The conditions were among the trickiest we have seen at an major Opti regatta. The regatta was held on an oxbow of the St. John's river with a lot of current - over 2kts at times. On Saturday, the current was flowing from the Top Left to the Bottom Right of the course for the first 3 races, before switching for the last race. Overall, the fleet didn't do a great job adapting to the current: in 2nd race the entire `1st Fleet got swept to the left half of the course - not a single boat on the right half! In the 4th race on Saturday with the current switching, over 60 boats were penalized for being OCS with the "U"Flag in effect! Furthermore, a bunch of boats overstood the Port layline and had to reach down (against the current) to the windward mark! We practiced the past 2 Wednesdays and last weekend in current, and would have liked to see more sailors apply this in the regatta!
When analyzing the current, sailors need to:
- Know the exact angle at which it is flowing (you can luff next to a mark or committee boat, observe the wake, or do the bottle check).
- Feel the speed relative to the wind.
- Account for it on the start line: should I set up high or low? Is the boat or pin "up current."
- Consider how it will effect every leg of the race - lay lines? -Long Tack to the mark? -pushing up or down on the reach? - effect on the run?
Wind:
The wind conditions for Saturday were 10 to 12 knots out the E/NE. It was really shifty with big oscillations that were random - you couldn't time when a righty or lefty was going to come. The breeze went right about 20 degrees over the course of the day, but there were plenty of races where the left paid! There was land closer by on the right, so when it went right it got especially shifty! Some of the right puffs were only 3 Opti lengths in diameter and didn't last very long. The final race of the day saw some boats becalmed while others were almost planning on the reach leg!
How could kids make sense of this? Well the most important thing was to start in phase with the last shift before the start - to start in the favored 1/3 of the line and then get across the fleet. Sailors needed to stay flexible and tuned in to the wind shifts while they were in sequence. For the 2nd start, Stephan was on my coach boat when we observed that they were moving the pin up, but we didn't think it was enough to be favored. Then at about 3:30 to the start, the wind shifted further left, he recognized it, and won the pin! He was able to cross most of the fleet, only for an even bigger left shift to drop him out of the top 5 - good process but tough result! In the first race Jonathan staked out the favored boat end, and led the race wire to wire. Unfortunately he was over by a foot and scored OCS, but the lesson remains - the boats that start well at the favored end will be able to cross the fleet, control the race, and sail the wind shifts to the best of their abilities.
Routine:
A big thing we stressed this regatta is the routine that sailors need to follow on land and on the water.
Before the Regatta:
-Make sure your boat is fixed.
-Research the venue - google maps with the Geo overlay, forecast, tide forecast, and talk to your friends who sail there regularly! Our online tide info proved to be wrong, but the locals (Snipe sailor Hal Gilreath) set us straight on the water.
-Read the Sailing Instructions online before you get to the venue.
- Be fit, hydrated and rested!
The morning of the regatta:
-Plan a good/healthy/early breakfast.
-Re-check the forecast.
-Give yourself ample time to rig and check over equipment. Always check your mast rake, as things can move while trailering. Before Saturday AM, Michaels rake was 109" while Bobby's was 114" both should be sailing at ~112." No trash/water in the boats!
-Check in with your coaches (we are happy to check sails once you think it is perfect).
-Hydrate!
-Team Meeting
-Skippers meeting
-Check out (different policy at each regatta - your responsibility to have read SI's and know it!)
-Launch ASAP.
-Find coach for tow - our sailors did this Sunday and Gold/Silver were 1,2 getting to the racecourse - we were the most prepared team!
On the Water:
1. Get with a partner and start doing split tacks from the middle of the course. Check your sail settings (Sailties, sprit, vang, outhaul, luff tension - make sure your cunningham is on correctly especially with new sails!!!) as you go and start to develop feel for the conditions.
2. Make necessary adjustments and keep checking the course! Always make sure you are checking from the middle - between the start line and 1st mark.
Note: this is different that group rabbit starts we did last year - we think it is better for giving the kids more information and getting them to analyze for themselves.
3. Sail fast downwind getting a feel for the waves and wind. Make sure your vang is good!
4. Start checking the start line - linesight, current, length, favored end. If you have time sail from either end with a partner to determine the favored end. You should also have a really good feel for your angle off the line, (repeatedly sheet in and go up wind for 10 seconds) so you know when it changes and can recognize a late wind shift. When I plan to start at an end, I do at least 2 30second practice starts for myself.
5. Check in with your coaches - discuss your strategy and get feedback and give them any trash! See if your research on the line, wind and current coincides with theirs. Make a plan for each leg of the course!
6. Have a great race! After finishing self evaluate your Start, Strategy, Tactics, and Speed. If you were deficient in any of these areas you will need to fix it quickly and have the mentality that you will improve the next race.
Thank you to the parents who towed: the Morleys, Meaghers and Goslings, and to all who suppled food for the kids and coaches and supported the event! We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming practices as we get ready for our next regatta: Key Biscayne on October 1st and 2nd.
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