Who was out this weekend?.....

Originally posted by Doug.H Great start to the season!!! Was the first series race today and the 1st race I've done since october. I rather geekily went out early and did a couple of upwind/downwind legs to take compass bearings and get a feel for the wind, waves and tide. Did a few tacks, gybes and leeward mark roundings to make sure everything was smooth. Made a race plan and then relaxed for a few minutes until the start. It seems all the winter training paid off as I raced smarter and fitter than I've ever done!

That's so the right way to do it.

Not like me. haven't been on the water since before the clocks went back,
turf up late cos the clocks went forward, no lights in the changing room
cos the rat catchers been round. Chat to every tom dick and harry that
hadn't seen me in ages on the prom. Swan onto the water with five
minutes to the ten. Pfaff about miss the transit, in fact in my arrogance
assume someone moved it whilst I wasn't looking, miss the fact the tides
running like an express train start with it on my weather bow and wonder
why I'm not moving, forget rudimentarys like pulling that kicker rope
until hafl way round, by which time I should be letting it off for the
downhill bit. Tack put sheet in teeth, but not realise it's round my legs
chuck myself in. Try to gybe without shifting weight to the other side,
chuck myself in again, in fact sail like a complete t**t.
Then blame it on staying up late and being old with dementia..

If I'd done what you did, none of all that would have happened.

2nd weekend out for me and my first bullet in the 2nd race.

2 stonking by the lee runs. The bow inticator was spinning faster than a washing machine. Tell tales streaming straight the wrong way, so the flow was really nice.

1st race was a disaster as I was still on land when the start signal was sounded.

 

Originally posted by G.R.F.   Then blame it on staying up late and being old with dementia.. If I'd done what you did, none of all that would have happened.

I keep telling the missus that more sailing will stop me getting dementia /  Alzeimers etc. She doesn't seem to agree!

Had a good days sailing yesterday. Breeze was fresh enough to blow the
cobwebs away and punish our mistakes. And for the first time this year, it
was warm and sunny!

Originally posted by G.R.F. I wish they had rigged a kite, at least they'd have stacked it like they normally do and I wouldn't have the embarrassment of them telling me "actually the Vision is 1083" so, that's a three sail boat slower than a laser? Puuurrrrllleeaaasse. They'll be upping the rental cost of that bandit every time it's windy.

The thing with boats like the Vision is that generally they are sailed and raced by people who are not as high a standard as in other classes. What happens then is that someone who is half decent in another class jumps in to the boat, sails it well and makes it look like a handicap bandit.

To be honest I found that the Vision whilst heavy and slow to accelerate has a good turn of speed once it gets up to speed. Would be intteresting for the better helms at my club to give it a whirl every once in a while!