Hello race fans!!
Well, today was the last day of the semi finals, and the top 60 teams only will advance to the finals. The winds were light all day 8 - 12 knots, and that is good for Bob and me.
Race 1: The winds were so light that it was mostly only single trapping conditions, and I am the lucky one that gets to be on the wire when it is light. Poor Bob has to sit on the boat and maybe even hike out with his feet under the hiking straps if it is marginal... We got the boat tuned up exactly as we've been doing every day on the beach and we remembered to check everything. On the way out to the race course, we do some testing to see if it is all working correctly. There isn't much time for that as they were trying to get five races in today so that everyone sailed six races in the semi-finals. And we had a fairly good start right in the middle of the starting line so we were on starboard for a while until about the middle of the course when we tacked over to the right side. As we were getting somewhat close to the starboard when we got a huge header so we tacked. All the boats that thought they were already on the layline were now overstanding and so we actually beat a
number of them around the mark. Very good luck there!!!!!
Down wind was the same as yesterday -- trying to focus on keeping the jib trimmed perfectly and trying to catch some waves. No major mishaps. They shortened the course and we ended up in 13th. Very respectable.
Race 2: Another good start in the middle of the line where we slogged it out for a while with other boats all around us so we tacked out a little earlier than the first race. The wind picked up nicely up at the windward mark and we were double-trapping. I believe we rounded in about 15th, but then we caught some boats during our downwind legs and ended up that race with an 11th.
So now our final scores are 51, 24, 5, 21, 13, 11. It pretty much means that we have qualified for finals!!! We won't know the final standings until the party tonight, so I'll have to give them to you tomorrow. Or you can check the website:
www.hobieworlds.com I heard I was in part of yesterday's video -- hugging the organizer of the regatta, Beto Ponce after our race where we came in 5th. I haven't had a chance to check out the website, but I have heard it is really well done.
A lot of people are taking photos, and hopefully the competitors will be given them after the regatta, so I'll be sure to send along the good ones.
The them for the party tonight is a Cuban festival, and they have set up a huge wooden pirate ship on the beach with giant speakers, a dance floor, food stations, and tables with tablecloths!!!! It is going to be somewhat formal apparently.
So now we have two days of racing left. Only 60 teams sail, so with 60 boats, we are racing the entire day. It is normal to switch boats after every single race, and that will make things tough as well. Wish us luck -- we're hanging with the big dogs now!!!!!
Liza
