Finally, on Sunday, the 18 footers had the first race of the season. Considering this is really "just" club racing, we felt significantly under prepared, although at least we knew the boat worked and how to get it back up after a capsize.
In the first "race", we performed reasonably well. It is really important to get a good spot in the boat park as it reduces the distance you need to carry your ship to the water. Carrying a skiff with a rig as big as a cruiser can get a bit full on, with a slight wind shift loading up one side or another. However, an early enough arrival saw us gain a decent spot in the park, so all was well. Looking around the park, I couldn't help but note that 5 of the helms had competed in 49ers at the first worlds in Perth, back in January '98. Add to that more than a sprinkling of Brits amongst the sailors and the 18's already feel like home. It's a great fleet of friendly, like minded sailors and I am seriously excited about the season.
First race was about perfect in terms of conditions. A warm Nor'easter, 12-15 knots with a few puffs above that. Being light, we were at the top end of our No1 rig for some of the time and it was the first real test of our ability as a crew. We knew before the start that we were going to struggle in terms of the race due to a handicap system which saw the fleet split into 3 with each group sailing to a different windward mark. The top boats sailed a significantly longer course than the next and the "bottom" third of the fleet sailed a shorter one. Due to the performance of our boat last year, we were seeded as one of the top boats. I don't know the exact distances involved, but I suspect that we sailed at least a mile further than some.
To cut a long story short, we were a long way back, although not last and there were 5 non finishers. We had 2 swims, the first of which was messy and not our fault. A 49er passed across our stern, misjudged how far our tiller extension was and "collected" it as they passed. This ripped the extension out of my hand and made us bear away fast, 3 up with kite. There was only one way it would end and it was messy!
However, the real success of the day was making it round with no damage and gaining a lot of experience. On occasions, we saw how fast the boat is, lending even more credibility to us having "all the gear, no idea!" The day felt like a training outing rather than a race and hopefully, over the next few weeks, we will be able to shift gear and start to race properly.
In the first "race", we performed reasonably well. It is really important to get a good spot in the boat park as it reduces the distance you need to carry your ship to the water. Carrying a skiff with a rig as big as a cruiser can get a bit full on, with a slight wind shift loading up one side or another. However, an early enough arrival saw us gain a decent spot in the park, so all was well. Looking around the park, I couldn't help but note that 5 of the helms had competed in 49ers at the first worlds in Perth, back in January '98. Add to that more than a sprinkling of Brits amongst the sailors and the 18's already feel like home. It's a great fleet of friendly, like minded sailors and I am seriously excited about the season.
First race was about perfect in terms of conditions. A warm Nor'easter, 12-15 knots with a few puffs above that. Being light, we were at the top end of our No1 rig for some of the time and it was the first real test of our ability as a crew. We knew before the start that we were going to struggle in terms of the race due to a handicap system which saw the fleet split into 3 with each group sailing to a different windward mark. The top boats sailed a significantly longer course than the next and the "bottom" third of the fleet sailed a shorter one. Due to the performance of our boat last year, we were seeded as one of the top boats. I don't know the exact distances involved, but I suspect that we sailed at least a mile further than some.
To cut a long story short, we were a long way back, although not last and there were 5 non finishers. We had 2 swims, the first of which was messy and not our fault. A 49er passed across our stern, misjudged how far our tiller extension was and "collected" it as they passed. This ripped the extension out of my hand and made us bear away fast, 3 up with kite. There was only one way it would end and it was messy!
However, the real success of the day was making it round with no damage and gaining a lot of experience. On occasions, we saw how fast the boat is, lending even more credibility to us having "all the gear, no idea!" The day felt like a training outing rather than a race and hopefully, over the next few weeks, we will be able to shift gear and start to race properly.
However, whether it was racing, training or simply getting round the course, it was a great day on the water and the whole fleet had smiles on their faces. Bring it on!
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