Surfin' in Nassau

Andy Beadsworth reports on a lively couple of races at the Star Western Hemisphere regatta

With 20-25 Knots big waves and sun, iit was an awesome days sailing! In both races today, the committee opted for triangle courses opposed to the normal up and down. There was some spectacular reaching, surfing on big waves. Another new experience.

Today we opted to go back to our standard mainsail and a more familiar set-up. The forecast was for less wind than yesterday, however there was more.

Race 1 we started in the middle of the line,. Again the fleet were shy and we got a jump on the group around us. Our speed was much better than yesterday (quite a relief). We worked the shifts to the left but the big gains were right and we rounded the windward mark just out side the top 10. We didn't play the final shifts into the mark so well we dropped a couple.

We had a blinding first reach and a lot of fun, although not really sure what is fun about being blinded and drowned, while having a salt water enema! We took three boats and put a lot of distance on the pack behind, although the leaders had really got away.

The gybe at the wing mark was full of anxiety but a couple of tips we had picked up from others like firing the vang mid-gybe served us well - we were on the plane all the way through the gybe. Ye Ha.

We didn¹t take the hint that the right was big for the next beat and lost a couple on the second beat but had a good run to hold our tenth place although still not dynamite, but better than yesterday.

The Race committee got straight into the second race with some of the competitors being caught unaware missing both the 5 min and 4 min warning signals. We had taken the hint regarding the right on this start and won the committee boat and won it well. However we were not brave enough to tack straight out to the right and let some of the fleet with bad starts take the initiative. However we were in good shape, among the top few. After about four mins George Szabo tacked onto starboard a few boat lengths away. He was right of way and it was a tight cross for us. I decided that there was no way he would want us to tack and bounce him straight back so we decided to cross, this is pretty normal. As the boats converged it was clear we were not crossing by about 18 inches but it was too late for us to do anything about it. Only Szabo could do that now, and he luffed into a crash tack to avoid us - a strange decision as it cost him dearly, and he could have easily ducked behind us for almost no loss. Anyhow we were in the wrong and did our turns. It hurt quite a bit as we were fighting in the leading group for the first time and going well in the right direction. At least he didn't hit us.

The boat we rolled just before the incident ended up winning the race, leading from the first mark to the finish. "if its not one thing then its another....."

To make matters worse just before the top mark we broke our check stay pendant, but fortunately managed to lash up a repair on the reach, we lost a lot of ground and three places. However we had a blinding second reach made all the better for taking nearly 200m out of Szabo and passing him. At the end of the race we pulled ourselves back to 11th which on this occasion felt like a great result.

So it was altogether a much better day even though the results show only a minor improvement.

Cayard had another good day with another two seconds. It's not that he is fast - we are the same speed when beside him - however he is never slow and has sailed a smart regatta thus far. I wish we could say the same. Hopefully with some time in the boat and some good coaching we will do.

Overall we are lying in 11th place.

Tomorrow's forecast is more than today, possibly 30 knots. Probably too much
although everyone coped well today. We shall see.

Cheers.

Andy and Freddie