by Capt. Flak » Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:08 pm
Chris,
Rick was 7th and Jack was 9th. Rick and Jack are both very good sailors. What you need to realize is that the racing is so close here now, that on any given weekend you will have a different winner. As it turns out, both Rick and Jack were testing new equipment, which is usually not the best thing to do on race day. Jack had a new boat and Rick new sails. As the regatta progressed, the two of them continued to improve as they worked out their tuning.
But the racing was much closer than the scores will show. For example, in the last heat of the regatta, first through third place were separated by less than half a boat length. Rick was one of only three skippers who did not take a trip to the B-fleet.
Also, for much of the first day of sailing, the winds and the shape of the lake, made for a follow the leader situation. Who ever got the best start, usually won the heat. It wasn't until later in the day, that some tacking came into play.
In short, don't let one regatta cast any doubt on your groups abilities. But YES, you do need to FEAR the USA![:D]
Joe Walter #24