admin May 19, 2024 Sailing Previous Blog The Ladies Race Comments (0)
I initially thought a pursuit race would be a breeze, given my experience with car races. But after participating in one, I’m not so sure anymore.
The concept seemed straightforward: staggered starts based on handicap, with the slower boats starting first. This should, in theory, result in a dramatic finish where all boats converge towards the end. However, the reality on the water was far more chaotic than I anticipated.
In our latest sailing adventure, we found ourselves in quite the comical predicament. While most of the fleet raced with precision to catch another boat, we, aboard the Toura, a fast boat with a team that hasn’t sailed much and doesn’t know what they are doing, managed to start nearly last and maintained the slowest speeds.
Our guy on the jib (that was me) was particularly enthusiastic but a bit confused about the timing. He sometimes pulled the jib across too quickly, causing the boat to stall. This delightful manoeuvre often led us to drift into the bank, where we had ample opportunity to admire the wonderful irises growing there. It seems our race strategy included more botany than we initially planned!
In the briefing we were told that the number of laps didn't matter but with us 3 or 4 laps behind I did get confused.
First off in the afternoon but not in the persuit race were three A-raters. We saw them in their own race wizzing past us like we were stationary.
The RS Toura was grouped with the wayfarers for this race and was one of the last boats to start. Being an inexperienced crew and having a shifting and variable wind, we were left behind at the start. We found ourselves not just battling the wind and waves, but also our own lack of coordination. Our team's unfamiliarity with sailing showed, especially when we stalled the boat multiple times due to mistimed manoeuvre. The guy on the jib, bless his heart, tried his best but often pulled it across too quickly, causing us to veer off course. This wasn’t quite the same as navigating a car on a track. Unlike in car racing, where you can rely on a solid surface and clear markers, sailing added layers of complexity with constantly changing conditions and the need for precise teamwork. Our race strategy seemed to have more in common with a scenic tour, given how often we ended up inspecting the shoreline and its lovely flora.
The results look better for us then they were. The 9th boat DNF, so we did come in last
