We will compete in our first ever medal race at Kiel Week 2010! We scored a 2-16 in the two light air races held on the final day of gold fleet racing, securing ourselves into the 10th and final medal race position.
We had to wait until nearly 3:00 PM before our harbor start, which was mentally difficult to manage. We wanted to sail to get the practice and to potentially move up, but we were also happy to be in medal race position already if there were no races held. We handled the pressure well, and rounded the first weather mark in first. We were fast and did a good job of connecting pressure on the course. We were passed by one boat as we tried to cover the majority of the fleet and sail our own race, and we finished in 2nd. It was a great jumpstart to the day!
We actually got off the starting line better in the second race than the first, and were looking very good three quarters of the way to the first mark. At the very end of the beat, a big lefty came in, putting us back considerably. We held our composure well, and fought back on the second beat by playing the shifts and staying in pressure. We knew it was going to be close at the end of the day, and in the end our consistency overall paid off. The eleventh place Swedish boat was a full 10 points behind us.
We are going into the medal race with nothing to lose. We are planning to learn as much as we can about the experience. We have a narrow gap to 8th place, and we are excited to be able to just go sailing without thinking too much about the other nine boats in the race. The medal race will count for double points for the ten boats qualified, and it cannot be discarded. So, the five-point gap to eighth position is entirely surmountable.
Check out the regatta website here for video coverage, photos, and results.
Thanks to all of our supporters, and thanks to the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics.
Stay tuned for the final report from Kiel!
Erik
Storck Moore Sailing
