Our forecast was for winds out of the north around 20 knots with rain and squalls all day. When we got to the start line for the first race the wind shut off and we sat there for an hour with the rain soaking through our layers. When the next squall came though it brought enough wind to start but by the time the starting sequence had ticked down to the starting gun, the wind had died at the boat end of the line and the fleet was stacked up at the leeward end. General recall.

Another delay and the wind settled down enough to race and Hamish and I got off the line at the leeward end with some real heavy weights around us. We were able to pinch off Robert Scheidt and hold our lane with the Norwegians but five minutes after the start, the Polish and Norwegians were able to tack and cross us and the rest of the fleet. We were pinned for another few minutes and by the time we were able to tack it was too late to get to the right side of the course. The wind went right at the top, and we rounded the first mark deep.

As we started sailing down wind, we spotted wind filling in from the left and were able to line it up just right and pass a lot of boats down the run. We picked up and few more boats on the second beat and rounded the last mark in the top ten. An early jibe at the mark put us in clear air and allowed us to work the waves uninhibited. We passed three boats to finish seventh, a great result considering where we came from.

As we prepared for the second start we noticed a wind line on the top left side of the course. The first pressure was going to be at the boat end so we started there in a big pack of boats. The French had a great start and we were not able to hold our lane and tacked away from the pack. As we worked right we kept getting lifted and by the time we had an opportunity to tack, it seemed like the whole fleet was in front of us.

We approached the weather mark at the same time as another squall opened up on the fleet. This time we did see out 20 knot winds and Hamish and I were able to jibe out while the boats around us struggled to stay in control. We had a lightning fast run blowing by boat the whole way and got back in contention. On the second beat we pegged it to the right side and came up roses rounding the mark in 6th. We worked our way down the run fending off a pack of Italian boats but missed the right gate which was favored by 25 or 30 meters. That put us back into the pack of boat hot on our tail. There was a lot of passing and pass backs on the final beat to the finish and we crossed the line in 10th. It was not until our coach came along side that we found out we were OCS.

Tomorrow we have another two races scheduled with equally wet conditions and who knows what the wind will do. My forecast is for 0 to 30 with 100% chance of rain and 25% chance of hail. Click here for that report

Cheers!

Brad

Tip of the Day: There is no such thing as bad weather, only poor clothing choices. When you go to Europe to sail, bring everything you have and put it on under your dry suit. Two layers of Patagonia capaline underwear did wonders today.

04/16/07

The New Dominator

The on course report from Brad Nichol sailing with Hamish Pepper in the Star Spring Championships of the Eastern Hemisphere.

After finishing the Princess Sofia regatta with five bullets Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada followed it up with another great regatta locking up the Spring Championships of the Eastern Hemisphere with one race to spare. They did it with the kind of moves that leave you wondering if they have an engine hidden away somewhere on their boat. Yesterday Scheidt passed us TWICE on a reach TO LEEWARD. Today in very light conditions they rounded the first mark in 22nd and were 12th by the leeward mark and then rounded the 3rd mark in 10th and were in 2nd by the leeward mark. The Brazilians are showing impressive speed and smarts all the way around the race course.

The rest of the mere mortals struggled with a long day on the water. The rain and clouds disappeared but they too the wind along with them and left the Stars bobbing in the bay wondering how those two TP52s could move so fast with so little wind. Our first attempt at a race was aborted after two legs when the wind shut off completely. A light sea breeze filled in an hour later and we tried again in the opposite wind direction.

It was a long slow race and there was plenty of room to pass and be passed as the fleet split up the first beat and had miles of separation from the left to the right. Hamish and I were able to work our way from 14th at the first mark to a close 8th at the finish two and a half hours after the race started. We were just far enough back to be out of the battle for first between four boats including Robert Stinjek from GER, Scheidt, Flavio Merazzi (SUI) and Marc Pickel (GER).

Tomorrow is the last race of the regatta and four points separate second though sixth place. The mortals will battle it out for Scheidt's scraps!

Cheers!

Brad Nichol

Tip of the Day: Never give up. What makes a great sailor is the ability to turn what looks like a terrible race at the first mark into a keeper at the finish.

04/17/07