Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Radial Worlds Report from Isabelaa Bertold
Prior to attending this event I had set expectations for myself primarily on how I have sailed in the past. I was concerned with my ability to get off of the start line, but felt confident in my speed and tactics.
I can proudly say that in the 6 races sailed and countless general recalls my worst start was the first one, and it by no means was a terrible start. I would grade it a B minus simply because I set up in a sag and failed to recognize that I did.
I never got to test my big breeze boat speed, the thing that I had been focusing on all season long, simply because the condition never occurred. The first race was the windiest and was sailed in gusts of 15 knots, steady 12ish.
I was quick all around the race course but I was sailing by the tactics that I had memorized, often sailing semi brainless. It was after the first day that I realized that to get to the next level I had to turn my brain on and actually begin to understand the game of sailing, rather than memorize it.
Just to clarify, this was not the first time I had thought about this. I had started making more educated decisions on legs of the race course particularly down winds this past winter, this was just the first event I was able to clearly identify the need I had to actually begin to understand tactics.
The following day I did an excellent job of identifying reasons for everything I did out on the race course. I started down near the pin because I believed it was favored despite 80% of the fleet starting at the boat. Sure enough, in both races the gun went and we all flipped immediately and I found myself on top of the fleet.
Following the start I sailed the remaining race asking myself, where is the pressure, am I on the lifted tack? And where is the rumb line? In the first race it worked beautifully and I finished almost winning the race and wishing my final roll tacks wouldn’t have been complete duds.
It was the second half of the second race however that I fell back into my routine. I had planned on going high road on the first downwind but the final puff filled in on the low road and I lost somewhere around 15 boats on that downwind. The second upwind was then sailed by my memorized tactics of, well I think this looks good, and I think I see a lane over there, better get to there.
With all my focus on where the fleet was and where my boat was relative to them in comparison to past events that have occurred in my sailing life I managed to sail myself, on a knock, into the dead right corner… loosing essentially the remainder of the fleet.
The following day I went back to focusing on what I now refer to as the basics. Get a good start and the end that I have decided is the favored end, and then sail my boat to where I want it to go almost ignoring the fleet. I had a fantastic start and won the left side of the racecourse. Unfortunately I had played the wrong side as a right wind shift that came in halfway up the beat stayed for the remainder of the upwind. Despite winning my side I rounded the top mark 25th. I continued to chip away, however, that final beat I fell into my routines, memorized method of one tacking the last little upwind out to the right corner… I lost 8 boats on that last upwind only to finish 21st in the race.
The next day I once again had an excellent start tacked when I wanted to and made sure that I played out my game plan. I miscalled some lifting pressure and had to double tack halfway up the first beat costing myself around 8 places. I rounded the top mark in 20th and continued to work hard in the dying breeze to pass boats. On the downwind I focused to try and stay near the rumb line and I sailed much more aggressive reaching gybe angles than the fleet and reached the bottom gate in 12th.
It was the following upwind where I really could not have done anything differently… partway up the second beat the wind shifted approximately 100 degrees to the right and then continued shifting right. I lost half the fleet on that upwind and unfortunately no further marks on the racecourse were moved, and the wind never came back. I continued fighting to pass the boat in front of me but never caught back up to a decent finish.
And those six races where the only races sailed at this years worlds.
It was a bittersweet worlds this year. I left the event frustrated, eager to race, and disappointed in my result. There were many moments from the first day that I wanted back, but I have not yet invented time travel and therefore will never have them back. I successfully executed my starts and for the first time ever I can give reasons for why I did things out on the race course with relevance to the wind, marks, and current, in comparison to my usual reasons being memorized fleet positioning items.
When I put myself under results pressure I fell back into my usual way of sailing, and by usual way I mean my level of trying to sail a little practice race at Saturday training, which never seemed to help the situation. I still wish that I had more consistent downwind boat speed, and of course I can always be faster all around the racecourse.
Looking forward I feel that the way to improve my results is to go and race. I need to feel much more confident still on the start line, and particularly making decisions up along the race course.
Lastly, there is one thing that is for sure. Never have I felt as motivated as I do now, never have I wanted to go and race this bad, and never have I felt more ready to reach the next level.
Isabella
Canadian Youth Champs 2010
The team had planned a big trip out east this summer, starting with the CYA Youth Championships which was held at Neapean Sailing Center in Ottawa from Aug 1-4th. Kyle Martin, Alex Heinzemann, Joanna Moore, Gabe Frame, Alex Kroitzsch, Sophia Miller-Vedam, Tom Roehrl and Dominic Fritz flew out to compete in the regatta.
Sailing on the Ottawa River was really tricky. The first couple days of racing was really light and shifty. The sailors were all very patient though with lots of waiting on the water for wind to get some races off. The last day of racing started off light, but there was a super quick switch and it got up to 18 knots for part of one the races. It was really great to have a bit of wind finally!
The kids learned very quickly they had to stay on their toes and keep an eye out up the course looking for the puffs and shifts. On day two the wind shifted to the south and now the puffs appeared to be dominated by the clouds so we all spent a lot of time looking up trying to figure out which side of the course would be favored for the next race. The other key to success was looking a long ways up the river to see what would be coming down to the course for that race.
Alex Heinzemann dominated in the Laser fleet, having just come back from the Youth Worlds held in Turkey. Kyle Martin also got off to and exceptionally good start and sailed one of his best regattas. At the last minute Dom decided to switch over to full rigs for this regatta, as it was the Youth Worlds qualification event for 2011. It was a bit of a change but he was sailing really well and getting on great in the new boat. Tom also sailed well, having great starts and some really good results.
In the Radial girls fleet, Joanna Moore was also at the front of the fleet. Sophia was learning lots; it was a very big learning curve for her as this was her first ever away event and her first ever National regatta.
In the Radial boys fleet, Alex Kroitzsch was a bit up in down with his results but he had some great races, and Gabe Frame was putting in a strong showing with some really great moments and really good starts.
In the end Alex H finished 1st, Kyle finished 2nd and qualified for the 2011 Youth Worlds which will be held in Croatia. Tom finished 8th overall and Dom finished 12th.
Joanna sailed a great last day and finished 1st in the girls fleet, and Sophia learned lots finishing 25th. Alex K and Gabe also had an exceptional last day and moved up to finish 5th and 8th respectively in the boys fleet.
Jen
Laser US Nats 2010
After the youth champs was finished, we packed up the trailer in a massive thunderstorm and got everything ready to head down to Milwaukee for the US Nationals. After the 16 hour drive to get there we were all ready for a day off.
The rest of the team started arriving in Milwaukee on Aug 6th. 11 sailors competed in the US Nationals; Becky Power, Isabella Bertold, Natalia Montemayor, Alex K, Alex H, Tom Roehrl, Kyle Martin, Dom Fritz, Gabe Frame and Cameron Ho.
The conditions in Milwaukee for the regatta were really tricky. The first couple days of the regatta the mornings were foggy and really humid with hardly any wind on the water. The first day of racing, the full rigs got 3 races off in really light tricky conditions and the radials sailed 2 races.
Friday, the second day of racing, there was lots of fog and no wind. The sailors were postponed ashore due to threat of thunderstorms and limited visibility on the water. It was a long day of waiting, and at 3 pm they blew racing off for the day.
On Saturday the races were set to start one hour earlier at 10am. It was another really light day; there was a postponement on water well we waited for the wind to fill in. The wind started off offshore, but half way through the first radial race, it died and did a 180 to the seabreeze direction. That race was abandoned and more waiting was done while the race committee reset the course. Only one race was sailed on Saturday.
On Sunday, there was no fog on the lake, which was a good sign. The day started with a 12- 15 knots offshore breeze and steadily picked up from there. Four good races were sailed on Sunday. It was a long day and was a definite test of fitness for the sailors. Isabella dominated in the Radial fleet, winning 3 of the 4 races by a ways. Which also moved her up to finish 1st overall.
Becky was up and down on Sunday but had a couple great results and finished 12th overall. Natalia also had a great day on Sunday, but unfortunately she was black flagged in the last race and ended up 20th. Cameron had some really good moments, especially in the lighter races and finished 33rd. Alex K was 36th, Gabe was also unfortunately black flagged in the last race and ended up 39th.
In the full rigs, Alex H finished 5th, Kyle was 15th, Tom was 26th, and Dom was 27th.
Congratulations to all the sailors on some exceptional results at these events!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Laser Gulfcoasts and NA's 2010
Harold Fritz went to the Gulf coast championships the weekend prior to the NA's and sent a quick report
"Its 34+C & humid here in TX, starts right out in the morning and keeps burning all day. Unbearable without a breeze. Gulf coast regatta not bad - wind wasn't there on the second day till about 1pm. 5 races - no drop (needed 6 for drop). 65 Radials, some international kids too in prep for NAs. Dom finished 17th and Becky 23. We're getting used to the heat...slowly."
Dominick Fritz, Becky Power, Kyle Martin and Ricardo Montemayer attended the North Americans , both the events were held in Galveston Bay in southern Texas. The event had well over 200 competitors across 3 fleets of Lasers , Radials and 4.7's.
Many of the top Caribbean and central American teams were there in preparation for the central American games. (Ricardo and Natalia are planning to compete for Mexico).
Racing was called off the first day with thunderstorms caused by the exteame heat (40 C). There was no sign of any oil as some had predicted, a pleasant bay to sail in that gets a nice sea breeze most days except when a regatta rolls into town.
The second day the racing went off fine with generally light to medium winds. 3 races for the Lasers and 4 for the Radials. Becky and Dom sailed well in the Radial fleet , unfortunately Dom was OCS in one race and with only 4 qualifying races there was no drop (bad idea). We got into the dock at (pm that day after getting to the club at 8 am. Everyone was ready for bed after a quick dinner.
The final 2 days in the separated fleets was excellent , both Ricardo and Kyle climbed the ranks steadily and Ric finished a strong 9th and kyle a career high 15th.
Becky had great moment in the gold fleet with some tough races and ended a respectable 17th , Dom was disappointed to be in Silver fleet but sailed well to finish 4th.
After a week of 40 plus degrees temps and high humidity it was great to get back to Vancouver summer!
Results are @ http://www.lasernorthamericans.com/
Al
Laser BC Champs 2010
The Kamloops sailing association once again put on an awesome event. There was a great turnout from Royal Van with a trailer full of Opti's and one Radial- Joanna Moore and one Laser Kyle Martin. On the first day of racing there was no wind until around 4 o'clock. The time spent waiting was not wasted, as most of it was spent either tubing behind the coach boat or swimming. At 4 the wind came in and we got 3 races off. The first was in about 20kts of wind and it got lighter after that. We were in around 6:30 just in time for dinner. Kamloops Sailing put on a good show with one of the best regatta dinners I have had in a while. The next day brought more sun and great wind. With racing starting at 10 we got off 4 really solid races in building breeze. By the last race it was up around 30kts according to the race committees wind ex. In the end Joanna won the Radial fleet dropping a 3rd all the rest were bullets and Kyle won the Laser dropping an OCS and winning the rest. The RVYC Optis also brought home a lot of hardware.
by Kyle Martin
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