By Geoff Becker
Skipper: Will Welles Tactician: Geoff Becker Trimmer: Emory Williams Bow: Collin Leon
Day 3 2 races (Race 5, 4 legs…Race 6, 5 legs) Wind 10-15 knots from the West, with gusts up to 20 knots.
Building west winds provided some excitingly puffy and shifty conditions for the final day of the Annapolis NOOD Regatta. Upwind and downwind were challenging for the fleet as the breeze pumped up to 20+ knots and then would die down at times to around 8 knots. With the up and down winds today, many boats had up and down scores in the two races. Our team was no different, finishing in 22nd in Race 5, our worst race of the series, and then bouncing back with our best race finishing the regatta with a bullet in race 6. Our final score was good enough for 7th overall and we certainly had to be happy for that result after all the tough sailing during the regatta.
In shifty conditions many have a strategy to sail up the middle of the course and stay on the lifted tack. While that plan works well in most venues, the wind today was so puffy and shifty; the big changes in the wind seemed to come from the sides of the course. Big right puffs from the right and big left puffs from the left never seemed to be able to make it completely across the racecourse. When this happens, the two directions clash as they cross the racecourse and often there is much less wind and less favorable shifts in the middle.
These conditions were especially challenging when behind in the fleet, because the leaders would sail toward the sides leaving only the unfavorable middle free of traffic. When that happened today, we decided to choose a side that looked best overall and head to that side regardless of shifts on the way. This made catching up difficult because the only boats we were likely to pass were boats that tried to sail up the middle of the course.
This strategy also played true on the downwind legs and there seemed to always be more breeze on the edges. We tried to determine which side might have more breeze, while rounding the windward mark, and then sail higher angles to stay in the bigger pressure. That worked very well for us in the final race as both the higher angle and being on the edge of the course allowed us to get the boat up on a plane more easily and move us up to the front of the fleet.
Our takeaways from Day 3 are…
1. Sometimes the sides are best in shifty conditions.
2. Sail toward the side that will have the most pressure long term.
3. Use the edges downwind to stay in the biggest puffs.
FINAL RESULTS:
1 | USA 96 | Savasana | J 70 | Brian Keane | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 28 |
2 | USA 51 | Black River Racing | J 70 | Doug Strebel | 6 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 35 |
3 | CAN 246 | Touch2Play | J 70 | Martin Kullman | 7 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 39 |
4 | USA 40 | B Squared | J 70 | Bryan Cameron | 13 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 50 |
5 | USA 85 | Ocho Cinco | J 70 | Allan Terhune, Jr | 3 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 56 |
6 | USA 187 | Catapult | J 70 | Joel Ronning | 1 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 17 | 9 | 59 |
7 | USA 2 | Scamp | J 70 | Will Welles | 14 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 66 |
8 | USA 482 | X | J 70 | Dan Cheresh | 2 | 33 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 17 | 73 |
9 | USA 217 | Joint Custody | J 70 | Jenn & Ray Wulff | 21 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 29 | 75 |
10 | USA 86 | Stampede | J 70 | Bruno Pasquinelli | 10 | 26 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 83 |
11 | USA 073 | Occams Razor | J 70 | Walt Pletcher | 20 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 28 | 85 |
12 | USA 45 | Wild Child | J 70 | Henry Filter | 12 | 9 | 19 | 5 | 26 | 16 | 87 |
13 | USA 35 | Moxie | J 70 | Cole Allsopp | 9 | 15 | 35 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 96 |
14 | USA 179 | AFRICA | J 70 | Ian Liberty | 23 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 23 | 96 |
15 | USA 209 | Trouble | J 70 | Peter McChesney | 8 | 12 | 38 | 37 | 3 | 8 | 106 |
16 | USA 151 | Reach Around | J 70 | Thomas Bowen | 5 | 5 | 13 | 28 | 2 | 57/DSQ | 110 |
17 | USA 218 | Tsunami | J 70 | Todd Olds / Thomas Iseler / Preben Ostberg | 15 | 17 | 10 | 34 | 19 | 21 | 116 |
18 | USA 364 | School’s Out | J 70 | John Aras | 43 | 4 | 16 | 9 | 36 | 15 | 123 |
19 | USA 34 | Perseverance | J 70 | Bennet Greenwald | 41 | 21 | 25 | 22 | 4 | 11 | 124 |
20 | USA 87 | Tick Tock Croc | J 70 | Richard Nesbett | 16 | 23 | 23 | 38 | 21 | 7 | 128 |
21 | USA 66 | Eagles Wings | J 70 | John Gottwald | 18 | 32 | 32 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 130 |
22 | USA 302 | Off-Piste | J 70 | Paul Cannon | 29 | 20 | 14 | 19 | 30 | 20 | 132 |
23 | USA 26 | Jungleland | J 70 | Chris and Carolyn Groobey | 31 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 18 | 14 | 138 |
24 | USA 15 | Junior | J 70 | Tim Finkle | 24 | 25 | 33 | 14 | 33 | 19 | 148 |
25 | USA 25 | Papawheelie | J 70 | Will Keyworth | 44 | 24 | 8 | 41 | 15 | 24 | 156 |
26 | USA 185 | Turbo Duck | J 70 | Bodo & Nick von der Wense | 33 | 36 | 18 | 18 | 24 | 27 | 156 |
27 | USA 152 | Sundog | J 70 | Kathy Parks | 17 | 31 | 9 | 39 | 23 | 38 | 157 |
28 | USA 46 | Alibi | J 70 | Tris Worth | 22 | 29 | 29 | 23 | 35 | 22 | 160 |
29 | USA 200 | Cat’s Pajamas | J 70 | Drake Johnstone | 11 | 30 | 22 | 32 | 12 | 57/DSQ | 164 |
30 | USA 199 | Mojito | J 70 | Catharine Evans | 46 | 16 | 26 | 29 | 25 | 26 | 168 |
31 | USA 44 | Gnixe | J 70 | Steiner/Lodico/Vickers Chip | 40 | 35 | 17 | 24 | 38 | 25 | 179 |
32 | USA 64 | Exit Strategy II | J 70 | Jack Martin | 45 | 18 | 28 | 21 | 37 | 30 | 179 |
33 | USA 38 | Goofyfoot | J 70 | John Wilsey | 25 | 41 | 31 | 45 | 29 | 12 | 183 |
34 | USA 192 | Turn the page | J 70 | David Becker | 37 | 39 | 44 | 10 | 28 | 36 | 194 |
35 | USA 219 | GetMyBoat | J 70 | Vortex Racing | 19 | 42 | 36 | 43 | 34 | 32 | 206 |
36 | USA 381 | Tea Dance Snake | J 70 | Peter Bowe / Todd Jenner | 38 | 38 | 34 | 25 | 27 | 45 | 207 |
37 | USA 91 | Carlos | J 70 | Mike Sudofsky | 27 | 27 | 47 | 42 | 32 | 35 | 210 |
38 | USA 220 | Phoenix | J 70 | Peter Firey | 26 | 28 | 40 | 48 | 43 | 34 | 219 |
39 | USA 159 | Torqeedo | J 70 | Brandon, Cindy, Lily & Dylan Flack | 35 | 19 | 21 | 33 | 57/DNC | 57/DNS | 222 |
40 | USA 497 | Chinook | J 70 | Frank McNamara | 36 | 34 | 37 | 31 | 42 | 43 | 223 |
41 | USA 230 | iZula | J 70 | Kenneth Smith | 34 | 37 | 39 | 35 | 49 | 40 | 234 |
42 | USA 243 | VitaminJ | J 70 | Ted Johnson | 32 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 33 | 244 |
43 | USA 375 | Lickity Split | J 70 | Stanley Edwards | 39 | 52 | 49 | 27 | 40 | 44 | 251 |
44 | USA 37 | lil’ Grizzly | J 70 | Charles Bayer | 28 | 40 | 42 | 51 | 41 | 57/BFD | 259 |
45 | USA 311 | 311 | J 70 | Kurt Winkelmann | 30 | 50 | 41 | 52 | 47 | 42 | 262 |
46 | USA 168 | Rarity | J 70 | Marty McKenna | 42 | 48 | 48 | 46 | 45 | 37 | 266 |
47 | USA 382 | Zombie | J 70 | Kristen Robinson | 48 | 44 | 51 | 47 | 39 | 41 | 270 |
48 | USA 154 | Spice | J 70 | Holly Graf | 51 | 49 | 53 | 30 | 51 | 39 | 273 |
49 | USA 365 | brotherly | J 70 | Kyle / Willy Comerford | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 40 | 31 | 31 | 273 |
50 | USA 357 | Danger Mouse | J 70 | Kristen Berry | 47 | 47 | 43 | 50 | 46 | 46 | 279 |
51 | USA 004 | Sport | J 70 | Mark Wagner | 49 | 43 | 46 | 53 | 48 | 47 | 286 |
52 | USA 10 | curragh | J 70 | Peter Tuite | 50 | 45 | 50 | 36 | 57/DNC | 57/DNS | 295 |
53 | USA 420 | E.L.E. | J 70 | Matt Braun | 52 | 51 | 30 | 57/DSQ | 50 | 57/DNS | 297 |
54 | USA 204 | Eowyn | J 70 | Peter Winkelstein | 53 | 53 | 52 | 49 | 57/DNC | 57/DNS | 321 |
55 | USA 362 | 362 | J 70 | David Wicker | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 342 |
56 | GBR 495 | Red | J 70 | Joe Woods | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 57/DNC | 342 |
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Day 2 1 race (course 4, 4 legs and downwind finish) Wind 6-8 knots from the SW, dying slowly during the race.
Light winds in the morning of Day 2 forced the RC to keep the fleet onshore under postponement for and hour until being sent out to the racecourse for a noon start. The postponement continued out on the water until after 1pm when, after several general recalls, only one race was completed in a light and dying SW breeze. Our team finished 12th in today’s race dropping us to 10th overall, but very close to the group of boats just ahead of us in the overall scores.
With the light winds today, boat handling became more delicate and critical in an effort to maintain speed during the maneuvers. Tacks, gybes, spinnaker sets and take-downs were places where a boat could sometimes gain distance when they were done smoothly and very easily lose distance when done poorly. Our boat-handling improved today and that was a result of the philosophy that smoother is better than bigger. Smooth and controlled maneuvers can be more easily performed and repeated by most every crew, where big boat handing can sometimes be difficult to execute accurately.
Boat handling with big rolls, big flattens and aggressive sail trim is impressive to watch and can sometimes help a boat make gains on the racecourse. However, such aggressive boat handling takes time and practice to master to the point where it can be consistently repeatable during a race. Also, when maneuvers go bigger, the margin for error becomes smaller and even the slightest miscue in timing can make a large negative impact on the outcome. In most cases, big boat handling done wrong, produces an outcome much worse than smooth maneuvers done accurately and under control.
Taking your time and making smooth and controlled maneuvers is the best way to produce repeatable, quality boat handling. Sometimes during a race, in the heat of the moment, “taking your time” is not the main focus. To assist in the timing of boat handing maneuvers, it can be helpful to assign someone on the crew to acts as a narrator during the tacks, gybes, etc.. That person can countdown to the maneuver, identify key timing points (like when to roll, when to flatten) and keep the whole crew working on the same timing. Using such a system and getting the timing of the whole crew coordinated is the best way to produce repeatable boat handling.
Our takeaways from Day 2 are…
1. Boat handling is more delicate in lighter winds.
2. Aggressive maneuvers are a harder to perform consistently.
3. Try to produce smooth and controlled maneuvers in light winds.
Day 1, 3 races (all course 4, 4 legs and downwind finish) Wind 6-14 knots from the West moving to the South for Race 3. Puffy and shifty today!_________________________________________________________
Three races were sailed today, Day 1 of the 2014 Annapolis NOOD, in a post frontal west wind that died out in the afternoon and was replaced by a southerly sea breeze. With the dying and shifting breeze, we saw some puffy and shifty conditions in our course area, the mouth of the Severn River and out in the Chesapeake Bay. The J/70 fleet had another large turn out for the NOOD, with 53 boats on a single starting line. Add the big fleet to the squirrely conditions and today was a real test of patience. Our team ended the day with a respectable 14th, 10th and a 7th earning us 8th place overall after Day 1.
The crew we have for this regatta has never sailed together as a group, even though in various combinations we have all sailed with each other on other crews. Because of that we had to expect some communication issues to occur as we got used to sailing together. Today’s challenging conditions and our new crew dynamic was a recipe for stress and friction on the racecourse today. In some of the cases we handled that friction well and in others not as much.
At one time or another, every sailor encounters stress and frustration during a race. How you deal with those situations can affect the opportunities for passing boats on the way to the finish line. Knowing what to say and how to interact with each other on the boat can help reduce stress and re-focus the group after some bad luck or a negative situation. In our case, being a new group, we found some situations where we just misunderstood what we were saying to each other. We were able to use the time between races to try and resolve those misunderstandings instead of trying to hash it out during the race. Addressing miscommunication issues during a race can easily snowball out of control and surely will detract from the crew’s focus in the race and moving toward the finish line.
Every crew is different, so any method used to reset the stress onboard and refocus the crew will also have to be different. Calm discussions after the race are always a good way to address friction during a race. Trying to solve communications issues during the heat of battle is very difficult and likely impossible. Something simple to try, to help refocus the crew, is to have the conversation stop on the boat altogether for a short period of time. One phrase to use could be, “Ok, 5 minutes of just sailing, no talking.” This gives everyone a chance to take a deep breath, reset and get back to making the boat move forward toward the finish.
Our takeaways from Day 1 are…
1. Try to stay patient in tough conditions.
2. Keep communication lines open and helping the boats performance.
3. Reset the crew when friction becomes distracting to sailing the boat.