The Dallas weekend proved to be a quick and mildly frustrating day of sailing.
The weather was overcast with bits of rain and a variable wind from 3 to 10
(usually 3-6). The first race was a big "unkown" because the boats
didn't seem entirely consistent. Apparently everyone needed a bit of practice
the first race, since most of the fleet (B) did rather poorly with tacks and
slow downwinds. The next set of races proved to be much more challenging.
There is a distinct ON/OFF pattern with the wind at White Rock and it as very
easy to exploit it because the frequency of the wind shifts came very close
to the time along legs (it was a short course). I found that when the shift
lasted the entire leg, it was usually delivered in the form of a stifling
header, so exploiting any lifts became vital. The lifts did not shift quickly,
either: they needed to be ridden slowly because the direction shifts were
so smooth (oftentimes). It was vital to stay in clear air, and I still don't
know exactly where other boats can affect you, as far as sail interference
is concerned. Good starts were rewarded with good air and freedom to tack
far away from the people who couldn't read the wind very well. Good roll tacks
were vital, and it showed me how much we/I needed to work on them. Watch out
for poorly tightened rigs; I payed the price with a 4th place when I forgot
to check for it. I played with sail adjustment a lot, and since the sails
were large, it made a huge difference when I had the outhaul much tighter.
I learned a bit about exploiting other people's downwind battles, taking an
extra 2 spots because I blocked both of their wind and then snuck in and got
overlap. Overall, we rocked the regatta. Good job Cathy, Scott and Stephanie.
- Adrian