We had one race today and it was really a noodle scratcher. You know when you have 8 quality races but the race committee decides to have one more race when the wind is only 0-3 knots. The second start (I was in the first) did an upwind leg and a downwind leg in an hour and a half of racing on a trapezoid course before the race committee finished them. Our start did a little better - we only missed the reach and the short upwind leg. In the end, I should not be complaining as everyone was sailing the same course.
During the race I made two major mistakes that cost me a couple positions in the results. First, three quarters up the windward leg and 30 boat lengths ahead of Claire,I decided to go right, which was paying, instead of staying left and cover Claire. The wind shifted left at the top corner and Claire rounded the mark just one place behind me. Usually this move would have been fine, but since it was the last race of the regatta I should had covered Claire.
The next mistake I made was missing a gust on the downwind beat. I was so busy thinking about the correct angle of sailing that I missed the gust and sailed into zero knots. D'oh. I lost 40 boat lengths against everyone who caught it and Claire was one of them. I finished 19th in the race.
In the end, I finished 8th. I had 6 good races and 3 mediocre races that cost me a podium finish. There two lesions I should take away from this regatta: Pay more attention to how the wind is changing throughout the day and when there is zero knots , just sail to the puffs. And maybe there is a third lesson. That is, I have to keep cool no matter what happens. I always have trouble with that one.
Some other notable finishes by district three sailors were: Greg Clunnies 7th in full rig, Evan Lewis 9th in full rig and Claire Merry 6th in the radial.
Isaac Bussin is a member of RCYC high performance team where he sails the laser radial. In 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, he won the Nathan Cowan award for Queen's University male skipper of the year.
