Tonight offered us another (boring) 5.39 nm trapezoidal course in an average 15kt breeze. I could have exploited my good start longer, tacking prematurely on to port at the urging of my crew. Nevertheless had a good weather leg, rounding in close quarters ahead of two very competitive boats. We had a good spinnaker set, and a good third leg, rounding the leeward mark in very close quarters. The final beat was occasioned with the typical raucous debate about going in (for the lift) or going out for the wind. (I love conflict!) Crew thinks the boat performs better to weather on starboard than port. I think that's balderdash. But, For some reason going out produced the more satisfying sail, which I eventually did.
Every race is an accumulation of good and bad tactical decisions and sail handling. Can't tell from the results these results which side of the equation we were on. Finished 13th out of 26 boats on corrected time, and 10th elapsed time.
This locally handicapped fleet which we have been a member is by far the most successful fleet in this venue. Membership wise, it has decimated the PHRF fleets. It allows for fine, boat-for-boat competition. In a steady 15 knots the fleet divides itself into two groupings and we find ourselves in the back of the fastest. And I guess tonight was no different.
One more comment: Going up to the bar I was talking to a skipper who said she was going to talk to the race committee in order to withdraw because she had grievously fouled another boat. I commiserated with her. But later, I discovered that (a), she had corrected out to 2nd place, and (b) she did not withdraw, and (c), the boat she had fouled corrected out to 1st. In a conversation with me, tonight's winning skipper did confirm that he was fouled and that he did not fly the protest flag he had on board. He is a nice, chivalrous Christian kind of guy. As gently as I could, I told him that he had let us all down by not enforcing the rules of our sport; and, as a consequence, our sport was rendered more dangerous than it was the day previous. All games and sports have rules. A race becomes nothing other than a group day-sail if there are no rules observed.
That is crap. Stuff like all of the above leads me to feeling that something is stale, something is missing. I gotta problem.
It's real clear to me what's missing. A good fun day on the water is what you are getting. That's all to the good. The problem is that you want more. You want refinement. You want to see indices of progress, learning, improvement. And you're not getting it because that's not important to others in your fleet. Some of them. Most of them, maybe. You're not getting what you're looking for.
ReplyDeleteOne-design racing is the real deal.
Come East my son. You will surely get what you're looking for, I promise. And I could probably find a race or two for you as well.
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