Another day in Torbole. Another windy and wavy couple of races.
Unfortunately, the storm yesterday churned up the lake a bit, with the water from down below rising up and the surface water temperature dropping about 12 degrees. Now that wasn’t very polite.
Everyone expected a nice moderate Ora, since the cloud was still covering the mountains and the system normally takes a couple of days to get back to full strength. But no, it’s not normally like this. Instead we got the full monty.
First race was a nice 15-18. I tacked out of the start and went right to the cliffs, while for some reason everyone else wanted the left. I led pretty well around the top mark, only to pitchpole on the first run, and handover the lead to Rohan. From there on I made a bunch of mistakes - like hitting the middle mark at full pace, capsizing over it, then doing at tack-tack-gybe 360 to exonerate. Luckily the upwind pace pulled me through, and I bagged another 2nd ahead of Simon.
Race 2. What a disaster. Again I was quick out of the blocks, and led around the first mark with both Rohan and Amac only a length behind (ie. less than a second at that speed). Then, surprise surprise, I had another pitchpole. At the wing mark I was still 3rd, only to then have the worst broad reach in living memory. I went for a long swim right at the mark (where the photographers were) and took on way too much water ballast in this sequence of shots: 1, 2, 3. When I recovered from that one, and the next couple, Simon and Graham were through. As I trawled and launched myself down the rest of the leg, I lost another 10 or so boats. By the bottom I was deep in the pack.
I can’t explain why I couldn’t go downwind. Sure the cold water meant the rudder cavitated every time you wanted to steer, but this race was just ridiculous. My boat is either being very temperamental, or the cold water just sucked the life out of me. I’d prefer to blame the kit, since it absolves me of any responsibility for being crap, but I don’t think that’s realistic.
But anyway, hello hello, I was still quick to the top mark, pulling loads and loads of distance out of the boats ahead to take at least 7 boats.
Then pitchpole and capsize my way back to the bottom again, losing 4 or 5.
Then gain it all back…
Then, thank christ, only a couple of swims on the way down the final run to lock in a not so bad 5th. It could’ve been a lot worse, and 30+ capsizes is never going to be fast.
Sam had the story of the race though, with his wand sensor breaking on the final downwind, and him sailing slow-and-low-riding down to the finish, and picking up the sometimes flying-sometimes submarining Graham and Simon to take 2nd place.
What a debacle.
Anyway, the committee probably realized we were all about to die (other than Rohan who hadn’t capsized in the race), and they sent us in to wait for the breeze to die.
Come 5pm, we’re all tucked up, warm and derigged, and the postponement comes back down.
Thankfully this time the breeze was a bit lighter, the waves were a bit kinder, and we had the brains (or lack of balls) to rig our nice little MSL10s.
Anyway, Les and Ricky port tacked the fleet and led comfortably up the first part of the work, only to be reeled in by Rohan on the right hand side. I tacked on the pressure up the middle and crossed ahead, but tacked under the layline and lost the lead double tacking at the mark.
Another capsize or 2 downwind, and Rohan was gone.
Thankfully the 10s made is nice and comfortable around the track, walking away from the others. Rohan ended up winning (5 straight now), with Simon in 3rd a leg and a bit back.
So currently the BRs are 1,2, with Graham (BR) fighting it out with Sam and Simon (depending on how many drops you give them) for 3rd.
Another day today. Another windy and wavy couple of races ahead.
