Well, I know more today than I did yesterday about my competition, that's for sure. We drifted around till about 3:00pm when a good stiff sea breeze filled in to about 12 knots. Nice breeze for sure. And when the sea breeze blows, the word is you have to go left.
I started at the pin, though the line was pretty square and went to work - hiking hard, sheeting, steering, and more hiking. An Aussie was behind and to windward, and there was a Brit, too. It took about three minutes for us to separate from the rest of the pack, and I learned then that the race was going to be a three or four boat fight. I kept going to the left but couldn't quite go fast enough to cross. I tacked and expected to have to duck the Aussie (the Brit tacked away) but he tacked too and stayed on my leeward bow. He extended on me as we went up to the mark on port, mainly because I had a terrible weed problem. About mid way through the port hitch, my tell tales started to tell me that I could head up, that I was on a lift. When I tried, the boat felt terrible and I went slower. There was no lift, but there were the tell tails saying different. I put the bow down again, but the boat was still sick, so I checked the board. Sure enough, I had a complete sea salad hanging on it. The tell tails were telling me not that there was a lift, but that I was going slower and the apparent wind had moved back as my boat slowed.
I pulled my board up and cleared the weeds and found I could hold the Aussie again, but I was now about 10 boat lengths behind. The Brit meanwhile had got to the left of both of us, and came up from the port tack layline and rounded between the Aussie and me. The Brit passed the Aussie on the reach and they battled on the run about even. I caught up, and learned that the Aussies were not the mysterious mythical beasts downwind that I had been told, though he was faster than the Brit. On the second beat, I passed the Brit because, I think, he was getting tired. The Aussie was still ahead, but again, I gained on the run and the last reach until I was just behind him at the last mark.
We had just a short beat to the finish. I tacked away and tacked back to clear my air from him. He was well ahead, but made a very bad tack to starboard and I caught up again. When I tacked back to starboard myself, I was ahead, and I stayed there to the finish - my first bullet in a World competition.
The second race was a bit easier, mostly because I constantly checked my weeds and never found myself being beaten by them for long. I started at the pin again, and again the Brit and the Aussie were to windward and behind. I had room to cross, but the Aussie tacked first anyway. When I got on port, I realized that I had over stood, and cracked off a bit. Man did I fly!! I almost think I was better off sailing on that line than tighter. I rounded first and never looked back really. My downwind was fast, and my upwind was fast. Not much to complain about. Bullet number two.
I know I am still leaving a lot on the field. There is more speed to realize, but it is clear that however much I don't capture, it is good enough to be competitive, for sure. On the way in, I have to say I felt pretty good, but I reminded myself there were five more days to go. That sounds like forever!
Rob Koci races in both the Laser Full-Rig and Laser Radial fleets around District 3. Currently, Rob is the District 3 secretary and maintains a frequently updated race diary on D3Laser.com. Rob's home port is St. James Town Sailing Club in Toronto, Ontario.
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