Wow, what a week it's been! Us youths have been lucky enough to have Bruce Kendall out coaching us but sadly there has been hardly any wind so heaps of pumping. I've also been doing a bit of cross training on SUPs at the beach series as well as catching some waves off Taka reef.
This was all a build up to Torbay's annual Sir Peter Blake Regatta held this weekend. With 14 RS:Xs entered it was a good turn out from our top senior girls to guys racing for their first time. Saturday was scheduled a light nor-easter all day but when we got out to the course a 17 knot squall came through. In the first race we started in the wind but it dropped off again half way up the beat. On the downwind there was some confusion about the course and me and another youth knew what it was so lead everyone correctly. I got rolled by two of the senior girls just before the end and got 4th as they decided to finish us at the bottom mark. The 2nd race I managed a 5th and then a 6th in the last race after a huge final upwind battle with Sven.
Today (Sunday) was a lot crazier; it was predicted a 10knot nor-easter and then spinning to sou-west at 4 and filling in. On the water at 9 we waited in under 5knots for 3 hours until they tried to race us but it was abandoned after 20 minutes of hard pumping. Another 2 hours later the wind spun finally to the SW sea breeze and filled in quite nicely but then dropped off below the planing barrier by the time the course was set. At 3:15 we got our first race started and I was 3rd around the top mark but it was a hard struggle downwind in fluctuating planing conditions and then I was out played by a senior on the last upwind finishing in 6th. With some horrible mistakes I ended up in 8th rounding the top mark in the next race but I caught up to finish 6th again.
It was most definitely one long day and it was good to have support on the water, with a coach there it really helps with keeping your head in a good space over 8 hours!!! Overall I placed 6th behind most the senior girls and one youth guy. I know where and how I went wrong and I also know that I can break into the top 5 and beat the seniors as I have been doing during our trainings but I've just got to begin doing it consistently over regattas.
With one final YNZ training this week I'm gearing up to fly out to Melbourne on Friday for the Sail Melbourne regatta. This is my 2nd proper international regatta so it will be tough and I hope to measure up against the Aussies a bit more and see how I am really going internationally.
I'll keep you updated when I'm over there
Cheers!
