The Trofeo Princess Sophia was probably the first, real test this year to see who would come out on the leader board in the quest for their gold in Rio, September 2016. The Bay of Banderas has always had it’s quirks in wind and conditions and this week saw no exception. Going into this regatta, I was feeling more confident and well prepared after having had 2 good weeks training and ultimately racing the Spanish Nationals in Valencia, finishing second to Damian. This next series would be very competitive with 5 of what I consider the best seven 2.4m sailors in the world : Helena Lucas, Gold medalist from the UK / Bjornar Erikstad from Norway, 1st Para and 2nd Overall in last year’s Open 2.4m Worlds / Heiko Kroger, Germany and has been in the class for ever and always in the top 3 / Damian Sequin, France, current 2.4m Para World Champion.
I am definitely the new comer in this fleet, and feel that I have finally entered their circle over the last 6 months with more time on the water and improvements to my all over boat speed. I could not have done this without all the help, expertise and advice, new tools, sails and tech support from all my friends, sponsors and coaches.
My coach for this regatta was Fuzz Spanhake and we had a great week of training before the racing and I felt ready.
First day racing saw very light and shifty conditions out of the West South West. A strange direction for Palma. It was an up and down day for most of us, except Helena, who finished with a 2,1. This gave her a good lead, as most of us had 1 bad race. Heiko, who won the 1st race got caught up at the start and could not recover and finished 13th, which would end up as his throw out. Bjornar finished 2nd for the day with a 5, 2. Another German, Lasse Kiotzing was in 3rd with 8 points. Damian and I were tied for 4th with 10 points. I was happy with my 1st race rounding 6th and finishing 4th. I gave it away in the 2nd race, rounding a close 3rd with a chance for 2nd, but picked the wrong side of the 2nd beat and ended up 6th. I thought I saw a shift coming down and went for it. In fact I saw it too early, it arrived 1/2 way down the run, and too late to help me out. Oops.
The next day was to be most challenging for all. Good winds out of the South, with big seas. Sailing on starboard tack was straight into the seas. and they were steep for a little 2.4m. Pumps were very active. The waves were smaller toward the right so Damian and I went for the windward end of the start and tacked. It looked very good, but the wind shifted left at the end of the beat. I rounded 6th with still a chance to gain, but I had a small problem at the leeward mark, and I could not get my mast step forward and this lost me 4 boats and contact with the leaders, finishing 10th, my throw out. The 2nd race was much of the same, but this time the right did come in. After winning the windward end at the start, and tacking, I rounded just behind Damian in 2nd place, who also played the right. We had a good race going. My 2nd place looked secure unitl my mainsheet block fell off the end of my boom 1/2 way up the 2nd beat. I made it around and finished a very close 4th to Bjornar and Heiko. Damian was gone in that one. After 2 days, I was 6th, with a chance to improve in points.
The 3rd day was spent in the the Real Club Nautico Palma waiting. The Nacra’s had our course first, and with rain and no wind, they were kept them from finishing their day till late. They finally let us go for the day at 4:00pm. Long day waiting.
Here are the points going into the last day, including the throw outs. It was all on.
Helena 2,1,2, (DNF) 5
Heiko 1,(13),1,3 6
Damian (7),3,3,1 7
Bjornar 5,2,(6),2 9
Lasse 3,5,4,(5) 12
Dee 4,6,(10),4 14
Last day racing, we left the dock knowing that there would only be 2 races as the Dragons also had to sail on our course later. There was no wind when we arrived at the line. The RC waited and moved the line as the wind filled in from around 320 degrees. This direction in Palma doesn’t happen very often, and is not that easy to figure out. With help from my step in coach Nacho Postigo, local Pro Sailor, we had a good idea of how to handle the conditions, shifty and puffy, left and right side working at different times. This was a day to keep my head outside the boat.
First start, everyone was at the windward end, all bunched up. Somehow I was able to get out with a clean start. With quick wind shifts, lots of tacks, everyone was looking for that one magic shift to cross, it was up and down.. Heiko finished the beat with a good shift to round 1st, and I had to duck Bjornar at the top mark to round a close 3rd. We sailed that way around the next 2 marks, Heiko gaining a bit from being ahead and Bjornar and I were having a great race. Bjornar is quite light and has always been faster downwind than I. As I followed him around the last mark, I knew I had to do something to pass him. 1/2 way down, it seemed the right had a bit more pressure coming down the course with a little shift, so I went for it, gybing away from the fleet. When I came back, we were very close. I gybed on his wind and he had to gybe away, this gave me the favored end of the line and I finished 2nd. My best race of the series so far.
The points started to spread out a bit with Heiko with 7, Helena with 9, Damian and Bjornar with 12, I was next with 16.
Next race, same but a little different wind. The clouds down the right side that Nacho was talking about had gone, and the breeze just before the start went left. I thought the line was favored to the left but everyone else was playing the windward end which had worked the race before. Thinking a tight to leeward start would be good, but in the last minute, I changed my mind and went for the pin and tacked 20 seconds later and had a 50 meter lead. I continued to sail a very clean race and gained through out to win the last race. Finally!!!
Heiko finished 2nd, and won the series with 8 points. After that it was close, 4 boats finishing within 2 points. Damian had a great comeback in the last race to end up 2nd for the series. Helena finished just high enough to win the tie breaker with Bjornar and placed 3rd. I finished 1 point behind those two in 5th place overall. I know now there were points I left on the course. Everything is always different in hindsight. I will keep chipping away at sailing smarter.
I put a plan together, last year when I decided to go to Rio, and what it would take to be good enough to medal there. I feel I am on track at this time with this plan. I have the speed I need to compete. The work my sponsors and I have done to my 2.4 has been huge. Ben Hall has helped me produce the best rigs in our class. The sail work with Quantum and Dimension/Polyant Sailcloth has helped us make steady gains, and I feel we are competitive within the class, and we have some more room to go. The boat work done at Tony’s, Edge Boats in Florida earlier this year has also given us some extra speed. Over the last month of sailing in Spain, I have much more trust in Kanaloa as I continue to learn how to sail her.
Now my job is to win the 2.4m USA Team Trials during the Sailing World Cup in Hyeres, France, April 25- May 1. At the moment I am back in Annapolis for some much needed R&R, making new lists, refining old ones. I will pick up Kanaloa in Barcelona on the 16th April and will drive her across to Hyeres. Fuzz Spanhake will be back as my coach and we start training again on the 18th. Hyeres is not an easy place to figure out, so we will have a busy week ahead of us, before the next series starts, to make sure I have a good handle on the course and local conditions.
I love receiving all of your positive postings and thoughts, thank you very much for those. It really does make a difference.
A few people have inquired and yes, it is not too late for you to donate to my campaign, so please see below.
Go to:
https://www.deesail.com/make-a-donation/
Wish me luck