300 Race Log - 16th December

Date: 16th December

Venue : ESSC
Race : Handicap race, 75 minutes
Conditions: S-SW F1-3
Tide : 45 minutes after start
Result : 1st of 33, 1st 300 of 4

Positives.
- The whole race today was about the start, if you could get away cleanly from the line you were going to be fine.  I was reading Mark Rushalls book 'RYA Tactics', in which he outlines several ways to try and start if the line is bias to the pin end.  One way is to approach the main bunch (all approaching on Starboard) on port, and tack under the first boat.  I tried it twice today (sorry Andy, you led the pack twice!) and it is not easy in a congested line but seems to work.  The trick appears to be to tack in such a way that the boat leading the starboard pack can't duck you or sail over you.  Anyway food for thought.
- Pretty good boatspeed all the way round, but felt a little slow upwind at times.  That said, there were some light patches.
- Tactically OK, got most of the tide decisions right.

Points for reflection.
- I dropped Steve Cockerill a line earlier in the week asking for guidance about sail set up for broad reaching in light airs. He responded with some advice on setting the sail according to the draft in the top batten of the sail.  Good advice, it takes more vang than you would think, but I could hold the ISOs on a broad reach and thats not happened before.
- I radically shortened the toestraps.  Felt very strange at first, and found it very difficult to hook into the straps on the new side of a tack.  Once I got used to it they were great, I can't really describe why but it sort of feels like you are more locked into the boat.  Still not found my hip flexors though.


So that's it for racing for a while.  We have the Shiver on the 29th, and then the Chiller series starts on the 13th January (but only two races a month).  Its time to start practicing again, the emphasis recently has been too much on racing.  Do let me know if anyone fancies some sailing over Xmas and the first week of January, practicing solo is great but much more fun with others :-)