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Erik Storck 3 years ago

This is Erik, and I am in San Francisco, CA. So what about the exciting racing in Medemblik? This time, I left it up to Trevor to have the excitement. With the College Sailing Nationals in full swing I am fulfilling my duties as Assistant Coach of the Stanford University Sailing Team; Trevor is on his own for this one. Of course, what better way to go it alone than with a two time 49er Olympian? We managed to convince veteran 49er skipper and crew Chris Rast to skipper with Trevor still dominating the front of the boat.
I have received a few brief updates from Trevor and Chris; and it is already evident that the experience should no doubt throw our campaign into the next gear when we get back over to Europe together in a few weeks time. Aside from countless improvements Chris has been able to suggest we make to the boat, the breeze has cooperated. I use the term cooperated loosely, and Trevor and Chris may disagree with me, but allow me to explain myself. Trevor and I need practice in big breeze, as in 15 knots plus. Anytime we get this breeze, especially before the Worlds begin in Lake Garda, Italy in July, we are happy. The more time in the boat in big breeze we are afforded, the more competitive we will be come Worlds.
Of course, there can be too much of a good thing. Day 1 of racing saw advertisement by the regatta website of Force 5 breeze building to Force 6. Translated into knots, that is 20 to 25. For a 49er, steady 25 is unsailable according to the class rules. On day 1, there were 13 DNFs in race 1 and 25 DNFs in race 2. There are 48 boats competing. Having run into some issues with the boat, Chris and Trevor did not manage to finish either race, though we all now believe the boat is better than ever. Sometimes it just takes that sort of day to get you there. We know that will not be the case when we are afforded more time to devote to the boat this summer.
Day 2 brought much more manageable winds of around 10 knots. The duo faired much better, and with three more races under their belts they now sit in 26th overall. Finishing the day with a 17, 14, 24, Chris and Trevor are the highest of any entrant still holding onto two DNFs. With nine more qualifying races scheduled, there is plenty of time to move up in the standings. More importantly, there is no shortage of knowledge for Trevor to gain from Chris.
Check full results at http://www.deltalloydregatta.org/2009/tablecloth/results/results.asp?show=49er.
Watching along with you,
Erik

Erik Storck 3 years ago

Welcome aboard everyone! Trevor and I raced in the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma de Mallorca, Spain last week, our second regatta together and our first event overseas. In a campaign that will certainly be marked by many passport stamps, this was a significant event. Besides all the usual trials and excitement of traveling to a new and exotic locale, the learning curve was steep.
Thanks to US Sailing Team Alpha Graphics, we were able to work with a highly talented coach. Bunny proved to be invaluable as we were able to get up to speed with the new rig in the two short days of practice we had at the venue before racing began on Sunday, April 5. Arriving a few days early, Trevor took delivery of our brand new rig and sails and, with Bunnys help, tuned the rig for ultimate performance in almost all conditions. Come the start of the regatta, we knew we would be just as fast as anyone.
The first two days of the event were like a dream. We sailed in split fleets for the qualifying round, which were reseeded overnight for each new day of racing. The first fleet would go out and sail two races, then the second fleet would sail three before the first fleet would return to the water for their final race. We were luckily in the second group both days, which enabled us to watch some of the first group racing to get an idea for the racecourse.
On day one, we had a 5-7-5, a consistent line of scores that we were very proud of. We learned a lot as well, and we most importantly limited any big mistakes on the water. Having raced together only a few short months ago in Miami, Trevor and I knew what we had to do to improve from that event. We stayed out of high-traffic areas, used our boat-speed to our advantage, and kept our cool around the course. Of course we were not perfect, and we received a five-point penalty for failing to sign in at the end of the day. Safety first We will not make that mistake again.
Monday brought more idyllic 10-12 knot onshore breeze, and we garnered a 3-12-5 for the day. We were actually winning the second race at mark 1, but failed to recognize the need to do a gybe-set and quickly found ourselves further back in the pack. It was definitely a learning experience, but we also know that we have what it takes to find ourselves to the absolute front of the pack.
With no racing on day 3, qualifying series racing finished off with only six races scored instead of the scheduled nine. We found ourselves in ninth going into gold round racing, where the top half of the fifty boats in attendance would fight for the top 10 spots and a chance to compete in the medal race on Friday.
On day one of gold round racing, there was a long postponement in order to await an offshore breeze that filled in around 4 PM. The backside of a stalled front brought some windier and rather shifty conditions for the late afternoon races. In the first race, we had a poor start and some boat-handling issues, and finished 21st in the competitive 25 boat fleet. In the second race, we had similar issues as race 1, and then found ourselves with a breakdown after capsizing at the leeward mark. One of the components of the wing attachment system failed, leaving our wing crooked and attached at three points instead of four. Fearful of further damage, we headed ashore to replace the broken piece. Receiving three DNCs in a regatta is never good, but we were more upset at not being able to capitalize on the opportunity to race in such a deep field in the conditions we still need the most practice in.
The final day of gold round racing brought more fluky conditions, forcing us to do more waiting around. In some up and down conditions, we finished off the regatta with a 20th in which we capsized at the leeward mark and a very well sailed second place in the final race. The second was truly rewarding and reminded us of our potential to compete at the top level.
As we look to our next competition together at Kiel Week in Germany in mid-June, we know we are not far off the pace of the best in the world. We need more time in the boat in windier conditions, but that is no surprise. It is encouraging to see how far weve come in a short period, and we know we can be competitive in all conditions before the Worlds in Lake Garda in July.
Stay tuned. Trevor will compete in May in the Spa Regatta in Medemblik, Netherlands with Chris Rast as skipper. Chris skippered a 49er in the Olympics in Athens and crewed in Beijing. His experience will no doubt translate into major gains for our boat come the summer events.

Erik