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Season 2006
Season 2006
I bought a new XD kit for the outhaul.
The new season officially started on the 25th March. However,
it was washed away due to heavy rain and windy. In addition on the 26th, I
was officer of the day.
On Sunday 2nd, I tried in anger the new XD kit. A word of warning to anyone trying
to use the XD outhaul. It is designed for both the laser 4.7, radial and full rig.
I am not sure that the new outhaul makes me going faster but it is easier to set the rig.
The sail was not an easy one as the wind was around Force 5 with plenty of gusts and lull.
I was the only one of the club sailing.
I capsized three times as shown below:
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On the following week-end (i.e. 8 and 9th April), I sailed under very strong
winds especially on Saturday. Over the 6 boats starting the race on Saturday, only 2
(included me) managed to finish the race. Because I started on time, I won the race.
However, the Officer of the Day told me that my lap time was much better than anyone else.
This was the first trophy ("Queen Mary trophy") of the year. However, although I won,
the real test will be when I can win races on light or very light winds.
The Easter week-end was a disappointment in terms of sailing. The tides were completely
against it. However, with a few enthusiasts, I managed to sail for an hour in the afternoon.
This was a pleasant sail although it was under very light. I managed to go up the M5
bridge on the Avon river but it was a real struggle.
The following week-end (i.e. 22nd and 23rd) saw light winds sailing.
The Saturday was the first of three Kiwi Cup races. I did badly as my boat was badly tuned.
In addition, I did not point properly. To be fair, I would have struggled as Tony and Ken
did very well. The pictures show how badly my rig was set: the cunnigham was too opened
and the outhaul was well too loose.
The following day was again a light wind sail. I did better but again the outhaul was poorly
set. However, this time, the cunnigham was set properly. I have to say that the new XD
is easier to set on the water. However, it does not say that it is a good idea to do it. Future
will tell if I can improve in light wind and set the sail properly.
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On Friday 29th April, I had an unofficial sailing day with a few enthusiasts. Unfortunately,
it was a bit of a disaster. The wind died as soon as we launched. At the end, most of us
hit the banks and walked (or swim) back to the launching bay.
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Saturday 6th May was probably the best sail that I ever have. The wind was moderate
but constant. With 5 other boats, we went to the Cockburn beacon although this was not
planned. The tide being perfect, we had enough time to go and back. The sea condition was
immaculate i.e. not choppy. Most of us went to the beacon. The return was tricky as we were
going down wind and avoiding large chips. The following Sunday saw the second Kiwi Cup race.
I sailed not too badly although I believe that my tactics could have been better in
a couple occasions when the wind was shifting. However,
saying that, my start was spot on. I stayed second on the water all the time. In aggregate,
I finished seconds six seconds behind the winner.
Friday 12th May was a good sailing day in term of understanding what I am doing
wrong especially in very light winds. Although the sail has became soft, I should be
able to keep up with Lightnings. Unfortunately, in very light winds and on the run,
the main sheet drag in the water hence slowing down the boat dramatically.
On the way back, i.e. up-wind, I was able to catch the Lightnings. Unfortunately,
the wind picked up when I have started to de-rig the boat. In addition, at the beginning
of the sail, the weather was not that calm i.e. thunder storms over Bradley Stoke
and Bristol. However, it calmed down over Shirehampton.
On Saturday 13th, I was on Safety duty and could not sail. However, it would
have been a nice day to sail.
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On Sunday 14th, I sailed with Geoff on a RS200 as I was not on the mood
to rig my Laser. It was a very pleasant sailing afternoon as the wind was almost
perfect i.e. not too strong nor too weak. I enjoyed the sailing as it made
a break from Laser and I do like the RS200.
Between the 19th May and the 20th May 2006,
I went to Mallorca for a week of yachting sailing. See
yachting page for further information.
On Sunday 27th May, I raced on the Sturney Cup. The wind was dropping all
the time to the force 1-2. It was a very hard race. I had to work hard because of
the light wind condition. The up-wind tactic was correct. I am not sure that
my position to the boat is correct. However, to improve it, I will need
someone to film me such as I can see what I am doing wrong. On the down-wind,
because of the conditions, I was not able to keep up with the Wanderer. I managed
to keep its lead under control. However, just before the last up-wind mark,
I tacked slightly earlier. This early tack gave me the initiative. It was a lucky
guess. I managed to go around the mark before the Wanderer and a Lightning that
leads early on. As the wind increased slightly, I was able to keep the lead until
the end of the race. I am happy to have won it but not sure if I was sailing
properly. The crunch will to see feedback of others.
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On Saturday 3rd, I raced for the Brunel cup. Because of the light wind, it
was a mini-pursuit race i.e. half a minute instead of a minute. The race took a hour and
5 minutes. The wind was moderate. I raced well. I caught very early on the GP14 of Tony.
I almost caught Colin's lighting. However, I made a big mess of it at the mark.
I was then passed by the Lark from Rob and Colin has gone away. On the downwind,
Rob tried unsuccessful his kite and I was able to pass him. I passed Colin after the
downwind mark. I was able, to my surprise, to catch Ken. However, after an intense
tactical battle, Ken had the better of me and passed the mark well before me.
On the downwind mark, he slightly pulled away from but I kept my distance to the other
boats. On the up-wind mark, I felt slightly tired. More importantly, I almost gave up.
However, I managed to stay with the wind. As a result of this move, I managed to catch
Ken who had been leader since the beginning. As I arrived to his position, a new
tactical battle started. As soon as I managed to go ahead of him, the end
of the race sound could be heard. The fact that I have won the race pleased me.
However, I was very happy the way the race went. My tactic seemed to be ok as well
as my roll tacking. In addition, my boat speed was pretty good. My position into the
boat also pleased me. Finally, the wind although picked at the end, was relatively
light about force 2 maximum with an average of force 1. I have still to repeat the
effort but I have become more certain that I am going to the right direction.
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The following Saturday i.e. 10th, I sailed. The wind was shifty but steady.
It was not that strong but was ok for a hot sunny evening. I went to the mouth and back.
I also capsized because I did not pay attention regarding the wind shift. On Sunday,
the wind dropped further. It was not as enjoyable as the previous day.
I was dragged by the safety boat as there was no wind. All the other boats had
to row too. In this week-end, I was reasonably satisfied with the boat handling.
However, it may be time to change boat. The decision will be made after the Pill race.
After three weeks of interruption, I re-sailed on the 2nd of July.
The wind was light. The weather was gorgeous although I struggled with the heat due to
the wetsuit. However, I was awful. I could not point to the wind properly and my
roll tacking was stalling the boat. It needs re-thinking before the Pill race.
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The Pill race went not too badly considering that I have finished the race and won it
on the Shirehampton calendar. However, I finished 18th over 21 finishes
and 9 retirements. This is an achievement considering the condition. Am I happy about
the race? Although I finished the race and nine others did not,
the answer is not completely for several reasons. The first one is that I followed
another boat instead of following my own initiative and tactics (if I had one). I could
have gone straighter to the mouth and gain a bit more time. More importantly, when I came
back from the mouth, I was not able to keep the boat straight i.e. flat in comparison with
the sea. It is not that easy when someone throw you a baket of water every few minutes.
On the way back, I took the nearest straight line that I could. Again, my tactic was
not perfect. For next year (as I intend to do it again), I need to be fitter i.e. change
gym program, follow my own instinct and let others show the way first. I would like to be
in the first tier next year. In overall, it was a valuable lesson and not that disappointed.
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The rest of the month was a bit disappointing. Although the weather was pretty good.
I lost my form. I realized the mistake that I kept doing for the last two seasons i.e.
not keeping the boat straight. The downside of this was to put the break on to compensate
the lost of direction. In most conditions, I was pointed too close to the wind because
I was not balancing the boat properly. To correct this problem, I did some
rudder-less sailing. It was amazing to see the effect of body movement.
The last few sails were cracking not only the wind was perfect but although my
speed and my body position were better. In addition, I went further straight than I used
to do. I also practiced longer stay during sailing practice. The idea is to prepare for
next Pill race.
I believe that the rudder-less session was positive. However, my light wind sailing has
not improved enough. In the Boon Cup race, I finished second in the water and fourth
overall in aggregate time. The reason was that I was slow in downwind and could not
go close to the wind. My tactics were wrong. I need to use the wind indicator all
the time. However, the next day, with a good breeze, I enjoyed sailing again.
However, I am starting to wonder if my boat is too slow to progress. Another thing to
consider is joining a laser fleet. I lack references.
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On Saturday 19th, I won the Audrey Louch Plate race. It was rather by default
than by anything else. The fleet was decimated by the weather. Only two boats finished
and the second one started at least 15 minutes after everyone else. In the first lap,
in the downwind mark, I was awful as I misjudged the wind. I went into a lull whereas
the other two boats were in free air. However, I regained my position and in the up-wind
mark, I managed to pass them both. I covered relatively well the RS200 and she could not
pass me. However, my boat handling was not good although it is improving. At the end of
the second lap, I played a relatively well planned tactical battle with the RS200 and
I won this tactical battle. In the third lap, the RS200 and the GP14 retired for various
reasons: injury and boat damaged respectively.
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The picture above showed me during the Audrey Louch Plate Race. The position of the boat
has improved but I need to make more progress. In addition, I must keep the boat straight
during the race. Although the wind was strong, I should have been able to keep the boat straight.
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I was early enough to sail on the bank holiday in August. The picture showed me
on the reach.
The John Roberts' trophy race was probably my last race with this boat. For sure,
it was my last race of the season due to other commitment i.e. work and yachting
trip. I did not race too badly. I made a few mistakes i.e. not keeping my head cool
in two occasions. I was caught in irons in the third lap and try to do a 720 in the last
lap. This 720 was unnecessary and was not successful either. Nonetheless, I finished
first on th water but second in corrected time. I managed to beat Ken J on the water
and lost by 30 seconds in corrected time.
The reason why I want to change boat is purely economic. I want a new kicker and
that costs about £150. In addition, I need a radial rig for very strong winds. This
second rig will cost about £400 to 500. A road trolley will also be required with an
approximate cost of £3 to 500. The total cost is about £1300 with a new full rig sail.
A good second hand boat will cost around £3000 but I should obtain about £500 for my
old boat. This means that I wll spend £1000 more on the new. I will make a call at the
end of October.
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