We are back in France, sailing in a French National event in Ile Tudy. The weather was rainy and cold when we got here but has been nice for three days now. Unfortunately, the nice weather has meant light winds.
We were postponed for the morning but eventually got three races in 5-10 knots. The racecourse is right off the beach, so conditions are shifty and puffy, with flat water. There are just over 60 boats here, and we are sailing with the women.
We sailed outer loops all day.
Race 1
We had a great start at the pin. The wind shifted right at the start,
so we stayed on starboard. Before the start it looked like the wind
would be oscillating, but this beat was alright, and we were well
back into the fleet at the weather mark.
On the reach, we gained a few by sailing low. We held even on the run. On the next beat the wind had gone left, so we continued on starboard but had to foot under a boat to do it. The wind shifted back, and we gained a few boats by the next weather mark. We finished the race 29th.
Race 2
We had a good start below the pack at the boat end and tacked to get
into phase soon after. We were doing a good job hitting the shifts up
the beat until three-quarters of the way up when we sailed a header
a little too long to get into a puff that never came. We rounded the
first mark in the low teens.
The reach was going fine until we got rolled by the Danish girls while Paul was distracted yelling at the Germans in front of us. Luckily, there was a gap behind them, so they were the only boat that passed us.
We had an okay run followed by an okay beat to finish 12th.
Race 3
We had a good start towards the boat again and tacked on a left
shift. It looked like there was more wind out right, so we continued
on port when we started to get headed. Once we got into the puff, we
tacked. The left side got more wind than we expected, but we were
still doing okay. We rounded the weather mark in the top five but set
too early on the reach and lost about four boats.
We held even on the run and then lost two boats on the next beat. We held there to finish 9th.
Paul and Bob
Team 2000
TEAM COMPUCOM / SAILNET.COM - French Nationals 2000 - Day 2
Ile Tudy, France
Wednesday 18 July 2000
Bonjour from France.
We were met this morning again with no wind, but this time its absence lasted all day, so we had no races at all. Did not even think about leaving shore.
We did a lot of boat work today and then did some serious physical training this afternoon.
We will try again tomorrow.
Bon Voyage!
Paul and Bob
Team 2000
>From Beanard--We also received the following note from Coach Skip Whyte. Thought you might enjoy reading it, so here it is:
The dynamics of this event are interesting. This regatta is only a training event for all of the major players and most are focusing on next week's Cornu Cup as their final "peak" before the Olympics. Consequently, this event is very relaxed and everyone is in a friendly mood. There is lots of picture taking and it seems that many are realizing that this may be the last time they will see some of the competitors in a relaxed atmosphere. It is a special moment. Racing would be better, this is pretty good.
Skip Whyte
U S Sailing Team
We were postponed again this morning, due to no wind. We did finally get out on the water in the afternoon and got a good light air race. Race 1
We had a good start in the middle of the line, heading for good velocity. Once we got into the puff, it looked like the right side was looking good, so we tacked that way. A few boats out of the right were crossing us near the lay line, so we tacked below them. The wind shifted right, and we got lifted to the mark to round second. We were right behind the Greeks, with the Australians behind us.
There was no passing on the reach. The run was almost a fetch on port tack, so there was no passing there either. There was a change of course at the leeward mark.
On the second beat, we headed out right with the Greeks, while the Australians went left. The Greeks eventually tacked away. About five minutes later, we realized that we were sailing to the wrong mark and had overstood by a bunch. We rounded about 20th. We caught a few by the finish but did not get close enough to make up for our mistake.
After the race, we had a bunch of general recalls until the wind died and we headed in.
Paul and Bob
Team 2000
Well, we actually had wind this morning. Everyone was very excited. Wind was 8-12 knots at the 10:00 a.m. start. Unfortunately, we had to go through the regular number of general recalls and postponements and then abandoned one race.
We finally got a good start off at about noon, after 15 boats had been DSQ'd in a Black Flag start. We won the pin end and sailed along the beach. We had more wind there, but the wind generally was shifting right, so we rounded fourth behind two Spanish boats and a Greek boat.
Nothing happened on the first reach, but on the run we lost an Italian boat that went for more wind along the beach.
On the next beat, though, we tacked right away around the leeward mark and had a good lead to pass one Spanish boat and the Italians.
On the next run, we had good speed and just caught up to the Greek boat, but were not able to pass him, so we finished third.
Race 2
After more general recalls and postponements, we got off to a start
at about 2:30 p.m. Our coach told us there was some favorable
current on the right side, so we wanted to go that way. We had a poor
start near the boat but found a good lane going right.
We were the third boat going that way and were looking good coming back way ahead. About halfway across, though, we got a 20-degree header, and that put the guys on left ahead. We tried to get back, but not soon enough, and rounded the weather mark about eighth.
We passed one French boat on the first run, then on the second beat passed a Spanish boat. He passed us back on the run, but we got him back at the leeward mark, and we finished sixth.
The committee tried to get another race off, and we actually had a start. Bob and I were winning the right side, but the wind was totally dead, so they abandoned the race and sent us in.
Well, at least this was a better day.
We finished 10th overall, and a young French boat won.
We now go to Quiberon for the 470 Cornu Cup, which starts next week.
More then.
Paul and Bob
Team 2000