Miami nailbiter

Star newbie Andy Beadsworth describes his three regattas in Florida

Miami OCR marks the end of our first chapter in Star Sailing. It was a toe in the water exercise to see if a campaign for Beijing 2008 was an achievable and realistic goal for both us individually and as a team.

On the flight to Miami, David and I tried to set ourselves some goals. The process goals were relatively easy as we are at the bottom of the learning curve, but the performance ones were impossible. It was not easy - they had to be realistic and achievable. Neither of us had raced a Star before and beyond crewing a few Dragon races for David Palmer we had not really raced together, although I think those few races proved key in our performance. Before shipping the boat we managed a few days sailing out of Hayling Island, mainly to learn how to pull the sails up and down and to get in and out of the harbour.

We decided that the first two events, The Levin Cup and then the Biscayne Bay should not be scored in terms of goal setting. We should just learn. But for the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta we needed to set a goal of sorts. If our program was to get off the ground and we are to have a future then a top 10 result seemed reasonable, and achievable we thought (hoped). Better than that would be great but was it achievable in such a short period?

Obviously we got off to a flying start winning the Levin Cup. 37 Boats and the first of a three event trial for the US team selection for 2005. Only one way to go! Could we be that lucky again?

We spent the next two weeks working hard in the gym and sailing every day except two. One we took as a rest day, the other because we were scared - a bit windy, 30 knots or more!!!

The Irish team of 'Prof' O’Connell and Ed Peel were on the same programme so we teamed up. We sailed in a variety of conditions from 4 to 25 knots. The noteable event during this period was our first heavy air run and then gybe. Our program really could not afford to lose a rig!! We didn’t but it was quite a concern for the beginners. The Star really is an unusual boat in heavy air particularly downwind. You could well do without the cost of a new rig looming over you as you go into your first attempted gybe.

The program was quite structured and both the Irish and ourselves learned a lot form working together in terms of the nuances of the boat in terms of set-up and tecnique. Prof had worked as a coach for Mark Mansfield while Ed had crewed for various other helms including on the tune up boat for Percy/Mitchell in Athens. We dialled in some help from the experts at home, David Howlett, Ian Walker, Jez Fanstone and Mark Covell to answer some of our more difficult questions. We made loads of progress.

Ian Walker was able to join us as coach for both the Levin and MOCR but we decided to share with Prof and Andy Horton to ease the financial strain. This was a successful relationship, all bringing something different to the party and working very openly with each other, none of us suffering from knowing to much, indeed if anything at all. There was some good discussion. This far out from Beijing a three boat deal actually offers more than individual personal coaching.

At the two day Biscayne Bay regatta (three races all to count) we finsished 11th out of 50 entries. We had swapped to a newer mainsail but were not so happy with it. Our speed had been okay but there was something about it. In the first race we had 3-8 knots, we started badly and never really recovered, finishing 30th. The second race was much better. We had an excellent start but dropped down the order when the wind went right on the first beat. We finished tenth. Sunday and the last race saw 18 knots. We started well but missed a shift on the first beat but continued to take places throughout the race to finish ninth.

The following day saw the beginning of OCR with the wind at 18 knots and decreasing over the day. I was a bit eager., over the line in both races. The first clearly and the second arguable but not convincingly. We went back on the first. The recall gun was late (we considered redress, but that's not why we are here) and we were well behind by the time we returned. We finished 20th.

In the second race we executed well a difficult start from the pin. It was high risk and we paid the price losing a hard earned fourth place. The top ten was looking a bit shaky, but we responded well by posting a first place in the third race, leading from start to finish in a 10 knot decreasing breeze.

We had to keep it tight from here on in to get a top 10 and we did. Our starting was poor, I think due to our over exuberance on the first day but we were sailing well, posting a consistent set of results. However in race 6 we had been vying for the lead from the start, then dropped to third at the final mark. At the finish with four boat lengths to go we sailed into a hole. It was the sea breeze starting. Those behind had wind and could see the situation. Nine boats sailed past us as we struggled to drift across the finish. This was a hard blow and difficult to deal with as we had sailed like champions all day. Nine points would be expensive as we had already thrown at least 16 away on the first day.

Going into the final day we were in 9th, close to 6, 7 and 8th. If it turned out to be a fantastic day for us and poor day for others it might get us into the top four or five but hard to see anything better than that. Having set a top 10 goal we had moved on.

Race 9 we place second pulling up from fifth taking Eric Doyle at the finish with an excellent roll gybe. In Race 10 the wind had built to 20 knots but had dropped to nothing at the first mark. We had gone from bad to famous to bad again in the length of 1 leg!

The race was abandoned and restarted, this time with the wind more consistent. We started badly, with everyone seeming keen to get to the line. We made room and tacked behind everyone just after the gun and finding some clear air we played the right. It could have been better, but it could have been worse. We took five boats or more tacking under the bunch on the lay line and layed the mark, then worked our way up to 12th at the finish. The news was good. 12 boats had been scored OCS including some of those ahead of us.

We finished sixth in the race to come out sixth overall. A rewarding day. Goal achieved but still a bit disappointed. In the stark light of day the opportunity was there to do better. It is not hard to see where 25 or 30 points had been lost unnecessarily. We could have been in contention to win. But then “if it had gone in the back of the net, it would have been a goal”

Looking forward I believe we have the necessary sailing ability to be a contender in Beijing. All we have to do now is make it happen and put a well structured and funded program together and get the necessary support and backing.

Both Freddie and I move into the next chapter with real enthusiasm and believe that we can win, not only in the light air but overall in a mixture of conditions. We have achieved a solid base from which to work and as we spend time in the boat we will get our heads out of it some more. And maybe avoid some of those costly errors.

On one hand it has been a long month away from may wife, Melissa and baby daughter, Holly who have supported me without question this far, yet probably it has been the most enjoyable months sailing I can remember for a long time. Freddie is proving to be a talented, committed and fun guy to sail with. He if anything is responsible for making it enjoyable. He has coped admirably with me and my 'experience'. He brings a new youthful enthusiasm to the team. The Star boat is a great boat to sail, with a friendly class behind it who have made us feel most welcome and helped us incredibly when we arrived.

I am sure one way or another Freddie and the Beadsworth family will somehow work out how to make it happen long term.