F16 Euros: Day Five

I had to leave early on Day 5, but as it turns out, there was no wind and no racing, so the results did not change. Here's how it finished:

So overall I'm pretty happy with that, I was expecting to come last.  I think the generally high winds helped me a lot.  I learned a lot during the week, I think I can make up a massive amount of ground just by practicing my tacking technique a lot more and also the boatlengths I lose at the start mean I'm chasing from the off. So quite encouraging, hopefully I can get out of landlocked Germany to get some more practice by next season.

More pictures of the event soon.

F16 Euros: Day Four

OK, so last night and this morning I have been trying to work out what I am doing wrong in the pointing department.  Been talking to a few people, Mark had some good comments on mast rake and Gill had some excellent suggestions on trim on the water - especially as he had just been single handing his falcon in the one up cup.  So based on that, I have rake the mast back a click so it's now back on the factory recommended setting, won't make much difference but may as well do it.  Upwind trim I was now going to try much less mast rotation (aiming the spanner between centerboard and back beam) and using more Cunningham than I had been.  I had been trying to keep the power on but this may have been inducing drag.  I left some shape in the top of the sail by keeping the battens firm too.
The wind is slightly lighter today, so, first race I get my usual terrible start, but the boat is now pointing as high as Hans and still has the same boatspeed.  I get ahead of Hans and beat him to the first top mark, however he seems to be sailing fast downwind now, and gets ahead before the bottom mark.  I follow him and manage to get  past him with just boatspeed. But again he beats me to the bottom mark.  Here's where it goes wrong though, I take the wrong side of the course on the last upwind and Hans pulls away.
Second race the wind is noticeably dropping, I get an even worse start than normal, I tack across to go behind everyone on port but Mark (GBR555) has had an even worse start and is still coming up on starboard.  Luckily being a gentleman he passes behind my stern without even suggesting there would be a collision.  I carry on, trying to catch Hans, but he is faster in the lighter conditions.  At the top mark I stay on the wire to reach to the spreader mark but before I round the windward mark I accidently pop the main traveler, I tea bag into the drink as the power comes off and the force of the water on me is enough to capsize the boat to windward, how embarrassing.  Mark sails past with some characteristically helpful advice on the situation....anyway I right the boat quickly and even have enough room to make the mark without tacking.  Hans is way off, so my dream of ever getting ahead of him is gone, concentrate on getting past Mark instead.  I get past him before the last downwind, which is good timing as he is definitely faster downwind, he also gybes faster, so he tries to out-gybe me all the way down the last leg.  I've learnt my lesson and just keep covering him, gybe after gybe after gybe, each one slowing me down a little bit more and each one having the risk of a mistake and a capsize.  Luckily I keep between him and the bottom mark and stay ahead.
Last race of the day, the wind has dropped right back.  An average start and the wind has evened up the single handers massively all except Hans bunched together, plus I keep making really poor tacks and losing ground. Geert (NED9) is sailing really well in this race, and looks powered up and pointing all the time, always on the trapeze.  I am having to move in and out to keep the hull flying.  We stay close until the second to last downwind leg, Mark suddenly turns dead downwind and slows down, we thought he had a spinnaker problem but it turns out he had snapped a board.  The wind gets even lighter and Geert sails a nice race, staying ahead until the end.