Today was the first day of the 470 Masters Championship. Paul and Bob are Apprentice Masters in the 470 class. There is also an open championship, so there are plenty of good teams here. We had light winds today, 5-10, with a little bit of rain. There are about eighty boats on one line, so there were at least three general recalls per start.
Race 1 (inner loop)
We were second row at the pin, so we had to battle a bit for clear
air. We worked out way left and found some good wind to get us into
the front pack. After a good run, we moved up to the top five. On the
next beat, we got left again and the breeze shifted a little more that
way, so we were able to move up to third.
With the big left shift, the reach was tight, and the next run was a fetch on starboard. We rounded the leeward mark still in third. The top boats went off on to the long reach but couldn't see the mark.
We thought the last reach would be more of a run with the shift, so we didn't reach so much. When we finally found the mark, it was dead downwind. We had gained a bunch on the leaders, who realized where the mark was and sailed for it when we bore off, but we couldn't quite pass them. We finished the race in third but found out later that we were over early.
Race 2
The wind had gone hard right before the race so that we could almost
lay the weather mark on starboard from the boat end. We won the
boat at the start and were looking great. When the wind started to
shift back left, the boat to leeward of us started to pinch us off. We
were three-quarters of the way to the mark at this point. We tacked
away and stayed in clear air to the mark, but two boats out of the
left beat us there.
We should have jibe set, but we didn't and lost a few boats on the run. We tacked around the leeward mark and got a good shift on the left to cross the fleet. We held the lead for the rest of the race, and weren't over early this time.
Race 3 (outer loop)
Like the previous races, we had a bunch of general recalls before the
start. When the race finally got going, we were second row, holding
back on what we thought was going to be a Black
Flag General Recall. The General never went up, and we were in
trouble. It took us a while to find a lane going the right way on
starboard tack. We got lifted on starboard, and the whole fleet was
up inside us. At the end of the beat, we got just enough left shift to
round in the high teens.
We got stuck low on the reach and paid the price, losing about four or five boats.
We had some passing to do on the run and caught close to ten boats. At the leeward mark, the wind was back left, so we stayed on port, with the wind dying. Unfortunately, the wind went further left and we lost everything we had gained. The run was now almost a fetch on starboard, and we managed to make a small gain.
With the wind way left, the last reach was a run again, but this time it was really light. It was a struggle to get to the finish inside the time limit. We finished probably 20th.
A long day--nine hours on the water.
Paul and Bob
Team 2000
The wind today blew from the direction opposite yesterday's; it was off the land, making for a shifty and puffy day. The race committee was on time today. They must have had their croissants early.
Race 1
Wind was 5-10 knots, straight from the beach we launched from.
The water was flat. After one general recall, we got off to a good
start. We started near the boat and made sure we were not over
early. We had a big left shift, so we tacked immediately. The guys
at the pin had tacked and had more pressure, so we were not doing
too well halfway up the beat. We were patient, though, and finally
got to catch back up a little and played the shifts.
We rounded the weather mark about seventh and jibe set on the run. Bad move. We found a big hole and were on the wrong jibe to boot. We caught back up some at the end of the leg, but had lost a lot of distance.
We played the next beat great, working the left side, and rounded the top mark in third! We went down the reach behind some slow Italians but did not want to cause a luffing match, so we patiently sailed with them. This allowed some of the faster guys to catch up to us, making for a tough last run.
We passed the slow Italians, just lost a Greek boat at the leeward mark and then reached to the finish for a good third.
Race 2
There was a little more wind, 7-11 knots, and a little left shift.
We had another good start near the boat, but again there was a left shift, so we tacked to port below the ten leaders. We found a good shift to tack back left on, though, and ducked most of the leaders. This caught us some boats and got us around the weather mark in about seventh.
We were smart on the run this time and stayed in the puffs better. We had a good gain and rounded the leeward mark in fifth. There was a good left shift after we started up the second beat, and we hung well on the hip of the leaders, passing two Italian boats that tacked left.
Greece and Australia tacked on the first little righty, but we went just a little further and found the big one. This put us in the lead at the next mark by four boat lengths, and we were able to extend our lead and win!
Race 3
More wind again: 8-13 knots. We had a great start on port after
ducking some boats near the pin, but there was a general recall.
For the real start, we started near the boat and tacked immediately for clearer air. The left was favored again, but we did not play the first beat very well and got tacked on a few times, so we rounded the first mark in about 17th.
We had a good first reach, passing four boats then passed two more on the first run. The next beat we just could not find the right shift. We weren't going too fast either, but did manage to pass one boat.
On the next run we did well again, passed two more boats and went down the reach for a ninth.
Well, not a bad day but it could have been better. More racing tomorrow.
Paul and Bob
Team 2000
We had good wind today after a postponement in the morning.
Race 1 (inner loop)
We had a late start at the boat and tacked out to the right side for
clear air. After tacking close to lay line, we converged with the
left, ducking the lead pack. We got to the left of them for more wind
at the top of the beat to gain a bit and rounded in the top five.
We bore away on the run to stay in the breeze and gained a bit to round the leeward mark in third and gain on the leaders. We held our position on the next beat and reach, but then lost the Israelis on the last run to finish fourth.
Race 2 (outer loop)
There was a nice right shift before the start, so the boat end was
favored. We had a good start at the boat and stayed on starboard. A
bunch of boats that went right gained on us in more right shift, but
we caught some of them when the shift started to come back at the
top of the leg. We rolled all the boats that were ahead of us on the
reach and held on to win the race.
Race 3
We started at the pin in a right shift, so we weren't looking too good
off the line. After working some small shifts back right, we
managed to squeak around a big pack at the weather mark and round
in fifth.
We gained on the reach and the run, so we were in striking distance at the leeward mark. The wind was right at the mark, so we tacked while the leaders stayed on starboard. When the wind made a big shift back left, we had made a nice gain to round in second.
On the last run, the fleet inverted when a puff filled low. The New Zealanders took the lead from the Australians, who got flagged for pumping, and we stayed in second. On the final reach the wind filled from behind and we had to protect high, but two boats passed us low. We finished fourth.
We should be right in there overall, but we haven't seen any scores yet.
Paul and Bob
Team 2000
Quimper, France
Friday 28 July 2000 11:23 p.m.
Bon Soir (Good Evening). Hello again from the last day of racing at the 470 Masters/Cornu Cup.
We forgot to tell you that we saw whales out on the racecourse a few days ago. They looked about five times the size of a dolphin. Someone said they were pilot whales. Awesome!
Well, we launched today and trudged through the sand out to the water. The tide here is pretty amazing, rising and falling twenty feet. The first start today was at 11:00 a.m., with no start after 2:00 p.m.
We started the day four points behind the Greeks, who are winning, and four points ahead of Australia, who is four points ahead of New Zealand. Pretty tight scores considering there are 78 boats on the starting line.
We were the first ones off the beach. Got to get those wind shifts figured out. Wind was off the land again today, making for flat water, and was shifty, blowing 7-12 knots for Race One. Current was coming downwind at 45 seconds per boat length.
Race One (inner loop)
We had a late start at the boat and tacked right, probably causing us
to miss the first shift, but at least we had clear air. We played the
shifts well from then on but missed a little lefty at the weather
mark and rounded about seventh.
We had a really good run, though, staying in the breeze and going fast to move up to fourth, with two Italian boats and Argentina ahead.
We got a little lost on the second beat trying to find the favored tack, but worked it out at the end and we rounded fourth again, with the Kiwis right behind us on the reach.
We jibed out on the run and found some good wind, with the Kiwis following. We moved up into second and held off New Zealand to the finish. Greece was ninth and Australia fourteenth.
Race 2 (outer loop)
By this time it was 1:00 p.m., so we figured this would be the last
race. The first start was a general recall.
On the next start we got shut out at the committee boat and had to circle around, causing us to be late. We got some clear air going right, though, and were lucky that's the way the wind shifted. We got around the top mark in third, with Israel winning, followed by Australia. New Zealand was in fifth.
We went down the run and reach and caught up a little, then had good jets the next beat to catch up some more on the Israelis. They covered us hard, and we did quite a few tacks, allowing New Zealand to catch up some.
We found another good puff on the run and moved into second and held off the Israelis on the last reach.
Greece finished sixth, so we won the regatta by seven points.
We had an extra bonus at the beach because the tide was in. This meant we got to use an all concrete boat ramp (much easier than sand).
Well, a good sendoff for Sydney. Very tough racing, and it will be even harder with all the good guys at the Olympics. There should be some great racing, though.
We drive our boats to Paris now and fly them to Sydney. We are going home for two weeks of R & R.
See you there.
Thanks for all your support.
Next race reports will be from Sydney.
Paul and Bob
Team 2000