with) to really get better at it.
It is really an art form to sail downwind well and I learned a ton over the last couple of days and I am kind of excited to try and get better at it. I really need to sit back now and decide whether I have the time and fortitude to get this serious about improving. Without this dedication, I don't think it will be feasible to do really well at the Worlds. For me, going to the Worlds so far away is a huge time investment and means a lot of time away from my kids and loved ones and I really have to decide whether it is worth it.
In the meantime, the Laser Master's NA's was a blast! You will never meet a friendlier and more talented group of sailors. Wrightsville Beach is an awesome little beach town and the Carolina Yacht Club is just fantastic. I am really glad that I was able to make this regatta and am overall pleased with my performance.
Here are the final results: http://www.carolinayachtclub.org/LMNA.html
Yesterday was classic Wrightsville Beach conditions. About a 15 knot sea breeze and big waves.
I got off to a good start in the first race near the pin and was able to tack soon after the start and cross most of the fleet. I rounded the first weather mark in a close 3rd. I then proceeded to start losing boats downwind. The wind was strong enough to really ride the waves and I just wasn't getting in the groove. As the race went on, I fell back to a disappointing 6th and was very frustrated with myself.
The next race, for some reason, I just wasn't aggressive enough and I had a really awful start about 100 yards up from the pin. I managed to bail out and duck a few boats and get myself in a pretty clear lane and I guess I must have been going pretty fast because I was in the mix near the weather mark. This race, I did start to get my downwind mo-jo going a little better and passed a few boats but on the last run to the finish, I lost Tracy Usher to again finish 6th. I was getting a little discouraged to say the least.
The 3rd and what turned out to be the final race of the day was in slightly stronger breeze at the start. I knew it was going to be a bad start when I had 4 really good boats all around me on the start and I got flushed out the back. Again, I found a good time to split off and start working right. I was amazed again to round the weather mark in about 6th or 7th. This time, we had an Olympic course and I actually kicked butt on the two reaches to work my way up to a close 5th at the leeward mark. Gradually, I started reeling in the leaders and I rounded the next weather mark in 4th.
I held my own on the run and rounded a very close 4th. On the beat to the finish I was able to pass Tracy Usher for a hard earned 3rd.
Going into the last day, without a throw-out, I have 37 points followed by Marc Jacobi with 49, Peter Vesalla with 59, Andy Roy with 60 and Mark Bear with 64.
With a throw-out, things change rather dramatically. Peter Vesalla throws out at 28 and moves to 31 points. I throw out at 6th and tie with 31. Mark Jacobi is 3rd with 39, Ari Bashi has 42 points after throwing out a 39th and Andy Roy has 44.
The forecast today is for the wind to shift to the SW..then to the West and then to the North with thunderstorms this afternoon. With the wind blowing more off shore, it will be interesting to see what the sea state is and perhaps there will be a few more windshifts to play. We shall see....
I can honestly say that I had no idea how I would stack up against such a big talented fleet. Well....so far so good. I had really good upwind speed in the light and lumpy conditions. There was still a lot of sea left over from the strong Easterly breeze from yesterday.
The first race the pin end was pretty favored and I really had no idea which way to go. It seemed like the wind was trying to go a little right as the day went on. In every recalled start, I was probably over early. Fortunately, when the real race counted, I had clear air and a good lane in each start. With the good upwind speed that I had, I was able to get around the first weather mark in decent position each race. I was a tad slow downwind compared to a few boats. I am hoping that my downwind speed will get better as time goes on. You can't win this regatta unless you are going good downwind, particularly with downwind finishes.
First race I got a 2nd and really could have won that race...it was very close. In the second race, I was right up there again and if I had been a tad faster downwind, I could have been in the mix for a win too.
The 3rd race I got stuck a little left on the first beat and about 10 boats were ahead of me coming in from the right. I got a little right of them near the layline and closed the gap a lot. From then on, I just slowly ground down the boats in front of me and finished right behind the main pack.
All in all.....I will take it. It was good start to the regatta. Hopefully, I can keep the momentum going into to tomorrow.
Here is a link to the results:
http://www.carolinayachtclub.org/LMNADay1.html
Well....yesterday was supposed to be the last practice day before the NA's begins but stormy weather cut the practice short. As it turned out, I attempted to go out during the worst part of the weather. The wind was blowing about 25 knots, driving rain and the waves were huge. So big in fact, I was worried about doing damage to my boat. After about 1/2 an hour of pounding as I sailed out the cut, I decided I wasn't accomplishing very much.
The weather looks much better today with a light breeze blowing and partly cloudy skies. The forecast calls for winds from the south at about 8 to 12 mph with some scattered thunderstorms. It looks like that may be the forecast for the entire weekend with a cold front coming in late on Sunday....probably after the racing is over with.
The competition looks very, very strong. I don't think I have sailed in a fleet of a 100 boats ever! I am just going to work on keeping my lanes open off of the start and probably will focus on mid line starts and see if there is any sag in the line. Should be a very interesting challenge sailing in these conditions. I am sure I am going to learn a lot and hopefully have some fun.
Keep you posted!
Well.....I made it. Got in on Wednesday around noon. Amazingly, Bill Mitchell and Fred Schroth arrived with the boats in tact about a half hour before I landed. They had a smooth trip and I really appreciate their willingness to drive such a long way.
We rigged the boats up and got our for a late afternoon sail. It was great having done all of the boat preparation while back in Austin. There was no wasted time fooling around with the boat. Everything was perfect and ready to go which means more time on the water. We were among the first boats to arrive and get out and sail and it was a good thing we did. The wind was blowing from the East at about 20 knots and I would estimate that we had 6 foot waves. Quite a shock after spending the last few weeks practicing on Lake Travis.
It was actually quite fun. With the large waves, the apparent wind would swing back and forth depending on what part of the wave you are on. I found that I had to actively ease and trim the main sheet to keep the boat on its feet and I had to steer very aggressively to keep the boat moving. It will definitely be a steep learning curve to get this style of sailing figured out.
Downwind was very interesting due to the confused sea state. One second you were screaming down a huge wave while sailing by the lee for stability but then, once I got to the bottom of the wave, I had to sharply head up to avoid running into the back of the wave in front of me which meant steering the boat through the "instability zone" (dead down wind) on the way to getting on to a very broad reach (stable again) in order to pick up speed to catch the next wave.
The middle of that turn can be tricky and a prime opportunity to "death roll". I gained a little confidence as the day went on and I am anxious to get back out there to keep working on my technique.
I plan to hit the water around 12:00 today and sail for a couple of hours prior to the practice race. The forecast is for a little less breeze with a shift in the wind to the Southeast. A front is going to come through on Saturday or Sunday so I think wind is going to try and start clocking to the right in anticipation of the front. The waves are going to probably be at a strange angle to the wind so it should be interesting.
The only setback so far is damage to my compass on the trip here. I am looking around to try and find a replacement and it will likely be difficult to find one here prior to the regatta starting. I think it will be helpful to have a compass out there as long as the wind is blowing on shore. There are no landmarks while sailing upwind and it is very difficult to tell what kind of angle you are on.
More to come this evening.....
Just before getting packed to head to North Carolina, I went to New Braunfels on Monday to help my father with a procedure to have a tumor removed from his bladder. He has had cancer of the bladder over the last few years and has been considered in remission until this new tumor appeared. Thankfully, the doctor was able to easily remove it and the early prognosis is good.
About an hour after I got back to Austin I got a phone call from my mother telling me that my dad had fallen and he may have broken one or both legs. As is my father's tendency, it is hard for him to not push himself and he got up to let the dog outside while still woozy from the anesthesia and collapsed and broke his right leg below the knee for the third time.
My dad contracted polio when he was 14 had has suffered with Post Polio Syndrome for many years. Over the years, he has had numerous falls due to the weakened state of his legs and stomach and back muscles and has broken both of his legs a number of times and now at the age of 75 uses a walker and a scooter to get around. In addition, he has had both of his rotator cuffs surgically repaired due to over-use from the years of lifting himself.
Through it all, my father never complains and is always able to find the silver lining in any hardship or setback that comes his way. Every year it looks inevitable that an assisted living situation is around the corner. Somehow, he fights through the setback and manages to figure out ways to get around and is able to continue to live in his beloved house on the Guadalupe River.
He is a true inspiration to me with the grace, dignity and fortitude that he displays every day. And through it all, he still manages to maintain a wicked sense of humor. He is my hero!
I came very close to canceling the trip to the Laser Master NA's to stay with him but he reassured me that we was going to be fine and very much wanted me to make the regatta....which is really what he has always done for me. He has always encouraged me to try and accomplish my dreams and never feel bad for him. He is an amazing man and I am blessed to have him as my dad.
The 2009 Laser Master's North American's is only a week away. With travel time for the boat, I only realistically have about 2 days left to prepare. The regatta organizers are expecting 100 entries. Should be great event!
This week I have been finalizing all of the boat preparation work and have been trying to get a an hour or two on the water each day. Gradually, everything feels like it is coming together. I have been working quite a bit on making sure all of the rigging is working well, making sure the blades are smooth and trying to get all of the boat preparation work done here so that once the boat gets to North Carolina, there will be no more work to do and I can focus 100% on getting used to the conditions.
In the Laser, physical endurance is the key and having the right weight to strength ratio is pretty important. From what I can tell, a really fit 175 lbs is faster than a not-so-fit 190 lbs. It also seems that there is a much greater speed differential downwind (especially in waves) than upwind which puts a premium on technique and fitness.
I have never felt especially fast downwind in a Laser except last summer at the North Americans at the Gorge, I seemed pretty quick downwind. The ocean waves at this year's event will probably put a premium on being quick downwind.
Lake Travis doesn't provide the optimum platform for working on my technique so I will have to really work on it during the practice day.
I was able to get a little bit of Laser racing under my belt on Wednesday night. It was the first night of our Wednesday racing series and I bet we had a few more than 20 boats out. I felt pretty fast around the race course and my boat handling felt good so maybe I am coming into form.
With any luck, my boat will arrive in North Carolina next Wednesday and I will have Wednesday and Thursday to practice and get used to the wave action there. I have also started sailing with a compass in anticipation of being offshore with no land to use as a reference point. I usually don't use a compass on a Laser but with open water conditions and a really long starting line for 100 boats, I think the compass will come in handy for figuring out the best end of the line to start at and maybe make it a bit easier to pick up wind shifts.
Thats all for now....next post will come from Wrightsville Beach North Carolina.
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