Horton/Nichol - Star World Championships - Day 2
The overcast skies and light wind of day two at the Star Worlds was a near repeat of day one. There were no crews hiking during the first two attempts at a start but by the third start the wind had filled in quite nicely. We continued our conservative approach to the regatta focused on our goal to keep notching finishes in the top ten.
Starting in the middle of the line we worked the middle of the course until we were clear of the fleet and had clear air. Then we let our boat speed do the work up to the starboard side of the course. We did a good job hitting the layline and passed a few boats right at the top of the course to round in fifth.
The breeze got a bit patchy on the run and we got caught on the low of the fleet. We lost a few boats in the bad air but rounded the leeward mark cleanly and were able to get to our chosen side of the course. On the second weather leg we held in the top ten despite some closely fought lanes up the leg. By the time we rounded the weather mark, the top few boats had pulled away from the next pack, and the clearing skies and freshening breeze on the down wind compressed the fleet, making fifth through twenty-fifth very close.
Up the last leg we worked hard to hold off some solid challengers behind us and tried to pass a few boats going into the finish by over-standing the finish to the right since we knew the flooding tide would push us down. Unfortunately, the top of the course was crowded with spectator boats including one large sailboat with their sails up. The judges tried to move them out of the way but they tacked in front of us taking our wind and costing us two places at the line.
Overall, it was a solid day finishing in ninth and moving into fourth place for the regatta behind Rohan Lord (NZL), Flavio Marazzi (SUI) and Robert Scheidt (BRA). The weather for tomorrow could be interesting with the same system still hovering over us. We are shooting for another top ten to keep us in the hunt for the end of the week.
Cheers!
Andy & Brad
Thank you to Sperry Top-Sider for keeping us looking good, on and off the water. http://www.sperrytopsider.com/
Tip of the Day: Be the first boat to the racecourse. Whether we’re sailing at home in club races or at a world championship, we try to get to the racecourse early. We’ll sail most of the course to test the wind, get in phase with the shifts, and thoroughly prepare our boat. It’s also a great time to clear your head and get focused.
