From the Surfing Pikachu log:
- Race 1: Forestay lashing came loose during prestart. Five minutes late for start after returning to beach to tension rig. Damn. Jumped in late and passed two boats—saved 3 points. 10th place.
- Race 2: Over early at start (got aggressive with John and he got me back pushing me over the line.) Good recovery and found new lane. Still managed to drive back to the front and round top mark first. Still managed to suck downwind. 3rd place.
- Race 3: Port tacked the fleet with 8 boatlength lead! Woohoo! But wait, why does this feel so weird. Caught way too far left in emerging flood current down city front. Ack! Stupid. Dropped back to about mid fleet by weather mark. Luckily found a gap through the F18 fleet stack-up on the starboard layline and got through cleanly while other boats ahead tangled up and aborted. Good job getting back into it. That’s a consistent lesson in these bots. Don’t ever give up—things can/do change fast. 3rd.
- Race 4: Wow, what a great, close race. I had a great start just to leeward of Davo and managed to climb up and out front. Too tentative with my tacks to go when I wanted, though, and had to wait for him to go. Would have been better to get to the right first (favorable current and pressure) and then come up from below again. Had a great duel with Dave downwind—some of my best speed all weekend—probably because I was sailing his line and not mine. Kept my focus on Davo (not a bad thing) and gybed off to right with him. We both let Bruce bang the left corner and he nipped us at the finish. Dang—he was the one I should have covered! This was overall a great race at the front. Top four were within shouting distance and the lead had changed several times. 3rd.
- Race 5: Another great start and first beat. Dave is so much more confident downwind, though. He just works right on past while I worry about what’s happening. Still, with three upwind legs I might have been able to get him back, but hit the leeward mark while trying to round tight inside of him--did my doughnut. Should have just rounded cleanly, tacked out first, and then climbed up from leeward position. 2nd.
Weekend Notes
- Great starts and upwind speed (and height.) I can use this as a tactical weapon taking up leeward positions and climbing out of them.
- With starts and upwind speed, first at top mark in 3 of 4 races (that I started on time!) Then, gave it up all three times. Damn!
- Downwind speed was improved at times (good trim, I think) but still my major weakness. Need to train hard so that I’m as fast downwind as I am upwind.
- Pushed the boat upwind pretty hard keeping the power on in the rough stuff more than I dared before. Still need to get better focus on maintaining groove and worry less about stuffing the boat. I was hesitant to put the bow down and just drive. Feel the “hump hump” and go!
- When it was really honking in last race, I was able to sail really deep from rumble seat position and still keep the boat planing. That was cool.
More later . . .
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