Reviewing all forty four pages of my sailing journal (a pretty disciplined chronically of my regatta races over the last three seasons),for the first time, in preparation for the 2006 Alter Cup Eliminations Regatta, in Santa Cruz, California, I noticed a pretty discouraging self profile has emerged :

1. I typically have (at least) one really bad race per regatta (love that one throw out rule).
2. I don’t “change gears” well. When conditions change between races that next race is typically my worst.
3. I rarely ascend during a race – if I start well, I finish well and when I start poorly, I have trouble passing boats during the race
4. These consistencies are more acute in light air races.
5. I’m a smarter racer now (my journal is recently more thoughtful –I understand more of the essential “Why’s” of my race finishes), but, I’m practicing far less…
6. For me, it’s better to be stupid and well practiced then visa – versa…


Saturday morning, while driving onto the U.C. Santa Cruz campus to pickup Paul Alani, I resolve to focus on the first three weaknesses and let the final placings take care of themselves…
I only knock once and very lightly, before Alani half springs from his apartment, gear and wet suit slung over his shoulder, “ Ahh, Pool” he says, “you’re ready then?”!


Saturday, November 5th:



The PRO has set a windward mark / leeward gate; no “B” mark for this regatta. This is very good news for me as beam reaching is my weakest point of sail ( 150lbs.) and the Hobie 16’s are really fast ( five words I don’t type often), on a beam reach. My strategy for the races includes three important factors: A. a poor start means having to tack away onto the right side of the beat which is much lumpier. Better to drive way up the left and tack onto the rhumb line just below the mark. B. Avoid floating patches of weed that a big swell earlier in the week has disintegrated into floating foil grabbers. C. Watch the hovering fog bank creeping in toward the course as it’ll arrive with much more wind and chop (journal objective #2). and a likely change in wind direction..

Race #1 :

I always try to start in the lee of the fastest Acat because they‘re careful in traffic, go high and clear fast and because they pinch everyone to starboard onto a slow beat or early tack. This works well again and I end up on the left side of the course in clear air, crouched and trapping in about 6 knots... I’m third or fourth (behind the potato chips), ‘round the weather mark; shake off a slow kite set and blast onto the first kite reach of the weekend! I’m first or second at “A” mark on the final lap but (damn “buts…”), reach off into oblivion, or in the general vicinity of Monterey, having somehow forgotten that the gate is above, rather than below, the committee boat. I’m 13th, in a race I should have won, but OK, I’ve used my throw out and scrapped off a little rust….

Race #2 :

Pretty nearly identical to race #1 except I notice Alani / Sailor have gotten it together and are suddenly very fast, also one of the H16’s is flat out smacking the other H16’s which can’t be good for the rest of us when the PN’s are applied. I’m 2nd.

Race #3 :

As the P flag goes up I see the fog roll over “A” mark a mile up the course. I pull on more downhaul, derotate and compliment myself mentally for being ready for the increased wind velocity and newly favored, R.C. Boat side of the line. The self praise becomes barely audible curses as I get pinched off the line and have to tack beside the committee boat! Then, adding insult to injury, that bastard Bernoulli pushes me INTO the starboard side of the committee boat as the fleet fires up the course in 12-15 knots... I look up at an unusually well dressed woman sitting in the stern of the RC with a stop watch in one hand and a sandwich in the other. Embarrassed, I ask if I can use the bathroom on board … I’m 14th. Alani and Sailor win going away…

Race #4 :

I stick with the left side of the course, pick decent angles on the reaches and end up 3rd. On the second lap I’m rolled by Alani in the F18 and watch the breeze vortices swirl off his sails as he disappears silently into the fog – gosh, sailing is a beautiful sport….
After crossing the finish, I sail with the kite all the way back to the yacht club’s dinghy launch and past Doll’s Porpoises playing just above the surf line and Sea Otters pounding their chests like members of the local I14 fleet …We’ve been on the water for over 4.5 hours but its warm and breezy and if Zinnia weren’t waiting at the club to take me on a date downtown I’d keep sailing…

Sunday, November 6th :


Race #5

I’ve sailed out to the course an hour early with two of the best local Acat guys. I want to develop a strategy for the day and find the magical sail shape that’ll break my light air curse. The boat and I combined weigh just over 360 lbs. – these should be my conditions… The fleet arrives, first course flag goes up, five minute sequence begins… Damn, I notice the entire fleet is on the pin end of the start line but the other end is clearly favored as indicated by the barely moving flag on the RC Boats mast; idiots ! Then I notice the “connect the dots patches” of dark water that begin at the pin end of the line and form a patch work up the course, while the pressure at my end of the line ends in a massive hole about 20 yards up the course…While trying to pull myself back into the race, I sail past a couple of guys fishing out of an aluminum boat, smoking and speaking in Japanese. Their radio is playing a song I recognize but couldn’t name. The lyric goes:

“Ride the waves and don’t ask where they go. Swim like Lions
through the crests and bathe ourselves in Zebra flesh”


Races #’s 6, 7:

I sing the lyric over and over while the wind drops like the New Years Ball in Times Square. I fail to cover my PN or that of an El Toro.Alani and Jake Sailor in the F18 can't cover their PN either and fall to second...

Zimmia drives home and I scribble in my journal adding a #7 to my Key Areas Of Focus. It reads - #7 "Ride the waves and don't ask where they go. race like Lions thru the crests and bathe yourself in zebra flesh..."Seems as good a goal as any...

PK


PK

Yes it is. I'll keep my eyes open, there may be something of interest at Tradewinds.

Keeping a journal is a great idea, if only I weren't so lazy!? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Maybe in the New Year. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

btw- the song is: "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand" - Primitive Radio Gods.

With their chins raised high as otters indeed do while beating their chests !

Wouter

Good reagings

Hi Paul--

Was in Santa Cruz yesterday; spectacular weather and couldn't believe the number of sea otters!

Hi Paul,

great write up, maybe you can sell the rights to the book. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like my weekend, can only say *#it happens. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Regards Gary.

I finally sorted out my catsailor user!

Cool report Paul, doesn't mention that your 2nd was only 9 seconds off of first on corrected time!