Hobie Tigers, Day 3
June 27, Cangas, Spain-Today we got in three more races in trying conditions. The sail out to the course was in 3 knots with fog, so we thought to ourselves, “Where’s the starting area?” The starting vessels were further offshore than the previous days, and the haze wasn’t helping either. Once we started into the sequence it was like the switch turned on and the winds filled in nicely. We were not so hot on the day, only managing to post a couple of 10s and another drop (too bad they give you only one, so I suppose we’ll keep this 15th). Our speed is not in doubt, however some problems in rounding situations and close calls on laylines have caused us grief in these past two days. We are just use to sailing to the layline, but here everyone is so overstood that if you’re not one of them you die. It didn’t help either that we ran over the spinnaker sheet on the second race. This was our worst result, of course, partly due to this. Climbing out on the bow in high winds and chop isn’t fast. In the final race the winds really piped up and many teams stuck it in hard. There were several torn mainsails and a bent mast or two. We stayed upright to come across in 10th. Other notable North American finishers today were John Tomkop and Billings (from Texas), doing well to secure eight in the overall classifications. Team Puerto Rice had a fall through their mainsail, but I hear this won’t put a damper on the rum party they are hosting tonight! We’re still sitting well in the top five in fourth. Mitch and Taylor Booth are now slotted up to fifth after some good results of their own. (This is the championship now for us. To beat our good friends from OZ, or is that Holland, or wait, Spain … who knows. Tomorrow calls for the same forecast of 6 to 9 knots of wind, so I guess that means it’ll be blowing 20 again! We’ll keep trying hard. -Jacques
