Thursday Racing - giving it some beans!

Today's racing was looking promising from the start - very sunny, light north wind in the morning, ducks were out etc.

The first race, the wind was still quite light around 8 knots - not our ideal conditions but we knew the wind was going to increase. 

We opted to start around 2 thirds of the way down the line to ensure that we got away clean and as always to stay out of trouble. 

We got away clean enough, waiting for the opportunity to tack onto port to go to the favoured side but the gap only came once we were pretty committed to the unfavoured left side. 

We decided to stick left rather than to chance it up the middle where know-one should ever go. 

Watching the whole fleet so far away on the other side of the lake was quite a strange experience - sometimes looking good, sometimes looking like we were last. We reached the windward mark around 14th so not bad considering the light wind. 

Downwind nothing much except the usual procession then up the next beat - in front was the boat SUI 22 - the one that is standing in 9th place that we have to beat - we went low and for speed beneath him (our new strategy for dealing with traffic) and totally smoked him. I'd like to think that when he saw us cross in front on the starboard tack he'd said to his crew ' how the f*** did that happen?'  - He probably did.

Then on the final downwind we managed to power past another boat just before the finish line.  Very nice too.

 

Race 2 (or 7) the wind had started to come up into our kind of conditions probably between 15 and 18 knots. 

We hit our 'standard' start very nicely, tacked onto port after a minute or two and then started sailing low and fast - it felt like either we were cheating or that we were sailing a different boat to the others - sailing past other boats like they were standing still.  (after the racing our upwind boat speed was the talk of the boat park - 'did you see how quick  GBR 7 was going up wind?'  ' yeah, they sailed past us like we were standing still')

It looked like we had 1st for a bit but when Kostas and Dannis tacked they were a good couple of boat lengths ahead. 

We reached the windward mark in 3rd, got done by the Australian Windrush team on the gybe and then started cursing downhill. 

The young light Greek team and another boat got past us by the time we reached the gate - our downwind boat speed was lacking for a reason we couldn't explain.

Upwin, again we were fricken flying, we powered past the Swiss team who had taken us downwind, leading them until the final downwind when they gybed on the inside and got past.

                                                                                    results so far now;

10, 11, 14, 8, 9, 10, 6  (14 is discard at this point)

overall position 10th - next boat in front (SUI 22) is 1 point ahead (he must be sh*tting himself) next behind is 20 points behind. 8th place is 19 points. 

So, going into the last day, if we can stay between SUI 22 and the finish we'll finish 9th, if not most likely 10th. 

Again, we'd like to thank;

James Smith, Peter Reynolds, Bob Bennett, Mike Ling, John & Ali, Hattie Bennett, Marlene Van Ness, Steve & Christine, windsurfcoaching.com, 3 for 5 Records (evetoadam.com), globalshots.co.uk, Andrew Moore - Felixstowe Ferry Boat Yard, Club Vass Divas, www.wildwind.co.uk

and everyone else who has helped, without your help we wouldn't be here now, so thanks again.