- 08.26.06 Qingdao Regatta Report 2
- 08.22.06 Qingdao Regatta Report 1
- 06.20.06 470 European Champs Report
- 05.23.06 ISAF World Sailing Games Report
- 04.30.06 Hyeres Final Report
- 04.15.06 Final report Palma
- 04.11.06 Palma report 2
- 04.10.06 Palma report 1
- 04.05.06 Final report Barcelona
- 03.31.06 Barcelona Report 2
- 03.23.06 Abeam Cup Final Report
- 01.29.06 Rolex Miami OCR
- 01.15.06 North Americans
- 11.30.05 Lightining Worlds
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Good Luck Beijing- Qingdao International Regatta 2006
Report 2
After a layday on Wednesday, the women’s fleet left the dock Thursday morning on a sunny, hot and humid Qingdao day. Despite the forecast for a 7 knot Southeasterly, we towed out to the racecourse in 0-3 knots.
Race #4 4-6 knots filled in just in time for the first start and the right looked good. The ebb current was running upwind at about 4 boat lengths per minute, pushing a few general recalls. Finally the fleet was clean and we had a great start at the pin end. We were one of the first boats to tack onto port in a nice left shift and had a clear lane to the right side of the beat. The majority of the fleet worked left and kept us second-guessing our decision for most of the leg. But the further we worked right, the better pressure we had. When we tacked back onto starboard, the gain was undeniable and we rounded the windward mark in the top 5. We had great speed downwind and passed another boat to end up 4th overall in the race, our best of the series.
Race #5 As the late afternoon loomed, the breeze was losing some of its juice. The current also switched over to the flood, further contributing to the declining conditions. Still, once race behind schedule, the race committee was going for it. The start line was set 15 degrees pin favored, causing a huge traffic jam. At 1 minute to the start there was a left shift, which made crossing the line on starboard impossible. We were not close enough to the line and caught in the wind shadow of 10 boats above us. We tacked to port at 20 seconds and took some sterns in order to get free. We got off the line in the bottom 5. We took port and dug in hard to the right- again, it looked like better pressure further off shore. We found a lane and used our solid speed to round the first mark in the high 20’s. Downwind we concentrated on keeping the kite powered up as the wind was dying. We worked back to 13th place. Despite a bad start, we proved we have the speed to pick through this very competitive fleet. Unable to get another start in the dying conditions, the RC sent us in and determined that they’d use a lay day to complete race #6.
Race #6 We woke up to rain and, gasp, 15 knots of beautiful wind! We were excited for a breezier race and even had to pin down on the way out to the racecourse. The current was running opposite the wind, whipping up beautiful 5foot swells. But once the rain passed, the wind disappeared with it and we were left with 6-8 knots... and 5 foot waves. Upwind was painful as port tack was straight into the waves. We had a great start and held a nice lane to the left side of the course. We rounded the first windward mark in 4th place. We had a late take down and a poor leeward mark rounding at the gate, which cost us 3 boats. We knew we wanted to work right on this second beat but our mistake at the gate was forcing us left. The right came in big and we were caught left. Getting to the mark was agonizing, as we were now working against the current. We finished the race in 14th. Its amazing how one mistake can be so costly in these conditions! Looking back, we should not have let ourselves get force against our game plan but it was a lesson worth learning! Race #’s 7-10 to follow!
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Good Luck Beijing- Qingdao International Regatta 2006
Report 1
Greetings from Qingdao, China, site of the 2008 Olympics! We are here representing the U.S. at the 2006 Qingdao International Regatta, which is a test event for the Olympic Games. The top two teams from each country are invited to compete and the regatta is run as if it was the Olympics, making this a very prestigious event.
We arrived in China on August 14th and immediately began unpacking our boat from the container. Getting used to the heat was the first challenge--- daytime highs reach 90 degrees with 100% humidity. A rare Northerly gradient breeze provided several great training days leading up to the event. Of course, these conditions are nothing like what we’ve seen for the regatta so far!
Racing began two days ago and we’ve completed 3 races. Our 17th, 9th, and 13th place finishes so far are good for a 9th overall out of 37 boats. Both days of racing featured varying on shore breezes under 7 knots and 1-2.5 knots of current flowing perpendicular to the wind. We are quickly learning how much the current effects the wind shifts, starting line and laylines. Sea conditions have calmed down over the past four days as a Typhoon dissipated over Korea, but the sea state remains lumpy and unorganized. This combination of light wind, current and waves has made consistency very difficult for most of the fleet. Also challenging are the 4’ jellyfish hovering near the surface, that love to get stuck on rudders!
Overall, our downwind speed and decisions have been a strong point. During race #3, we pulled ourselves out of the depths of the fleet to pick off 10 boats on the final downwind. Staying upstream in the current and in the pressure are priorities. We need to improve on the consistency of our starts. Holding a lane off the line in these light and lumpy conditions is difficult. It’s all about accelerating with power at the right time.
As we head into a lay day tomorrow, we plan on taking some time to go over the boat. Since we go straight from this event to the Worlds Championships, we want to make sure our equipment is in perfect order. Racing resumes on Thursday and continues through August 30.
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European Championship 2006
We’ve just wrapped up the 2006 European Championships hosted by the Hungarian Yachting Association on Lake Balaton in Western Hungary. We had 5 good training days prior to the event working with coach Morgan Reeser. Working in mostly light conditions and flat water, we concentrated mainly on practice races and trying to get to know the quirky lake shifts. In small group tuning sessions the focus was on upwind speed and tacks with big, powerful rolls. We experimented with moving our mast base aft and our spreaders turned back in an effort to flatten our sails.
The regatta got off to a rocky start when a 40 knot squall made an appearance on day #1 of measurement. Water from the lake was literally blown over the brim, flooding the measurement tent. This caused a 20-hour back up to measure the 171 boats in attendance and left the tent in shambles!
Day #1 of racing served up the best conditions of the regatta: a steady 5-6 knots with marginal trapezing. The 52 boat women’s fleet was split into two for the qualifiers. Our speed and decision making was solid as we posted 6, 10. We were shocked when the Race Committee ended the day at 1:00 PM after just two races—why not use decent conditions and an early day to push a third race?
Day #2 was bright, sunny and warm. Beautiful weather for sure but the wind was on vacation. We waited from 8 AM to 6 PM at the boat park for a breath of wind that would never come. That unused third race from the previous day was looking like a worse idea by the second. Unfortunately, as the fleet found out, this weather pattern continued throughout the week.
Day #3: After a 4 hour postponement ashore, we finally got a race off in drifting conditions. Our pre-start game plan was to work the right side of the course where we saw better pressure. We were far enough from land where this seemed a good idea. We looked great ¾ of the way up the beat until a 30 degree lefty came in. Boats coming off the left went from dismal to rock star status in a matter of seconds. We tried to make some things happen down wind, but were only able to pick our way back to 10th.
Day #4 started exactly as the previous day with a postponement ashore. All the waiting prompted sailors to get creative with their free time in the boat park. The Germans set up a makeshift bowling alley with duct tape and cardboard. At 3PM the RC made a go and the fleet launched in 4 knots. We had a great lane off the start and knew this was another “heads-out-of-the-boat” day. We rounded the top mark in the top 5 and split with the fleet downwind to get some clean air. While most boats gybed to port, we continued on starboard. The wind was extremely light and even keeping the spinnaker floating was a challenge. Unfortunately, the group that gybed away from us caught a knot more of pressure and a header, bringing them down to the mark and over the top of us. We finished the day with a 13, 15.
Within days 5, 6 and 7, the conditions did not improve, allowing just one more race. A total of just 6 races were sailed in 7 days of competition. All 6 races saw under 5 knots, even down to the 2-3 knot range. Very trying conditions. We finished a disappointing 27th overall. Our speed, in general, was above average. We had a few unlucky rolls but we can improve our decision making in the light and shifting conditions.
We have a big chunk of time on U.S. soil this summer which will be spent on physical training, coaching, running clinics, racing in other classes and some lighter training days in the 470. We shipped our regatta boat from Hungary straight to China in preparation for our next regatta: the Pre-Olympic Test Event at the 2008 Olympic venue!
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–2006 ISAF World Sailing Games – 1st place Silver Fleet – 20th place Overall
–470 European Championships Up Next: Balaton, Hungary
Over the past two weeks, we’ve been in Neusiedl, Austria for the ISAF World Sailing Games. This event only rolls around once every four years and is highly unique in comparison to other events on the world circuit. Just two teams are selected from each country and all equipment is provided by ISAF. The 470 is a highly customized boat from team to team. Using the same provided hulls, mast, sails, lines, etc. proved challenging for all competitors. We were granted two practice days in the charter boats prior to the event, barely enough time to get used to the foreign boat before racing. Unfortunately, both of our practice days were spoiled by lack of wind. We would soon find this condition a frustrating recurrence!
Because there were not enough boats to sail the entire women’s fleet at once, there was a qualifying series to separate Gold and Silver fleets. Each day, teams are assigned a charter boat and a fleet. One fleet sails in the morning, the other in the late afternoon, coming in to shore to exchange boats between sessions. Boat assignments are changed each day to assure fairness to all competitors, but means tuning each boat from scratch before racing every day.
Day 1:
Light Northwesterly winds created a small delay for our morning group. When things got a bit more steady, race 1 got underway in 5-13 knots. Our boat speed was a little off upwind but our main problem was playing the 30-50 degree shifts. We could never seem to get in phase or even identify a pattern in the random puffs and finished 11th. Race 2 was a bit more consistent and we were antsy to get racing again. Perhaps too anxious as we started prematurely. And so we began the regatta with an 11, OCS- very in the hole.
Day 2:
Finally some wind! Stronger breezes: NW 16-23 knots and very shifty again. Our upwind decision-making was much better but we struggled to get the boat moving in the bigger breeze. We had great wheels down wind in the half wild mode; however, we always seemed to give up the distance upwind again. We rolled a 6, 6. Decent, but not what we were looking for to rectify our Day 1 finishes.
Day 3:
was a No-Go as the wind failed to show up at all. No wind days usually turn into boat work (a.k.a. “boat improvement days”). However, since everyone was using chartered boats, competitors took to playing soccer, ultimate Frisbee, and homemade kite flying to keep busy!
Day 4:
We needed two good races in a bad way! Up the first beat in the first race, we wanted to play the left side of the course as there appeared to be more pressure. However, we settled for a start closer to the boat end of the starting line, forcing us up the right side of the course. We rode a 50-degree lift on port, which never swung back right. When we flopped back to starboard, it was not a pretty picture. We rounded the mark close to the bottom of the fleet but were able to pass downwind. The RC never shifted the course after the 50-degree lefty. This made the second upwind a one-tack beat, the reach became a deep angle and the last downwind was a fetch. Not many good opportunities to catch boats on such a skewed course. We finished 11th and sailed in for the day.
Day 5:
On the final day of qualifying we enjoyed a strong shifty wind from the NW. We started the race well and rounded the weather mark in 5th place. On the down wind we moved into first place after 2 boats flipped and the others sailed extra distance heading for the wrong mark. Unfortunately, our upwind speed on the next leg was off pace and we moved back to 4th. On our way to the finish, the bow of our boat got caught in a wave and we filled up with water. A few boats past us but we stayed afloat, to finish 6th... This finish was not enough to propel us into the Gold Fleet.
We were disappointed but decided to use the silver fleet as a great opportunity practice to racing in the shifty, random lake conditions. We made huge improvements in staying in phase with the shifts. We won the silver fleet but knew we should have been racing in the Gold Fleet. We are now looking forward to the start of the European Championships on Lake Balaton in Hungary, June 8-19. We are bringing coach Morgan Reeser to this ISAF Grade 1 Event and look forward to reporting back to you with a solid finish!
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-Semaine Olympique Francais Report
Dear Supporters, April 30, 2006 After a great 6th Place finish at the Princess Sofia Regatta, we headed to Hyeres, France for the Semaine Olympique Regatta. Hyeres is known for dishing out some gnarly sailing conditions and the infamous Mistral wind. A day or four of “survival–style” sailing is all but guaranteed at this place. We braced ourselves (and our boat) some heavy air racing; however, it was not to be. Aside from two days, we saw very light and shifty winds–––even some drifters! We finished 13th out of 49 boats.
Day #1
The 49–boat women’s fleet was antsy to launch and rush out to the race area, only to drift around and wait for the breeze to settle. After a few general recalls and postponements by the RC, we started the first race in 4–6 knots. We had a decent start and headed right for the most pressure. The top 8 boats worked right and launched from the fleet in a winding righty. We were lucky to be in this pack and held on for a 7th place finish. During the second race the wind became very unstable, with velocity down to sitting–to–leeward style. We did not have a great start and finding a clean lane in the diminishing breeze was near impossible. We fought to pick back a few boats to finish 22nd. The men‘s race starting behind us was called off.
Day #2
Finally some wind and waves. A freshening Easterly wind produced near perfect sailing: shining sun, 15–18 knots and big waves! The left side of the course was heavily favored and we had great wheels upwind to get us there. We worked the left side and rounded in the top 4. Downwind, the waves got the best of the Czech boat ahead of us in 3rd place as they took a wave too low and death rolled. We moved past the carnage into 3rd in the race, just behind the World Champion Dutch boat and the #2 World-ranked British women. A comfortable lead over the fleet, we crossed the finish line in 3rd only to find we were OCS! We saw the same conditions in race 2 but our start was not good. We could not get to the favored left side soon enough. We had a great downwind to finish a solid 12th.
Day #3
We were looking forward to more great sailing as the forecast predicted similar conditions to the previous day. Upon arriving at the race area, we saw otherwise. The wind was light and very far left with 40 degree shifts. The RC was having trouble deciding where to place the windward mark as shifts were random and unpredictable... so we waited. After a few hours the wind finally grew steady but there were large holes in pressure. A Chinese boat near ran over us at starting line, fouling us badly. This cost our start dearly and we spent the entire race trying to fight back. The course was heavy left–favored again and the entire fleet trucked in one direction. We trucked the opposite way, just hoping that clean air and boat speed could bring us back. The left paid big and we rounded deep, finishing 26th. The wind picked up for the second race of the day. We pinned down, had a great start and motored to the top of the fleet. Downwind speed was superb and our tactical decisions on the fleet earned us a 2nd in the race!
Day #4
The light wind was back. After hours of drifting and numerous general recalls in the men’s fleet, the RC started the women. The race was questionable at best. The fleet struggled to make the windward mark by the specified time limit. We were stuck left in 2–3 knots. The boats that drifted right off the line caught a random puff and sailed across us. We rounded the mark in the 40’s. Downwind was painful! Keeping the spinnaker floating was a challenge and it felt like the leg would never end. We rounded the gate and saw some breeze on the far right shoreline while the left showed nothing promising. Nothing to lose, we threw all the eggs in one basket and headed right. The left looked great early on and we thought we’d made another wrong guess on the day (not our first!). But the wind we saw earlier came down the right. The numbers on the compass were not what we wanted to see, but the pressure meant everything. We passed 20 boats in one leg. As we approached the windward mark for the second time we saw boats stopping. The RC showed mercy and shortened the course, finishing us upwind. We crossed the line in 21. This left us in 13th place overall.
Day #5
With a forecast worst than Day #4’s, the fleet was skeptical if any racing would take place at all. We needed two races badly if we had any shot at making the top 10. Where was the 30 knot Mistral, now??? At 2:30PM a weak SW sea breeze started to form. Desperate for anything, the RC took the postponement flag down and we headed out. The men’s fleet generated a few general recalls but the wind was a steady 8–10 knots. We could actually get on the trapeze! Ominous rain cloud developed on shore and the sea breeze started to diminish. We waited in the drizzle until 5PM when the race day was abandoned. This marked the un–climactic end to the regatta as well, leaving us in 13th overall.
Although the wind gods did not smile on Hyeres, we still took some very valuable lessons home. We did not reach our goal of finishing in the top 10, but a 13th is still respectable. Our speed upwind in 15+ knots and waves is growing more and more consistent. We can now run with the best in the World. There is still much room for improvement on our starts: we need a better batting average at pulling the trigger and holding our lane. Our next chance to work on this is the upcoming ISAF World Sailing Games in Austria, May 7–21.
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-Team GO SAIL Earns 6th Overall at Princess Sofia Trophy, ISAF Grade 2 Event -Now Ranked #7 in ISAF World Rankings
-Semaine Olympique Francais next!
April 15, 2006Dear Supporters,
At the end of day three, we sat in 9th overall with solid and consistent scores. Day 4 & 5 of the Princess Sofia Trophy featured more sun and sea breeze, each day capping off with 10-14 knots. Much of the fleet pushed the left side of the course hard, which is usually heavily favored in typical sea breeze conditions here. However, an Easterly gradient pushing North created some opportunity on the right. We decided not to commit too hard to either side and focus more on choosing good lanes and playing each shift. We had great upwind boat speed in this mid-velocity condition and accelerations off the starting line have gotten much better. We posted scores of 15, 6, 6 on Day #4 which moved us to 8th place overall.
On Day 5, the sea breeze took its time filling in. The left paid early in the first race as the wind diminished. We waited about an hour after the first race for the wind to re-establish itself. This time the right looked like it had more pressure. We had a great start, but our lane forced us to the left side of the course and away from our game plan to go right. We rounded the top mark deep, looking like we might be headed for our first drop race! Downwind we made the decision to break from the fleet in order to find a clean lane and undisturbed water. We picked off about 10 boats by the end of the leg. We continued to make some good decisions upwind and clawed back to a 13th. In our 49-boat fleet, anything in the top 15 is a keeper. Back from the deep! The final race of the day offered the most breeze of the day and our speed was on par with the best. We finished the day with a 10, 13, 6, pushing up to 6th overall. Consistency was paying!
Yesterday was the Medal Race, marking the end of the Princess Sofia Trophy. As many of you know, a new Olympic format was started this year that includes a final medal race featuring only the top ten boats in the fleet. The course is shorter, all scores count double and may not be dropped. We experienced this format at the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta in January. We went into the race in 6th place, needing to beat the Ukrainian team by 6 boats to move to 5th. 1st through 3rd were out of reach. The Israelis and Spanish needed to beat us by more than three boats to push us out of 6th. Protecting our 6th was more realistic than moving to 5th.
This format really forces competitors to play the points game! Our game plan was to start conservatively as an OCS is deadly in a race you cannot drop. We rounded the first mark mid- fleet, keeping tabs on the Spanish and Israelis. We immediately started passing downwind, picking off the Brits and finally the Israelis. We caught a great lift coming off the left side of the course and held on to finish 3rd in the race. However, this did not change our overall 6th place position for the regatta.
This finish bumped us up to #7 in the ISAF World Rankings. 6th at the Princess Sofia is a very solid score and we are pleased. It is now time to persist a top 5 finish. Another chance lies ahead as the Semiane Olympique Francias Regattas in Hyeres, France begins on April 23. We arrive in France on Monday to begin a week of training before the event.
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-Princess Sofia Report 2
-Team GO SAIL in 8th Place after 4 races
The Princess Sofia Trophy is well underway. Last we wrote, we scored a 15th in the first light and shifty race. Yesterday was anything but! We left the harbor on time in a building Northerly gradient. At the start of the first race we saw a steady 15 knots with puffs shooting to 20. Great Sailing!
This was really our first chance this season to test the speed we‘ve been working so hard on against the whole Euro Fleet. We got a great start in the first race and held a clean lane up the beat towards the left side of the course. Our speed was on par with the big girls and we were psyched to round the windward mark in 6th, amongst Olympic medallist and World Champs, past and present. The reach was short and in no time we were pumping and wave-riding down wind. The top 8 separated from the rest of the fleet and settled in. We finished 6th, a very solid score.
Race two saw a firm 17-19 knots in a wonderfully steady Northerly. Our game plan was the same: clean start, hold the lane, work left and round in the top 10. We stuck to it and rounded the weather mark in 6th. Approaching the down wind gate, we had an altercation with the Israeli boat. At the two boat length circle, we hailed, “NO ROOM!” They, however, must have seen something different, because they barged into the space between the mark and us anyway! This hurt our rounding severely and cost two boats. We ended up 8th in Race 2, still a keeper.
Race 3 began in the same wind we‘d seen the whole day. We started in a pack of 4 German boats and didn‘t get a 100% clean lane off the line. Turned out two of these Germans were OCS! We worked the left hard, trying to burn past the boats in our pack and ended up too committed. Approaching the windward mark on port, we sailed right under the entire Finn fleet, already on their reach, and rounded in 12th. We set on our reach, eager to make up some ground……until our gybing ball blew through it‘s mark on our spinnaker sheet. We had to pause for a fix, very costly on a reach as other boats planed by us. We were able to make up some ground down wind, clawing back to a 14th place finish.
After 4 races we sit in 8th place out of 49 women‘s boats with scores of: 15, 6, 8, 14. We are currently postponed ashore on Day 3 of racing, waiting for wind. Our goal here is to finish in the top 10. So far, we are on pace!
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-Princess Sofia Trophy Begins
-Crazy First Race!
After 4 great days of training in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, the classic scenario of sailing held true: the great conditions you practice in almost NEVER show up for the racing! During practice we had a steady 5-10 knots of sea breeze and great waves gave us a chance to test our speed and maneuvering with some new faces. All of thetop sailors in the World are here for this annual event, creating a very deep 49 boat Women’s fleet.
Some pre-regatta confusion over the official starting date immediately set the fleet into a frenzy. Many competitors thought the racing began on Monday, April 10. A late surprise posting to the NOR on Friday indicated otherwise. The racing started a day early to support the new Olympic format.
85 Men‘s 470‘s plus 49 Women‘s boats equals one hectic launching area and racecourse! The men‘s fleet was split into two qualifying fleets but the decision was made by the RC to race the women as one “mega-fleet.” Oh yes, and we are also sharing our race course with the Finn Class. Four separate races on one course!
The forecasted breeze was for a tricky, shifty Easterly. Many were skeptical of a start at all….and then the first horn sounded.
After one general recall, we had a great start in a clean lane working up the first beat. We decided to play left as the sea breeze appeared as though it wanted to fill in. This decision paid as we hit a nice lefty in the final third of the leg. So nice a lefty it was, we overstood by 10 boat lengths. This dropped us from 5th to about 12th around the windward mark.
The first reach was light but not much change in position occurred. Downwind was a different story. The outer loop was very close to the shoreline which is high and cliffy. The breeze mixing down off the land and the gradient created a washing machine type effect with the wind. Positions changed hands like money in a casino. We played it a bit conservative, just trying to deal with what was around us. A fleet inversion was looming!
The second upwind was no better as the sea breeze was putting up a new fight to fill in. But the Southwesterly wouldn‘t have it––boats on two separate tacks had almost the same angle to the mark. Some of the leaders worked left but we chose to work right to the closest wind line. A big case of making due with what you‘ve got! This kept us centered on the fleet but did not make any big gains for us.
The conditions began to rapidly deteriorate and the last downwind was just a matter of trying to keep forward motion. A few of the boats in the bottom 10 were able to break into the top 15 as the Southwesterly filled down the course.
We ended up 15th out of 49. Certainly not a stellar race, but not as bad as it could have been. Some competitors fell victim to the conditions and came up with a tanker. After 20 minutes of waiting for the next race, the RC abandoned any further racing for the day and sent us to shore. A very wise decision as the wind disappeared on the tow into the club.
Tomorrow‘s forecast is for a bit more breeze from the Northeast which is not a great direction! The RC is now under pressure to get more races in and we are guaranteed a long day on the water tomorrow.
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-Team GO SAIL 2nd at Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week
-Training begins in Palma
Yesterday was the final day of racing for the Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week. Behind the first place Spanish women by a mere point, we were itchy to get on the water for our scheduled three races. We launched on time--- however, it was a major case of hurry-up-and-wait! When we reached our race area the wind was a shifty 2-5 knots.
After an hour of pondering, the race committee finally decided on a heading for the windward mark and set the course. Our plan of attack was a clean start with the fleet while keeping tabs on the Spanish women, who we needed to beat. We did not pull the trigger fast enough at the starting gun and struggled to find clean lanes up the first beat. We rounded the first mark deep.
We set on the reach and kept ourselves high, knowing the current should set us down the mark. This move paid dividends as much of the fleet was caught low in bad air. Downwind was a fight to keep the kite full and the boat as powered-up as possible. We chose a great route, freed ourselves from traffic, and caught a nice righty down the run to take 15 boats back!
We focused on finding pressure up the second beat and playing each 5 degree shift. Instead of committing to a side, we positioned ourselves in the middle of the course, not allowing either side to gain too much leverage on us. Again we gained, rounding the second windward mark in 8th overall.
We picked off two more boats on the final downwind and finished the race 6th overall and 3rd in the women’s fleet. The Spanish women finished well behind us but used the race as their drop. We needed one more race!
Despite a valiant attempt by the Race Committee, more racing was not to be! What little wind existed was fickle and shutting down. We ended the event in 2nd place, missing first by one point.
Overall, we were happy with the finish but we still have lots to work on! We will continue to focus on our starts and upwind tactics. As our coach, Skip Whyte, pointed out, our speed around the racecourse in waves was the most consistent it has ever been. Our decisions at the leeward mark have improved tremendously.
We now head to Palma for a few days of training before the Princess Sofia Regatta begins. Thank you to Skip Whyte, Atlas Gloves, KINeSYS Performance Sunscreen, Native Eyewear and training partners Mikee Anderson and Dave Hughes. A huge thanks to Bill Mergenthaler for shipping a forgotten box of sails all the way to Palma!!!
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-Barcelona Report #2
-Team GO SAIL Leading Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week after 6 races!
Six races down, up to seven left to sail and one drop already considered in the Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week Regatta! We are leading the women’s pack by one point over the top Spanish ladies and five points ahead of the Greeks, sitting in third. The Spanish skipper won Silver in the 2004 Athens Olympics and has consistently been top 5 in the world over the past 6 years. Our speed against hers, upwind and down, has been great.
The men’s and women’s fleet are sailing together which has given us a great chance to test our starts and speed against the more physical boys.. The focus is on getting a clean start and choosing good lanes up the first beat. Although we’ve come a long way in these areas since January, there is more room for improvement.
In the final two races yesterday, the right side of the first beat was heavily favored. Getting right early in the race was the most important move! This meant braving a crowded boat-favored starting line in order to tack onto port soon after the start. However, we chose a middle-of-the-line start to avoid the masses. This seemed logical until we realized sailing on starboard for even 100 boat lengths was too far. We look forward to more opportunities to get a great start with the masses!
Downwind, catching waves with efficient kinetics is paramount! As we mentioned in our pre-regatta report, the chop, waves and swell have been a tricky combination to deal with in regards to consistent speed. Conditions have ranged from 5-15 knots, mostly from the Barcelona sea breeze direction.
We are currently postponed ashore waiting for wind. Three races are scheduled for today.
Return to top.Return to top. -4th Place Abeam Cup 2006 - Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week Training
Since our last email, we competed in a 4 day regatta in Japan, took three days off at home and started our training for the upcoming Spring European circuit in Barcelona.
This year’s Abeam Cup in Sajima Harbor, Japan was vastly improved over last year’s event. Over three days we completed 15 races in a range of 5-18 knots. Our San Diego training in February prepared us well for the open water conditions of Sajima. After battling some spinnaker halyard issues in our charter boat, we found our speed and won two races, ending up in 4th overall (an improvement over our 6th place finish last year). The top Japanese women’s teams occupied places 1 through 3 overall, and proved to be very tough and quick on their home waters. Above all, we found great friendships and solid training partners for upcoming events!
After returning from Japan, we took three very busy days at home in NY/NJ to unpack and re-pack in preparation for our month of competition in Europe. On Monday, our boat arrived safely from Miami and all in one piece. We’ve had two great days of training so far in Barcelona so things are off to a smooth start! Sailing is in the open Mediterranean where a range of conditions is possible. In training so far we have found one constant: bumpy water. There is a giant sea wall that waves bounce off of, creating a unique chop. Catching and staying on waves downwind is very important while upwind speed and pointing is a challenge in the confused wave pattern each tack is different. We expect some light air days and 20+ knot days over the 4 day event.
The Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week racing begins this Saturday and is an ISAF grade 3 Event. Traditionally, this is the first big event leading into the 470 season and, as we call it, the ”Grand Euro Tour“!
We are very excited about the competition in Barcelona as the men’s and women’s 470 fleet will sail on the same course. This will be great training to test our speed and physical sailing in combination with improving our tactics. Our focus this regatta will be on improving our starts in a big fleet, upwind boat speed in waves, chop and swell and downwind tactics, especially at the leeward gate.
Return to top.TEAM GO SAIL TAKES HOME THE BRONZE MEDAL AT THE 2006 MIAMI OLYMPIC CLASSES REGATTA
-Team Go Sail 2008 ranked #1 on 2006 US Sailing Team
-Bronze Medal at Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta
After the North American's we trained hard for a week before the start of the Rolex Miami OCR. The fleet grew even tougher than the NA's when the Czech women's teams joined the fun (they were 4th at the 2005 Worlds) and a very quick team. This was also the final regatta to decide a winner for the US Team ranking system. We started the regatta with three days of very inconsistent sailing. After 6 races our scores were: 1, 12, 1, 10, 7, 1, 11, 2 which left us tied for 5th place and emotionally exhausted! Going into race day 4 our coach, Morgan, helped settle some of our nerves. We got out to the course early and had plenty of time to study the wind patterns and check our set up to make sure our speed was up. In a 15 knot North Easterly, we found our groove and sailed very disciplined. We ended the day 6, 3, 3 and moved up to third overall.
The Final race of the OCR was a new format: only the top 10 boats in a fleet sail the "Medal Race," scores count double and the race cannot be dropped. In other words, the pressure was on not to have a tanker! We followed the same schedule as the previous day and kept our boat set-up the same, knowing we were fast. The breeze built to around 20 knots by our start time and the nerves were definitely up. All we needed was a solid finish to keep ourselves in medal position.
After getting flushed off the starting line, we got clear and had a conservative first beat. Downwind, we chose to transfer into "half-wild" mode where the crew hops on the wire with the spinnaker up. This enables the planning boat to start skipping over waves at a hotter angle. The gain was huge and we were able to catch two boats downwind. On the second beat we played a great left shift and picked up two more boats, moving us up to 3rd place in the race. Our goal on the second downwind was to sail clean and avoid any disasters. We were successful, crossing the line in third place. This secured a Bronze Medal for the event and our 1st place ranking for the 2006 US Sailing Team. In the overall regatta, we beat the reigning world champions by 2 points and the next closes US boat by 15 points!
Lessons Learned:
1) Consistency is your friend! We cannot start a regatta out by taking too many chances early on. Our scores resembled swiss cheese: sometimes solid, followed by a big, empty hole! It is much more effective to be conservative and keep in check with the fleet.
2) Coaching is necessary. Having Morgan Reeser train with us and on the water for a major event like the OCR was unbelievably valuable. We must fundraise to have a coach at more high profile events.
3) Boat Maintenance Pays Off. It is a necessary part of our sport yet we all loathe it: boat work. We devoted much of our training time since December to improving and maintaining our equipment and pay off was large. We had zero breakdowns in any race. Great because we were never taken out of a race by equipment failure. Bad because we then had no one to blame but ourselves!
We are actively fine-tuning our Spring 2006 schedule before taking some time off at home. Our updated schedule can be found on our schedule page. We look forward to a great European circuit and making even larger gains!
Stay tuned!
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TEAM GO SAIL FINISHES 2nd AT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
-December/January Training Wrap-UP
- 2nd Place Finish at 2006 North American Championships
Team Go Sail 2008 just wrapped up a very important and successful two months of sailing on Miami's Biscayne Bay. We arrived here in mid-December in order to train for the North American's and the Rolex Miami OCR. Not only were these two ISAF Grade 1 Events, but the final of three regattas used to determine the 2006 US Sailing Team Rankings.
Much of our training was focused on improving our starts, tactics and boat speed around the racecourse. In order to help us accomplish this, we were fortunate enough to work with Morgan Reeser as our coach. Morgan earned a Silver Medal at the 1996 Olympics in the Men's 470 Event and has a most impressive resume! Throughout our training we saw a wide array of sailing conditions- everything from 0-5 knots and flat water to 35 knots in steep Biscayne chop. We made huge gains in our upwind speed in the 15-22 knot wind range.
The North American 470 Championship was January 14-16, hosted by the US Sailing Center. The women's fleet was stacked: the #1, #2, #3 and #5 ranked boats in the world were all here as well as the current reigning world champions. Day one of racing was blown out as a massive cold front delivered 30-35 knots worth of Northwesterly breeze. Day two was light and shifty. We did a great job with fleet placement, tactics and playing the compass. At the end of day two we were tied for first place with the #1 ranked boat in the world, the French. We were hoping for a chance to win the regatta, but by day three there was no wind left, races were cancelled and the regatta was over leaving us in 2nd place overall. Disappointed we didn't get our chance to win, we were still pleased to race so well in tricky conditions in a very competitive fleet.
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AMANDA FINISHES 9TH IN CHILE AT THE 2005 LIGHTNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Amanda with the team of Victor Lobos and Will Brown Competed at the 2005 Lightning World Championship in Con Cón, Chile over Thanksgiving week. The venue provided strong wind and large waves for tricky sailing conditions. The team had a strong beginning to the regatta with a highlight on day one of winning the 2nd race.
Day two of the regatta provided even more excitement for the team as some of the key crews in the regatta had a bad race. With consistency and to more top ten finishes Amanda Victor and Will moved into 1st place overall! Day 3 turned into a lay day do to lack of wind and pouring rain. Amanda and team return back after the lay day strong, to maintain the lead for one more race. But top 15 finishes were not quite enough for the team to hold on to first and the team moved back to 5th overall. Day 5 was a tricky day for the team. With another top ten finish in race one, race two turned into the teams drop race with the biggest breeze of the regatta. The race was shortened to 3 legs and the fleet was sent in for safety. Amanda and team took their drop race after getting forced to the unfavored right side of the race course on the first leg. The final race of the regatta the team finished in the low twenties, an ok finish for a race which they rounded the weather mark in 4th to last after getting caught on the wrong side of the course.
For Amanda this was her 2nd major Lightning regatta and a strong finish in a boat she has only sailed a few times. Sarah also competed in the Lightning Worlds she sailed with John Faus. Amanda and Sarah's next event is not till January, but they are heading down to Miami for some key training in 470's this December.
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