My training partner Charlie Buckingham and I arrived in Medemblik five days ago. We have set up camp in a small bungalow near the sailing center and have started our preparations and training for the next event on the schedule:
It has been windy and cold but there will be warmer days ahead:
The whole city puts on a great show every year for this event:
More updates coming soon. Thank you all for making it possible for me to participate in this event.
Cy
THE WORLDS: SEVEN DAYS, FOURTEEN RACES
Sorry this update wasn’t written yesterday but we went to the awards banquet and then hung out with the boys afterwards.
The last day of racing saw some nice conditions. The sun was out and the wind was up. Probably blowing 15 knots at the beginning with gusts in the mid-twenties as the day progressed.
Race one seemed like it was never going to end. I had a great start in the middle of the line, but after a couple of minutes heading out on starboard, I decided to tack and try to find a better lane. In hindsight, I should have been more patient. I was pin-balled around quite a bit, and found myself pretty deep by the top mark. Not many opportunities to pass, I finished 31st. What a digger! My upwind boat-speed felt terrible. Overall I just felt like a useless human being that race. I had no control of the boat and was getting tossed around like I was in a rodeo. The boat was controlling me rather than me taking the reins.
Race 2 was time for some redemption. I was embarrassed with my performance in the previous race – considering my results the last couple of days – and it was the final race of the event. Time to take control and start abusing the boat in the breeze!! Pin end start and get to a side was my plan. I hammered the pin, and after 30 seconds, I tacked and crossed the fleet. Hiking my ass off to get to the other side of the course for the next shift, I arrived at the weather mark in 2nd and then literally threw an anchor overboard on the run. I was so slow. It is hard to explain why these things happen – super fast some days, slower other days – but it does and to all of us. So boats passed me from both sides and I was now in 10th at the leeward mark. Fought through the next upwind just punishing the boat and my legs to take a 9th in the race.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Starts. I probably had a 80% success rate with my starts and was very pleased with that. – Finally sticking to my game plan and not deviating in the middle of the race.
- Legs felt strong in the breeze.
There are definitely things that I need to work on in continuing my preparation for the Games, but I was pleased with the final 3 days of racing.
FINAL RESULTS:
http://www.laserworldchampionship.com/fileadmin/medialib/dokumente/Regatta/Laser_WM_2012/Laser%20Worlds%20Men%201-14.pdf
Big THANKS goes out to all my sponsors, supporters, donors, friends and of course my family for helping me get to where I am today. This couldn’t be done without you all !!!
Love to all
Cy
Leaving for the Netherlands in the morning.
Heading to Delta Lloyd in the Nederlands. Car is packed.
ALMOST PERFECT DAY
Weather was awesome, that being the temperature, and there was finally some breeze on the race course. Time to do what us laser Bro’s do best……GOON-the manhandling of one’s boat while hiking.
Day 6 - Race 12 - Photo by Johannes Berg
Race one I got off to a great start, and tried playing the right side. Immediately I started to get pin-balled around the course, and made a decision to just hit the right side of the course. Seeing the pressure rolling down at an angle and leading out right, I was going to get the first bit of breeze. Sure enough I got into it, tacked and was screaming (or “hauling the effin mail, as Anthony Kotoun would put it) towards the weather mark. Left side died out and the race was immediately spread out. Rounding in second, I managed to pass the leader on the run to lead for the rest of the race. But on the last run, I didn’t protect the inside and was passed by SWE. (those guys are so fast downwind, well in all directions) Taking 2nd in the race wasn’t too bad though.
Race 2, the wind was right at about 2 mins to go, but I was able to time it perfectly so that about 30 seconds after Go, we would be getting the left shift rolling down. At Go, the guy to leeward was punched. I mean I had a good start, but he had an amazing start!!!! Concentrating, I was able to hold my lane, and even get up on his hip. Now I had options.. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the fleet was slowly falling into us and a majority was already making a break for the right side. (thoughts: Stay with the fleet, Stay with the fleet) Tacked over with pressure and angle, threw the shoulders down and let the hurting begin. More thoughts: Looking great as I made my way right, the legs were feeling great and my speed was there! Any shift further left would have been even better, and any shift right could have been a disaster…..RIGHT SHIFT. Damn, time to play my side. Tacked back to lead out left. Thankfully the wind went back left and this time I was able to take it all the way to the right side for the next shift. 1st at the weather mark.
Fleet was laterally spread out on the run and they slowly caught me, but I was able to hold onto the lead for the rest of the race to take the Win.
Highlights: Still starting well. Felt good in the breeze. Downwinds are clicking finally….. and with a 2, 1 I’m sitting in 2nd in silver fleet.
2 more races to finish off the event. Feeling good, Feeling great.
After being disappointed for not making Gold Fleet, I looked at the results and noticed that there were a lot of really good guys having the same problem. We still had a very competitive fleet and it would make for some good racing.
The sun was out today and the forecast was to be 6-14 knots. Still very shifty but we finally had some wind to get hiking and stretch the legs out a bit.
I had a little talk with Richard (coach) and we decided that since everything I do is essentially train leading up to the Games, we really wanted to go out there, NAIL the STARTS and then see what we could put together throughout the rest of the race.
Before the first start the wind shifted left so I set up near the committee boat end of the line. At about 30 seconds to Go, I noticed the guy to weather did a double tack to make more room for himself, and I immediately followed suit, creating a large hole to leeward of me. With this hole, I had tons of room to accelerate, and at Go, I was punched !Tacked out and booked it right. Took the first shift back and was winning the race. Unfortunately the wind started to die and looking up the course I noticed that the left side was about to come in huge. Fighting to get a piece of it, I had to just play the shifts and hope for the best. Rounding in about 20th, I slowly fought my way back through the fleet throughout the rest of the race, and I was able to pick off a decent amount of boats, to take 12th in the race.
Richard and I were pleased, cause it’s certainly a knife fight out there, and I was able to keep my head in the game and claw my way back through the fleet. He looked at me and said “that’s a decent finish and we should be happy. Now just go win the last race.” I said “Ok I will”.
On the Inside - ISV199555 - Good Place to Be. Photo by Nils Bergmann
Race 2, the wind was left. Creeping down to the pin end of the line, I had to be careful because the black flag was up (if you’re on the race side of the line within a minute to the start, you will be scored BFD = disqualified).
Setting up 2 lengths to leeward of the line, I was most pin boat and in a great position to nail the start. 7 seconds to Go, the guy to windward couldn’t start accelerating until I made my move. What a controlling feeling! 3, 2, 1! Just hammered the start! Looked over my shoulder and could already cross the fleet.
Playing the shifts up the beat, I got out of phase at one point and boats went by. Rounded the weather mark in about 12th, but was determined that this was my race to win considering I had won he last 2 starts. Took a couple of boats on the run, rounded the gate mark and sent it right. Left shift rolled down, advantage: everyone else, but I was still in a lot of pressure and eyeing more up the right side. Using the bronze fleet in front to gauge what was coming next, I saw boats on the right getting autotacked. Big breeze and right shift to come. Advantage: ME. Threw on some vang, cunningham and outhaul, rolled into a tack right before the breeze hit and was reaching across the course to the weather mark. Finally got a call correct all regatta and found myself in 2nd at the top. Held this position throughout the rest of the race until I got passed at the leeward mark by 1 other.
As they rounded, I let them fight high for position as I sailed a lower reach to the next mark, and was able to nick them off to take the race win.
End of Day 5 of Racing - Photo by Nils Bergmann
Highlights:
Winning both starts, great downwind speed, legs didn’t feel any pain while hiking in the breeze.
I’M HAPPY WITH TODAY.
Needing some good races to make it into Gold fleet, I tried to be aggressive on the line. I fought for my hole, but at go, I just didn’t have the punch to get off the line. I was swallowed and forced to sail everyone else’s race. Good thing is that I have started to figure out the light air downwinds and I am not getting passed anymore. Race 2 saw similar conditions and miserably cold. Honestly there were seals swimming around and we had to call for an obstruction due to icebergs drifting everywhere…. OK that was an exaggeration, but it was painfully cold, and raining. I had a decent start and sent it right. I was booking it out right with Jared West (AUS), looking good until we hit a patch of weeds. Never seen that much weed in my life. Everywhere. We were clearing our boards every 5 seconds. Good thing is that we had enough pressure while dealing with the weeds, that we were still able to make gains right. Getting close to layline, we flopped over on a little right shift expecting to get back into the action, but it came back left and I found myself rounding mid 30′s. With some good speed on the run, I was able to nick off a few boats, and then some more on the second beat to round the top in 20th. The race was so spread out after this point, that catching other boats would have been near impossible. I am not too disappointed having not made Gold because there are a lot of very good guys that are in Silver as well, and it gives me a chance to work on some aspects of the race.
Looking forward to racing in Silver and trying to be in the top of that group. Olympics are the main focus, so perfecting things now is the game plan. Like college sailing, our team racing team, never won a regatta leading up to nationals, but when it counted, we got the job done. Best thing going for me today is that I made the ISAF homepage, with a nice pin end start. http://www.sailing.org/ If you wait for the scrolling pics on the right, you will see my number. ISV 199555