Recaps - Weekend #2 - 2nd Annual MC Match Racing a Success!

Location: Blogs MC Fleet 4 Recaps
Posted by: Fleet 4 Administrator	7/16/2007 11:26 AM
For those of you who could not make this year's match racing, you missed a treat! With winds 3-10 and 90% high-side/hiking, the weather worked out perfectly. The early starting times (10 AM Saturday and 9:30 Sunday) meant that the wall of thunderstorms materialized each day and didn't even come close until we were wrapping up (and in fact dissapated so much before they arrrived that we got a light rain Saturday afternoon and nothing Sunday). We were much better organized this time with the rules specialized for the match racing format and David Leather (2316) did a PERFECT job managing the round-robin format setting the exact-right course size 2 laps/downwind finishes, 18-27 minute races. Additionally, David's research into the round-robin format allowed each person to race every other once over the 2 days. Dave Johnson (2100) showed the speed and smarts to have a perfect first day. His tacks were good and his drag-racing speed upwind was truly excellent. Yours truly (2188) also went undefeated. Special note goes to June (2307), Candy (1773), and Richard (1919) who got better and better as they raced the first 3 races, and Alejandro (1261) FINALLY brought out his "reburbed-like-new" MC and did MUCH better after a year hiatus in the Lasers. Sunday saw the wind/weather forecast largely unchanged. Candi showed her learning-curve by matching Scott Tillema's (2107) speed upwind and exceeding it downwind to win that match. Richard decided that his match with DM was the perfect time to try out his speedier side. A right-handed shift halfway up the first leg brought him back from the grave and he would stay 15 seconds or so behind for the whole rest of the race. Going into the 6th race, it looked like it would be a preview of the Finals. DJ and DM both were 5-0 on the weekend and, barring disaster, were going to re-meet. DJ came of the line about 30 seconds late to which DM responded by waiting for him - almost a mistake! At the 1st leeward mark a hole and a wind-shift put DM down on the course with DJ rounding as it went back to the right and put him up on DM's hip. DJ showed amazing speed in the largely UNshifting winds (yes, folks it was a steady direction at Eustis!), and bested DM on several tacks forcing him to tack away. However, DM also had some bursts of speed that enable him to keep ahead and win the matchup. A win on both of our parts for the 7th-and-final race of the Round-Robins guaranteed a rematch in the final! DM won the start of the Final, but again DJ's speed paid off. A quick tack to port put DJ out in front and to leeward and the first-cross was going to be clearly his. Sensing the speed differntial DM tacked off to a perceived puff, this time leading and to leeward of DJ - a reversal of position! DM locked into the puff with excellent heel and trim and motored out to a 5 boat-length lead which he would maintain to win the match and the weekend. Lots of lessons this weekend: 1) DON'T PINCH IN THE LIGHT STUFF! Many of the competitors won the starts this weekend, but lost the match largely due to trying to point too high. When the wind is 5-6 or below, YOU MUST GET THE BOAT MOVING AND GET FLOW OVER THE BOARDS. This can be exceptionally difficult in match racing conditions where you opponent is a boat-length away or less. In such a case (unless there is a clear shift ahead), tack away and drive the boat on your terms. 2) For short course racing, 18-25 minutes is the perfect length for a course. This allows a bad start or incorrect decision to be remedied for the behind-boat, but does not become interminable. This is perfect for the shorter-course-more-races format because it allows more starts, mark roundings, etc. without taking away from the advantages/learning a longer course provides. 3) For most of the fleet, the one-on-one seemed to vastly improve their sailing style. Taking away the larger fleet decision-making and allowing each to concentrate on one other person and making the boat go fast (of course, few ahifts helped this also) seemed to bring out the best and allow for a more focused sailing and learning.

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