These guys are really good!!

In my effort to "call it as I see it"' I must confess that I am a bit overmatched out here. Th locals along with the San Francisco sailors are so much better prepared for these conditions than I am. In my younger days it was a bit more possible to hang in there physically without much preparation. As I have gotten older, If I am serious about doing well in the Laser, it really takes months of preparation to do well at a venue like this.

In smoother water with lots of wind shifts to play, I have a much better chance to hang in there with the top guys. To their credit, these guys are not only supremely fit, they are very well prepared and are extremely good sailors. Best of all, they are really great guys that absolutely love Laser sailing!

My goal was to get better sailing downwind in big waves. I have had my moments when I get into a good rhythm and can go pretty well. If I get out of synch, I can easily lose 100 yards. They key is to minimize going really slow. One thing that I think I have learned is that since we are on starboard tack for the entire run, it is important to stay a little over-trimmed and to sail a fairly heated up angle to keep the speed to catch the waves. Once you have caught the wave and you bear off to ride it, the apparent wind comes so far forward that being a little over-trimmed is actually a good thing.

We have three races to go and I am hovering around 9th with a chance to move Up 2 or 3 places if I can sail well today. I had a 5th and a 6th yesterday so I am showing some progress.