... 5 races were done with maybe 1 out of the 5 being "quality" racing where it wasn't just about who was in the right place at the right time.
I used to moan about "crapshoot" races too - until I realized that a handful of sailors consistently won them. They couldn't have been "in the right place at the right time" so often simply by luck. Sometimes, yes, the gods pick a boat and give it private wind around the course, but that is not typical. These races are usually won by sailors who play the odds for maximum return and minimum risk - much like poker.
I don't think Jake's (and others') success was due to luck, or rig tune. They did it by reading the wind, keeping their momentum, adjusting sail trim, and maintaining concentration. Go where the wind is, "present your boat for Mother Nature" (a la Buddy Melges), and you'll do well.
The first race at Catfest was started in almost no air, and light chop. A very light breeze came in across the course pretty evenly (I thought). I just concentrated on sailing with speed.
The second race brought more chop, and light flukey winds. The breeze seemed a bit better on the left side of the course, but the big factor was sail trim. The oscilliations were coming faster than I could steer, so I had to point low and adjust the sails constantly. The waves were a big consideration too, as they could stop a boat dead. This race was frustrating for me, as I got out of phase with the shifts and tacked into a bunch of headers.
The third race brought a persistent wind shift to the right. The people who recognized the shift and went right cleaned up. I misread the wind on the first weather leg, but caught up by sailing the right side thereafter. The wind was very squirrely around the weather mark, and it was tough to round.
Sunday's first race (number four) had flat water and nice, reasonably steady wind. Not enough for me to trap out, but I did hike hard a few times. The course, and start were port favored. I started on port tack at the pin, jumped out to an early lead, and spent the race extending.
The fifth race was also very port favored at the start but had little wind. I couldn't make it all the way to the pin before the gun, so I started mid-line on port tack. The wind lightened further, and then filled in from the left. Those boats who were watching tacked towards it immediately, caught the breeze, and pulled away. I stayed in the middle-left, tacked early, and rode a nice lift to the mark. I kept near that lane for the rest of the race and pulled ahead until the wind died. A catch-up wind brought the fleet closer on the last leg, but it petered out behind me and I drifted across the finish line. At one point, I was sailing on an apparent wind generated by the chop rocking my boat.
So, we had a variety of winds: moderate and steady, light with rapid oscillations, clocking, and patchy. The water ranged from flat, to light chop, to close-packed tall motorboat wake. The favored side of the course switched from race to race. The starts were port-favored, sometimes so heavily that you couldn't fetch the pin on starboard tack.
Jake read the changing conditions right and sailed his boat to 5 firsts. Nigel had one difficult race, but dominated the low-portsmouth division overall. I was frustrated during the second and third races (I had trouble with the chop), but was mollified when I saw the overall high-portsmouth standings.
The social aspect of Catfest was great. The group was laid-back and friendly. The weather (off the course) and facilities were fantastic. I'm glad that Joleen and I went. I only wish that more people could have made it.
Regards,
Eric