Laser Master's Nationals Wrap-Up

The Carolina Yacht Club of Charleston, SC did a fantastic job in hosting the 2010 Laser Master's Nationals.  The race committee was able to run 10 excellent races over 3 days of sailing.  The sea breeze kicked in each day at around noon and blew from 10-20 mph each day under warm, partly cloudy skies.

Eric Oetgen of Savannah, GA sailed a beautiful regatta to win the Apprentice Master's Division along with the lowest score of 19 points (after one throw-out) and Peter Vessella sailed very well to win the overall title after factoring in the master's handicap system.

The competition was excellent and it was quite easy to miss a shift or two on the first beat and find yourself in the middle of the 63 boat fleet at the first windward mark.  Many of the courses were windward-leeward-with an upwind finish so there was a real premium on having a good first beat.  

The tide was a big factor. The tide was ebbing strongly for almost every race of the series.  Usually, the tide was strongest during the first two races of each day which would push the fleet over and down the starting line. This made judging the approach to the line and time management of the last 30 seconds before the start critical.  Much to the credit of the race committee's excellent starting lines, there were very few general recalls.

Usually, the pin end of the line was quite favored but the right side of the windward leg, especially near the windward mark was usually the place to be. The key was to determine in the last minute before the start whether the wind was going to be in a header phase at the start and to put yourself in a position to get on to port tack quickly and to then try and work the right side of the beat.  Seldom did it pay to start at the committee boat and tack to the right immediately nor did it pay to start at the pin end and try and work the far left side of the course.  It was possible to look really good on either the far left or far right side of the course for a time, but the wind was oscillating enough to require that the shifts be played and usually a middle-right bias was the best place to be. 

In the early afternoon races when the ebb tide was at its strongest, it usually paid to approach the windward mark from at or near the starboard tack layline.  For some reason, it was very difficult to come in from the left at the end of the beat when the current was strong.  It was very easy to get pushed up above the port tack layline and find your self reaching almost directly into the current to get down to the mark.  The strong tide created some very interesting windward mark roundings with many boats hitting the windward mark (and often each other).

During the later afternoon races, the tide would slacken significantly and it then became easier to approach the windward mark from the left at the end of the beat.  Once the tide slackened, it was really about staying in phase with the shifts.  

Unfortunately for me, it took me several races to really understand what was happening out on the race course and I had to alter my sailing style to suit was going on out there.  It was very easy to pick the wrong end of the line or to not have a good lane off the starting line and get forced left to find clear air.  This usually meant a poor position at the first windward mark with little time to catch up.  

My rustiness was very apparent with a lot of really stupid mistakes during the regatta.  I capsized a couple of times upwind with big wind shifts or getting my life jacket hung on the boom during a tack.  As the regatta progressed, I felt like my fitness and my boat handling improved significantly.  My last five races were 4-2-(23--broken mainsheet at the start) 5-3.  Towards the end, I felt like I could hold my own with the top few boats both upwind and downwind.  

To win a national championship, you can't make the kind of mental mistakes that I made.  

You can't:

1)  Make silly boat handling mistakes
2)  Hit buoys due to not anticipating the amount of set caused by the current
3)  Not have a clue what the tides affect would be on the race course PRIOR TO THE FIRST RACE!
4)  Choose to use an old sail in anticipation of light air and not having time before the regatta to get used to a new sail
5)  Use a mainsheet that was starting to show wear on the outer cover
6)  Not have a sound race course management strategy...AT THE BEGINNING    OF THE REGATTA!

The top sailors have had several regattas under their belts leading up to the national championships to be sure of their fitness, equipment and race course management.  When sailing in a place like Charleston, you really have to have experienced it to understand it.  It the regatta was starting today, I would feel much more confident in my game plan.  I would also understand that the sea breeze is going to be stronger than the Accuweather forecast and plan my training and equipment selection accordingly.


The top masters all sail in competitive home fleets and most of the top guys did the winter circuit in Florida.


All I did to prepare was sail one regatta in Austin and practice a couple of times by myself.  As a result, my racing fitness wasn't where it needed to be; I wasn't confident in my equipment and sail selection; and, I didn't have the confidence that I needed on the race course to mix it up and sail with a swagger.  By being poorly prepared, I lacked the confidence that I needed to exude that swagger that you see the top Laser sailors have.  You can tell how they sail their boats....even while sailing around between races.  There is just an air of confidence that they have.  I didn't have it at this event.  


To get to that place, you have to make a decision on how important it is for you to win or place highly and you have to have a dedicated plan on how you are going to get there.  There are no corners you can cut in a Laser.  It is simply a game of hard work and dedication.  


Now having said that.....even though I didn't win (5th overall and 3rd Master), I did improve as the regatta went on and towards the end, I was kind of feeling the swagger starting to come back a bit.  Based on the effort that I put in, I got about what I deserved...maybe better than what I deserved.


Sailing Laser Master's events is a true pleasure.  The quality of the people you race with is just fantastic.  They are great on the water and even better people on shore.  Anyone approaching middle age who wants to keep that competitive fire burning should seriously consider sailing a Laser and entering a few Master's events.   

Here is the link to the final results:  

  http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=2727&show_laser_masters=1