How about a view from the back-middle for a change? I did win ONE race, after all, and it will probably be a while before it happens again. The third race on Sunday I thought had the best wind all day; fairly steady and good velocity. I got a very good start near the pin; laid back off to starboard of the RC boat until one minute, and had room to reach down the line and harden up right at the gun with full speed. Nabeel, Jim Graham and myself were pretty much by ourselves in that corner. Nabeel pinched up from under me, and I decided that I didn't want to tack, so I slowed a little and footed off under him to get clear air again. We all tacked back towards the mark together (cross 'em when you can), but I think Nabeel may tacked before Jim and I. In this race the left side definitely paid off versus going right early; Jim and I never had anyone else get close to us. Clear air is great! Just enough downhaul to get out the wrinkles; I put some vang on but I think there was enough wind to sheet the main hard but not enough to have to ease. I do remember thinking it was time to tack back to starboard to stay in the middle, and then catching a nice little lift. That shifted back so I tacked, then caught a nice little lift on that tack, too. I had to duck Jim coming back towards the mark on port, but Jim was below the lay line, and I knew he would have a tough time crossing me when we met again. Jim came in right at the mark on port and tacked under me; a risky move on his part but I was overstanding a bit, so no harm no foul. However, he slowed down with his tack and pinching and close turn, and I ran over the top of him going downwind. I worked left to protect the inside, sailing by the lee on starboard. Steve Yelland had great downwind speed and caught up at the leeward mark, but I had inside rights AND was on starboard tack versus his port, so I took my time and had a very good gybe and rounding. Steve immediately tacked off on starboard behind me; wish I could maneuver like that. I stayed on port to get out from under the fleet coming down, and to build speed and concentrate on a good tack. When I finally tacked, Steve was higher but way off to leeward. I stayed on this tack until he finally tacked back to port, and I saw that I would cross easily. I made another careful tack to cover him, and from there it was an easy sail up to the line and one final tack to starboard to cross and hear that sweet horn. Good start, clear air, playing the middle, being on the right side of the shifts, good mark roundings, protecting the inside, covering the nearest threat. Gee, just like the books. All of this is fine but you need boat speed to get some of them, and the good velocity gave me speed. I am definitely down-speed in really light air, and my tacks are also slow in light air. In more wind my tacks get better and the boat feels faster, and maybe I can hike hard once in a while, too. Anyway, everything came together for one short period. In the very next race, I got another good start, got pinched up again, and this time I tacked away. The wind got a little light again, and poof, I'm tacking too much and going nowhere, and welcome back to the tail end. On the last race, I tried to start at the pin end, and the wind there TOTALLY goes away, and then I get stubborn hoping for a miracle shift and stay on port, and I end up so far DFL that I go in early. So there you have it; one race a bullet by doing everything right, and one race DFL by doing everything wrong. Nice day. Motivation for the middle pack guys not to give up; even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then. |
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