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
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