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
Monday, May 17, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Laser Master's Nationals--Day 1
It was a very challenging day on the water. We were able to get four good races in conditions that ranged from 5 to 18 mph winds with big holes, big shifts, auto tacking puffs and a strong ebbing current.
The leeward end of the line was set up to be favored and it was too alluring for me to ignore. Many of my starts were near the leeward end and each case, I thought that when I tacked to port, I was at or near the lead. What I began to realize but never accept was that the boats that worked the right shore line were making out each time. It was possible to play the left middle and be okay but the odds seemed to favor the right.
I recorded a 12-4-12-4. I am virtually certain that I was 7th in the first race and will ask the race committee to check the results. I am in 4th overall.
I felt like I can sail much better than I did yesterday. I capsized twice in auto tack puffs in the 3rd race while I was in 4th place, fell back into the 20's and got back to 12th.
I think I have a better feel for the rhythm of the puffs and will probably work the middle right just a bit more and not try to be so aggressive at the pin end of the line.
In retrospect, I probably should have used my new sail. Yesterday was windier than I expected and my sail looked a little more tired than I remembered. Today's forecast is for a little lighter breeze. Hopefully, I can get it into gear and get some top results. Still a lot of racing left with 6 races left on the schedule. I will keep you posted.
The leeward end of the line was set up to be favored and it was too alluring for me to ignore. Many of my starts were near the leeward end and each case, I thought that when I tacked to port, I was at or near the lead. What I began to realize but never accept was that the boats that worked the right shore line were making out each time. It was possible to play the left middle and be okay but the odds seemed to favor the right.
I recorded a 12-4-12-4. I am virtually certain that I was 7th in the first race and will ask the race committee to check the results. I am in 4th overall.
I felt like I can sail much better than I did yesterday. I capsized twice in auto tack puffs in the 3rd race while I was in 4th place, fell back into the 20's and got back to 12th.
I think I have a better feel for the rhythm of the puffs and will probably work the middle right just a bit more and not try to be so aggressive at the pin end of the line.
In retrospect, I probably should have used my new sail. Yesterday was windier than I expected and my sail looked a little more tired than I remembered. Today's forecast is for a little lighter breeze. Hopefully, I can get it into gear and get some top results. Still a lot of racing left with 6 races left on the schedule. I will keep you posted.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Laser Master's Nationals Practice Day
Remarkably, the trailer pulled by Keith Zar's wife Barbara, arrived at the Carolina Yacht Club about 10 minutes after we arrived from the airport. I can't thank Barbara and her friend Liz for driving the boats out for us! I don't think it was quite the "leisurely drive" that they were hoping for!
Thanks to Fred Schroth's excellent trailer organization, we were able to quickly unload the trailer and were out on the water an hour later. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and a 10-15 southerly.
I decided to go out with my new Hyde sail and it looked pretty good right out of the bag. I do think it needs to be broken in a bit more and it was easy to over-sheet it and wasn't very forgiving as the wind velocity was constantly changing. I think I am going to go ahead and use my older sail for this regatta. The forecast looks like the breeze won't get much stronger than the mid-teens for the regatta with some lighter breeze likely.
The water looks like it will be pretty smooth since we are sailing under a peninsula of land with historic Ft. Sumter out on the point. The only problem is that 3 different rivers merge in the area that we will be sailing. It is going to be tricky to try and keep track of which way the water is flowing and when.
During our practice yesterday, it seemed that the wind shifts were more important than the water flow. There were many "lake like" shifts and puffs yesterday. I think my strategy will be to always try and stay on the lifted tack and keep an eye on the chop and water color to ascertain which direction the water is moving. If the water is moving against us on the starting line, I am going to try and be very aggressive on the starting line and make sure that I am at or near the line at all times. I have a feeling that the set will be more than we anticipate. Conversely, if the current is pushing us across the line at the start, it will be important not to set up too early and to keep my options open for slowing down or even bailing out if neccessary.
Should be an interesting day and probably very educational one as well!
Thanks to Fred Schroth's excellent trailer organization, we were able to quickly unload the trailer and were out on the water an hour later. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and a 10-15 southerly.
I decided to go out with my new Hyde sail and it looked pretty good right out of the bag. I do think it needs to be broken in a bit more and it was easy to over-sheet it and wasn't very forgiving as the wind velocity was constantly changing. I think I am going to go ahead and use my older sail for this regatta. The forecast looks like the breeze won't get much stronger than the mid-teens for the regatta with some lighter breeze likely.
The water looks like it will be pretty smooth since we are sailing under a peninsula of land with historic Ft. Sumter out on the point. The only problem is that 3 different rivers merge in the area that we will be sailing. It is going to be tricky to try and keep track of which way the water is flowing and when.
During our practice yesterday, it seemed that the wind shifts were more important than the water flow. There were many "lake like" shifts and puffs yesterday. I think my strategy will be to always try and stay on the lifted tack and keep an eye on the chop and water color to ascertain which direction the water is moving. If the water is moving against us on the starting line, I am going to try and be very aggressive on the starting line and make sure that I am at or near the line at all times. I have a feeling that the set will be more than we anticipate. Conversely, if the current is pushing us across the line at the start, it will be important not to set up too early and to keep my options open for slowing down or even bailing out if neccessary.
Should be an interesting day and probably very educational one as well!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Laser Master's Nationals
The Laser Master's Nationals will be held in Charleston, SC beginning this Friday. The event already has 70 standard rigs and 25 Radial rigs registered. I haven't sailed in Charleston since I competed in a team race there during my college days. I believe we were racing Solings and I remember a race where we had to anchor several times due to the strength of the current. We would get a puff and pull up the anchor and then when the wind died we would drop anchor again. In fact, with the anchor down, it gave the illusion of actually moving forward at a pretty good clip relative to the other boats around us who were all traveling backwards.
I have done a fair amount of practicing but I am unsure of how much having intimate knowledge of the current and tides will come into play. The obvious areas that I will need to pay close attention is the direction and velocity of the current at the start and of course at mark roundings. I will also try and watch the chop and wave action for clues. When the current is going the same direction as the wind, the water tends to flatten out. Conversely, if the water appears more choppy or the waves are standing up, the water is probably going against the wind.
I anticipate that there will be differing strengths and direction of the current around the race course and I will have to be on my toes for direction changes occurring during the race. I hope to have the opportunity on Thursday to get out on the water for a few hours and try and get my arms around the water flow. I am counting on there being enough winds shifts out there that I can play to hopefully equalize my disadvantage...we shall see.
I was lucky to find a way for my boat to get down there so at least I will have the comfort of sailing my own boat as opposed to chartering. You would think that chartering would be easy but it takes a few hours to get the boat rigged up with all of your stuff. Hopefully, as soon as the trailer arrives early Thursday afternoon, I will get rigged and on the water. Big thanks to my good friends Keith Zars and his wife Barbara for driving the rig down and to Fred Schroth for getting his trailer in good traveling shape for the trip. This will be Keith's first Laser regatta after many years of being an excellent Snipe and J-22 sailor. I am looking forward to having him out on the water with us.
The big decision for me is whether to use a new sail that I have never sailed with. I made a last minute decision to order a new sail and was unable to get it before the boats had to leave. My old reliable has worked well for me at the last 3 Master's Nationals and has been a really good sail. It is getting a little long in the tooth though and probably is starting to suffer a bit in the breeze. The trouble with new sails is that they do require a little bit of a break-in period and they can be a little stiff and draft forward in lighter winds when they are new.
I will probably go out on Thursday with the new sail and see how it looks. If the forecast for the first day is light to medium wind, I will probably go with my older sail and hope for the best. If it looks to be a breezy forecast, I will go with the new sail and take my chances.
The competition looks to be tough with last years winner Peter Vasella entered along with Mark Bear and Peter Shrope from the Newport, RI fleet registered. I am sure there will be others that I haven't raced against before who will be tough. Hopefully, I can figure out who the top local is and try and keep an eye on where they are going and sail well enough to be in the hunt!
I have done a fair amount of practicing but I am unsure of how much having intimate knowledge of the current and tides will come into play. The obvious areas that I will need to pay close attention is the direction and velocity of the current at the start and of course at mark roundings. I will also try and watch the chop and wave action for clues. When the current is going the same direction as the wind, the water tends to flatten out. Conversely, if the water appears more choppy or the waves are standing up, the water is probably going against the wind.
I anticipate that there will be differing strengths and direction of the current around the race course and I will have to be on my toes for direction changes occurring during the race. I hope to have the opportunity on Thursday to get out on the water for a few hours and try and get my arms around the water flow. I am counting on there being enough winds shifts out there that I can play to hopefully equalize my disadvantage...we shall see.
I was lucky to find a way for my boat to get down there so at least I will have the comfort of sailing my own boat as opposed to chartering. You would think that chartering would be easy but it takes a few hours to get the boat rigged up with all of your stuff. Hopefully, as soon as the trailer arrives early Thursday afternoon, I will get rigged and on the water. Big thanks to my good friends Keith Zars and his wife Barbara for driving the rig down and to Fred Schroth for getting his trailer in good traveling shape for the trip. This will be Keith's first Laser regatta after many years of being an excellent Snipe and J-22 sailor. I am looking forward to having him out on the water with us.
The big decision for me is whether to use a new sail that I have never sailed with. I made a last minute decision to order a new sail and was unable to get it before the boats had to leave. My old reliable has worked well for me at the last 3 Master's Nationals and has been a really good sail. It is getting a little long in the tooth though and probably is starting to suffer a bit in the breeze. The trouble with new sails is that they do require a little bit of a break-in period and they can be a little stiff and draft forward in lighter winds when they are new.
I will probably go out on Thursday with the new sail and see how it looks. If the forecast for the first day is light to medium wind, I will probably go with my older sail and hope for the best. If it looks to be a breezy forecast, I will go with the new sail and take my chances.
The competition looks to be tough with last years winner Peter Vasella entered along with Mark Bear and Peter Shrope from the Newport, RI fleet registered. I am sure there will be others that I haven't raced against before who will be tough. Hopefully, I can figure out who the top local is and try and keep an eye on where they are going and sail well enough to be in the hunt!
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