Almost half way through the year (2014)

Its coming to the end of June 2014 and we have managed to get it together as a team again. We now have a regular 6 and 4 floaters in the team. This has allowed us to work together to improve our boat handling, and recently we are managing to get the race strategy and tactics right. We are on the water as a boat and team for a little over a year now - starting with a team with little racing and in the case of three no sailing experience. But we read, we practice, we talk about and we video our moves. Sometimes (!!!) I do push hard and expect a lot, but there is no point taking part unless your are competing and doing the best you possibly can. Its about concentration, attention to detail, never allowing your mind to wander off, pushing yourself and constantly looking for ways to improve. This means you have to think about the race afterwards, talk about it, and find ways to do it better next time.

We stepped back to White Sails at the start of the season, and that was the right thing to do. We need to master two sails before taking on a third.

We had three goals this year :

1. a top 5 in DBSC, regularly mixing it up with Persistence and ACT2 ... the first part of the season ended last week and we took first in ECHO (29 boats, 8 races with 2 discards - first with 16 points where the next boat had 29 points) and first in IRC (13 boats, 8 races with 2 discards - first with 8 points where the next boat had 10 points). 
2. a top 3 in the ICRAs (Irish Cruiser Racer Nationals) White Sail (Corinthian Cup) ... we managed a first in ECHO with 4 straight wins, and a second on IRC with 4 second places (to White Lotus who was brilliant and had 4 firsts - well done Paul).
3. a top 5 at CORK WEEK ... well that's the week after next. There are currently 20 boats entered in our class. We move the boat to Cork next weekend. There is a lot of local boats so I am not sure how we will manage against local knowledge. I am reading everything I can about the area in advance. So that's the next big target - A top 3 would be great (see www.corkweek.ie)

We are still not working and taking full advantage of the wind shifts, but are managing to get goods starts and work hard to find clear air.

For a quick view of the team in action see link below : Video of ICRA 2014 - Warrior in Action

2014 Season is Underway

Well the winter sailing was a challenge. We took part in the pre and post Christmas events sailing most Sunday mornings in what generally ended up as very windy 20knot-30knot conditions, but on the bright side it was generally dry. The events really took their toll on the boat and crew, and in reality I think we went backwards as a team. By the end of last year, we had really transformed as a team and were working well and competing well in events. But that was all non-spinnaker. Throughout the winter we attempted to sail with the asymmetric and made mistake after mistake. Then our general sail handling, starts etc. started to get worse. We had a lot of breakages and the sail makers in Dun Laoghaire were becoming my best friends.

We needed to step back and consider what was best for us as a team. I had wanted to move from non-spinnaker (white sails) to Cruisers 1 this year, but it was clear we were just not ready. We were attempting to run before we could walk, and this could only damage and frustrate us as a team.

So a new plan emerged where we will sail and race non-spinnaker again in 2014, and use the time pre and post races to practice with the spinnaker.

This years campaign will have the following targets :

1. Dublin Bay Sailing Club - White Sails Class (non-spinnaker) weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays (April to September) ... target a top 5 and to regularly mix it up with the two top boats "Persistence" and "Act Two" (www.dbsc.org) - we will miss a number of the events as we are heading south for Cork week and this will hit our overall results missign 6-8 events - 28 boats in the class
2. Irish Cruiser National Championships (ICRA) - Corinthian Cup (non-spinnaker) 6 races over three days from the 13th to the 15th June. There were 16 entrants at the end of April so likely 25 or so by the time the event goes ahead ... target a top 3 position  (http://cruiserracing.ie/icranats/)
3. Cork Week - (non-spinnaker class) this will be a great event with two races a day over 4 days from the 8th to the 11th July. The event is in the south of Ireland so we will have to move the boat down the week before and try to get her back the weekend after. We would expect a lot of boats from the UK and around Ireland so our goal will be a top 5. (www.corkweek.ie)

Last year we raced non-spinnaker with our "white sails" which are a set of delivery sails. The Jib is tiny and not set up to use the tracks and the main is so baggy its hard to impossible to depower. We can't reef either - the main has reef points but the boat is certainly not capable of racing upwind if reefed and the jib is so small that when combined with a reefed main you go nowhere fast. We have two sets of high-tech sails (see our older set n the picture below) but we are not allowed use them in the DBSC series as the class is "White Sails" and forbids the use of laminates rather than being a "non-spinnaker" class (Don't get me going on this - a daft and costly rule).  

So I have invested in new "low tech" dacron sails from North Sails. They are due to arrive the week of the ICRAs - first week of June. I have gone for a 135% overlapping Genoa which should make us a lot more competitive in lighter airs and downwind - although hitting our IRC handicap. 

We have raced three Saturdays and three Thursdays this year so far. We had a poor start in the first Thursday and Saturday races, but got the boat lifted and cleaned and managed to win the last two Thursdays series (against both Persistence and Act Two). We were fortunate with winds in the 8-16knot range where we perform best. When we get the new Genoa we should be able to compete in lighter airs as well. 

The 2014 Season starts tomorrrow

The Dublin Bay first race of the season is tomorrow. Its the first of 6 Sunday morning races ("called the Spring Chicken"). 77 Boats all racing against each other on modifed Echo. Temperatures will likely hit about 6 degrees max.

The forecast today is awful with Met Éireann issuing a status orange weather warning for Munster, Leinster, Connacht and parts of Ulster, with winds of up to 130km/h forecast.

Supposed to ease a little in the morning before building again - so we expect about 18-20 knots with 28-30 knot gusts. What a way to get started ! I'll let you know how we got on.

We are now entered for Cork Week 2014 in early July. I have just resubmitted the IRC cert to include Symmetric and Asymmetric spinnakers. So lots of training to do before then.

I am still looking to complete the crew so looking for a Mastman/woman and Tactician/team manager.

If you know anyone in Dublin ... ... ...