Are the results posted anywhere Simon? I mean the full race by race results? I just want to confirm I was actually last on all the races I did finish...
For me it was an interesting experience as it was my first time doing a multi day regatta and my first time in this kind of wind. Not to mention the facts that I rigged my spinnaker wrong for the first race so I went down at the windward mark trying to raise it. Of course I didn't understand why I capsized, so I had to do it again... One of my batten went bye bye in the second capsize. I finished the race dead last with no spi on the downwind legs.
I started the second race, but the constant flapping of the top of my main without battens worried me, so I headed ashore after one lap, bought a new batten from the shop, trimmed it, drilled it, installed it and rerigged the spi properly this time. Unfortunately by the time I finished my DIY the third and final race of the day was already started. Doh.
On the first race on Sunday I broke my tiller extension while jybing at the gate (don't ask me how, I have no idea!) so I continued to the top mark without being able to trapeze, went back ashore, swapped the tiller extension and rushed to the finish. So I only did two laps there, dead last again I expect.
The second race I capsized on the last jybe around the gate, it took me forever to get the boat back up again, and I finished last, again! So late they didn't even sound the horn for me because the start sequence was already going! The wind was still building up at this point, and I was drained so I headed home...
Takeover note:
* I was never in the groove upwind, it felt slow for the wind, and I have no idea why. I need to figure out why I have so much healing moment and not enough forward movement for it.
* 20+ knots of wind is scary downwind. Exhilarating and fun, but scary. Fast too, I've never been that fast downwind before, spray everywhere.
* Try everything when going out for a shakedown before the race, that include the spinnaker!
* Always tape the batten strings
* That many boats on the water is insane. Especially on Saturday where the two courses intersected, so you have 160 boats running in different directions and you are there trying to pick your way through the parade of dart 18 going to their B mark. The gate was quite interesting as well, because we where sharing the course with F18, Spitfire and Hurricanes, and when all those boats crossed mayhem ensued (As Mark unfortunately experienced)...
* That was fun, I need to do that again!
