Team Racing

Unlike a lot of other teams, we had deliberately chosen not to do any training for the team-racing. Instead spending our time on maximising our preparations for the fleet racing, because we have significantly less time to train together as a team prior to the event, and the fleet racing competition is our priority.

The format of the competition was essentially a knockout based on seedings from the fleet racing results. With each team eliminated once they had lost two races.

We launched in slightly overcast weather, and as a result very little wind. However, shortly before the scheduled start time of 11, the sky cleared and a 7-8kt sea-breeze filled in.

Because of our lack of training, the coach had given the team some very simple priorities to focus. Get yourself of the line. Sail fast, and then focus on the only 2 simple winning combinations (three boats in the top 4 places, or the opposition in 7th and 8th).

Our first race was against Korea. The race was very close, but unfortunately our lack of preparation meant that the team struggled to follow their priorities at the key moment and lost the race by 2 points in a very tight finish.

This meant that the next race was against Russia. After some faster sailing, good teamwork and clear communication, the team were able to secure a safe victory with 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places.

This meant that we were then racing Mexico (who, in their previous race had narrowly lost to the favourites Singapore.) The loser of this race would be out, with the winner staying in the competition.

At the last mark the team were narrowly in the lead (3,4,5,6, combo), but after some good work by Jamie, and Max and Martin recognising the need to simply sail fast, they all sailed a very good second beat to win 1,2,3,4!

This meant that we went through to a race with Sweden (one of the teams who have been practicing). The winner would go through to the last 16, with the loser going into the "pool" where 1 of 8 teams would progress through to the last 16 based on the lowest points from the previous race.

After a poor start Sweden were comfortably in the lead at mark 1. However some good slowing by Max and Milo meant that at mark 3, we were in a tight leading position with Sweden in 7th and 8th. However, after some good work by the well drilled swedes, and a couple of penalties, we ended up losing the race.

Unfortunately, Germany were the team that had the best points, so the team did not progress from the "pool", and into the last 16 racing tomorrow.

However, more importantly, this is quite possibly a blessing in disguise as the team will now get a "rest day" before Monday when the spare day will be used to catch up with fleet races missed earlier in the week.

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Carla went out on the water with the USA team parents and  the team sailed across  while Milo and Tim swam over for cold drink

                             

 Team racing day pictures 

Team USA IODA Worlds2012

Racing day 4

wind was kind of crazy today .. lots of different breezes fighting each other , often hard to figure out which one would win out.. during racing 8-12 knots reports Max

Yellow and Blue have done two races , red and green have done one and will be racing on the rest day on Monday to catch  up . There is protest in about a mark being moved in the first blue race which might lead to it being canned.

After this morning's drama Milo had a dream day with a 4th and a 13th in yellow. " I am packing my bag again tonight "  Max who was in green had a great  day"the best sailing day ever !!!" scoring a bullet .  Arran had a better day with a 15th but he is currently being protested, " I concentrated on the processes not the results and it worked" He admitted it has  only taken two regattas and eight weeks for him to carry out what the coach has been repeatedly telling him.
Martin was his usual steady self with a 10th and low 20"s . Jamie explained he was rolled on the line and then could not go the way he wanted.. poor chap got a bout of sea sickness which certainly did not help his pre start routines.

So good day for GBR barring the seasickness

Non Racing Day 4

Milo saves Max
Those of you glued to the tracking will know no racing so far .. however the team  has not been without its dramas this morning .

Last night Milo and Carla decided to reorganise Milo's  bag for the boat park. We agreed that the chargers, two packs of playing cards, vitamin C tablets etc were probably not required in the boat park . We laid  out everything on the floor of his room ready to be packed this morning. We even filled all the drinks platypuses ready for the isotonic tablets first thing. but he later decided  to hang his buoyancy aid on the lamp to dry . This meant he did not see it when packing his bag .. As time was short today he decided to combine getting changed with  seeing Kate and Maya , which was when he realised no buoyancy aid. Support team to the rescue , grabbed the broken wrist band, critical for getting into our hotel  and the room key and made a dash for our hotel . In the meantime Max realised in horror that he had forgotten to put in his contacts. Max is sharing with Milo so a quick call to Kate and Maya was able tor retrieve both buoyancy aid and contacts . We had other options for Milo such as Tim's spare etc but even we would not be able to solve lack of contacts so Milo's forgetfulness saved Max today ..

Also pleased to report that the dental braces and their  box were retrieved from the top of the lectern in the main meeting hall this morning . We doubted they were of any use to anyone else and were likely to be found but there was a small moment of stress from the sailor concerned on how to explain to his parents that he had lost them again. . .

Early Start

After sailing yesterday the sailors went home to  the supporters hotel for tea and games and returned to our hotel promptly by 7.30pm to find out from Tim and Carla that the race committee have brought everything forward by an hour and half and first signal will be 10.30am .. this means we loose an hour and half of our routine . The sailors have been asked to woken up at 6.30am for breakfast at 7.00 when it opens and catch the 7.45 bus to be in the boat park for 8.00.

This has put paid to Carla's early morning 30 minute swim to the reef , as even if she is writing this at 6.00 am and for those  who know that is v early for her, swimming as well would mean swimming in the dark.. good thing the cockerel is still waking her up ..

We only found out about the early start because Tim and Carla decided to stay and have supper there where the Internet is better and it is quieter and we checked our pigeon hole before we left. Lots of teams had not . Plan is to start early next week too.

After today we have a change of mindset and move to team racing and maybe even a rest day but we are in danger of loosing it .

When the sailors have left IODA are holding their AGM. Carla has had excellent  instructions from David Baddley ( thanks) on how to vote on the various issues . His email is easier to understand than the IODA agenda ! She has also been asked to be the proxy for Hungary for the vote for both the Europeans and Worlds venues. Worlds venues for 2014, Poland where the Europeans were in 2010, Thailand at Christmas and Argentina in October, the general view is that it will be tight . Europeans are between Ireland and Poland . There is also a decsion to be made on advertising by the class. Let you know later where the teams maybe going in 2014.

Have to go and get sailors up for breakfast

Racing - Day 3

As was the case yesterday, the fleet launched on time 1030 to head out to the race course. However, once again the forecast was for intermittent storms and a light easterly.

However, at the race course we had a reasonable southerly sea breeze of around 10 knots so racing was able to start on time.

The wind remained relatively stable for the next hour. Then thunderstorms moved onto the course from the East, this dragged the wind about 90 degrees to the left. The first and second starts (Martin and Milo) had already finished, but it made the racing for the third (Arran) and fourth starts (Jamie and Max) challenging.

Martin sailed a very solid race to score a comfortable 6^th place. Milo missed one shift on the first beat to finish mid-fleet having been close to Martin half-way up. In the third race Arran lost around 15 places over-standing the finish layline as a result of the shift. Max consistently gained places around the course to finish in second! Jamie was unable to recover from a poor start after the second beat became very one-sided because of the shift.

After finishing there was a MASSIVE thunderstorm with torrential rain and cyclonic winds and the fleet were sent to shore for the day.

Overall Max has shot up to 5^th overall! Martin has also improved to 25^th. The other sailors have remained in similar positions.

Racing day 2

No racing but more drama

Tropical thunderstorms followed by a light and fickle sea breeze fighting a weak land breeze which brought thunderstorms with it.
Coach now repairing Milo's sail. In the storm the battens of his sail were at  both ends of the pockets and he lost both battens and ripped the sail at both end of both  pockets . Nuno and Curly the Championship measurers have deemed it repairable with time, which they think we have, rather than letting him use his second sail. Tim is now repairing the inboard end of the batten pockets and waiting for some battens, we know that NED have some but we are hoping that the Dominican coach will find some. Curly has given Tim some 150mm diameter black tape to mend the sail with which is interesting.

Organisers have now said three races a day for next two days . Max is now looking at the event photographer's pictures from today which will be worth looking at as he was on the water. Sailors have had tea and been for a swim

Storm

Massive storm came through club and you  cannot see across the marina .. it was torrential and even felt cold and the sailors are out at sea !