Jul-16 - from Alyson Myers (Laser Radial)
Today was the first official day of racing for us. The races started
at 12:00pm today. We left the marina at 10:30 in very light and shifty
winds. We made it out the course just in time. The course was a
trapezoid course. The starting line was the most crowded and stressful
starting line I have ever experienced. We had about 3 general recalls
all together today for my fleet. The way the currents were flowing
really made it difficult to get a good start. The first race I placed
30th. In the second race I was 31st. In the third race I placed 22nd.
I was ecstatic after the third race. I had beat 8 boats. Thomas placed
34th in the first race. In the second race he was 34th again and in
the third race he was 33rd. The wind picked up a lot just before the
start of the second race and then began to die back down during the
third race. During the breaks between races I met a few new friends
from Malaysia, Canada and Korea. After the races and dinner, we had a
meeting with Jim Saltonstall to discuss todays races. He had filmed us
sailing and was giving us helpful advice and tips. Jim is very
knowledgable and has helped us quite a bit. Some of the techniques we
were using were outdated and he let us know what else to do. For
example, our traveler tension in light air was incorrect. We had been
sailing with a loose traveler but what is needed in light air is a
tight traveler. Personaly, I am learning a lot and meeting many new
people. Of course there are the people who are rude and unfriendly but
most are pretty welcoming and pleasant. To me, this has been a great
start to the regatta.