Thistle Nationals Race 7 Report

Race 7 Report by Brad Russell, 3948

Friday started out much lighter than the previous 3, waking up to glass across the lake. The isobar map showed that there shouldn't be much in the morning, but the breeze would likely return sometime in the next 12 hours and a new pressure system would form.

Luckily the fleet headed out in 3-6, but only a short AP was necessary before the breeze turned back on and we had a fantastic moderate breeze.

The RC work was exceptional all week and we again got off the line under Z with only one boat OCS. In sailing before the start our boat was getting numbers well left of anything we saw previously in the week, which doesn't do much other than make you nervous.

The majority of the fleet started towards the boat, and correctly so, as starting on the pin half saw us around fewer boats and also underneath all the boats on the lifted tack.

Our approach all week was to hold serve upwind. No matter how good or bad you looked at any given time, play the numbers you have and the next puff you can see - nothing more. Taking a big swing at the course rarely paid for people. The trick was going fast and keeping status quo, then trying to figure out the safest and fastest way to manage the very top of the leg.

While we were on the wrong side of the line at the start, we stayed fast, got clear air, and started playing the numbers. At times we looked to be leading the race, at times it was bleak. But the cycle continued and you just have to keep doing the next right thing.

A last second shift at the top took us from top 5 to 15th or so, making the run a lot more difficult and exciting. I just look up at the spinnaker so I'm not really sure what went on. The second beat we kept chopping away at the numbers and made gains steadily. By the top, the continuous shakeup at the front slowed and Sam Ingham led the way with Lettenmeier and Marc Daudon close behind and us in 4th.

We managed to pass the 2 boats we were worried about for our position in the regatta and started sailing more safely. Of course the biggest breeze of the day came on the second reach leg and the lead pack was sailing well below the leeward mark, planing but also working incredibly hard to stay upright.

Sam Ingham went on to win the race. We were happy to sail safely up the last beat to a 6, allowing us to secure 3rd in the regatta. Per usual, our team started the regatta off slow, but did manage to have the lowest score in the last 4 races. I guess we should work on being at our best early in events, before the pros already have a good jump on everyone.

We couldn't have had a better week in Eugene. The club rivaled the best of southern hospitality, the RC did a bang-up job, and the weather was just perfect for sailing and camping. If you thought about coming but didn't make it, I highly recommend it next time.

Mike Ingham won his umpteenth Thistle National Championship with Paul Abdullah a little behind. My boat with Kyle Finefrock and Nicole Shedden finished 3rd and I believe Mike Gullum was 4th and John Baker 5th, although they may be flipped. Results are not yet available so I'm unsure of the Presidents Division results.

We hope everyone has a safe trip home and we will see everyone at the next event!

2016 Thistle Nationals Day 3 Report

Races 5 & 6 were sailed in fantastic breeze, much like races 3 and 4.  The same Northerly breeze welcomed the fleet and racing was mostly in the 12-18 range - it really could not be more fun than what we have had this week.  We spent a fair percentage of the time at max de-power, doing all we could keep the boat flat.  The off-the-wind legs were a blast, planing more often than not on the reach legs and planing a good bit of the downwind leg in race 6.

All starts on the day were under the Z flag and both races started with recalls or postponements.  In race 5, our boat started close to the boat, feeling the odds were in favor of that side being favored at the start of the race.  It turns out it was and we were further helped by boats above and below us being OCS and turning back to restart - thank goodness for radios!  

The first beat was about  boat speed and holding serve by sailing the lifted tack.  Once you get to the top of the course and the laylines come into play we would switch gears to trying to minimize risk and get to the mark without being far on the wrong side of a late shift.  We rounded the first mark in the top 5 behind, right behind Phil Gordon.  We tried to do what always seems to pay off, which is play nice with those around us and just extend on the fleet.  Early in races we always want to get away from the fleet and live to fight with individual boats later in the race.

On the second beat the front pack was pretty clear and we are all able to sail our own races.  Our boat focused on picking our way up the lake and staying on the favored tack, going a little further at times to get to a puff or shift we could see.  The only times we would see someone lose ground is when they would try to do something different than the pack to make a gain.  It really seems like lottery tickets, you may win a little here and there, but over the average you always lose.  With a little boat speed and a little luck we were able to get to the top mark in first, barely ahead of Scott Griffin.

The first reach leg was status quo, but the real fun began after the gybe mark.  Immediately we were able to get on a plane and stayed there for long time.  It was probably the most fun leg of the day, as we didn't have any boats around us after extending our lead and were able to just sail the wind and the water.  One great tip is to make sure when big puffs hit that the skipper always drives down hard.  The boat will get under the sails and heel less and you'll also take off like a rocket.  Being able to do that is always faster than having to deal with other boats.  It's just so much fun planing on reaches in these boats.  We were able to stay conservative from that point on and win the race.

Race 6 was not nearly so straight forward for us.  We had a fine start and the favored (boat) end, but as so often happens, someone behaves a little differently than most and a boat reaching down across us took our lane away about a minute into the race.  We ended up in the very undesirable position of spending a lot of time on a massively headed tack while also already being one of the right-most boats.  The result is the fleet sailing up the ladder rungs without us, while also gaining leverage on us for the left shift we all know eventually will come.  

In hindsight, we likely should have sucked it up and sailed in a dirty lane when we were so lifted on starboard, but we got clear air and worked the right side to watch the left come in strong as we got further up the beat.  We rounded the top mark somewhere between 25 and 30.  Of course, the left shift comes in after we go around the top mark, but we were at least able to gybe quickly and get pressure that sent us planing down towards the leeward gate.  

Sailing in the middle of the fleet on the second upwind is really tough.  It's always a balance between which way you want to go and how clear of a lane you can get.  It's very difficult to stay conservative.  I believe that you do best in that situation by not doing anything crazy or high risk, just sail the numbers and puffs around you, and let other people take big risks and fall back around you.  

By the windward mark we were mid teens and the next two legs were some of the most action-packed we've had.  The pack we were in consolidated as we approached the gybe mark.  Kyle Finefrock, my skipper, tells me that when we went to gybe he had both hands on the tiller pushing as hard as he could to get the boat to turn.  When it finally did we snapped through 90 degrees and I was certain we would capsize with the spinnaker sheets dropped and the kite still pulling us over.  Only by pulling the guy around as fast as I could did we stop the boat from tipping over and our regatta from going down the bailers.  

Somehow, the boat came up and we took off on a plane again - inside all the boats that had room at the mark but created a huge mess and drifted to leeward.  The second reach was again tighter than the first and was a blast.  This time, boats kept trying to go high and mess with each other, which is exciting but extremely slow.  We were able to defend our position and get to the bottom mark in the top 10.  The beat to the finish was very active with tacking and splits but we were able to cross the line in 9th.  We were thrilled with that after the start of the race and to win the day with 10 points.  With 1 race to go we're in third place, 20 points out of 2nd and only 7 ahead of a pack behind.  The last day should be a lot of fun and good for the nerves.  

I can't say enough about the regatta here so far.  The weather and racing has been incredible, provided you like breeze and oscillations.  But the organization of the shore and food crews has been absolutely first rate.  The camping has been terrific as well.  If you considered coming to Eugene but didn't make the trip, definitely make the trip next time.  

2016 Nationals Day 1 Report

Thistle Nationals, Day 2 recap - Race 1&2, By Brad Russell, 3948

It was an absolutely gorgeous day for racing sailboats on Fern Ridge Lake in Eugene, Oregon today.  The sun was out with just a few clouds in the sky, the temperature was in the upper 70s, and mountains in the background.  The fleet headed out to the course in mostly 8-10 knots from the most typical North direction, but with significant holes being easy to find. 

The fleet was a little anxious and the first start caught 4 boats OCS.  I know at least one of those boats were near us and several others were pushing the line very early. 

It became obvious pretty quickly that you had to stay on top of the compass numbers.  Puffs and shifts would roll down the lake with huge swings, but they never lasted long enough to endanger the race with the 30 degrees for 5 minutes rule.  By the end of the day we saw numbers up to ‘up 40’ so the breeze likely shifted through 60-70 degrees, if not more.  These big shifts saw huge gains and losses to the boats on the edges and made staying conservative incredibly difficult.

In addition to the shifts, there were significant holes to be found.  On our boat, we had a great position a 1/3 of the way up the first beat, but tacked through 120 degrees and came out in a hole and watched the fleet swallow us up.  Combined with the puffs being very difficult to see here, it made for a very challenging and sometimes frustrating first beat.

Per usual, Mike Ingham got away clean and picked his way up the first beat.  I’m not sure if he or Chris Pollack led at the top mark, but Mike eventually ended up out front and never left the race in doubt, finishing ahead of Pollack and Abdullah.  Our boat was playing catch-up after finding at early hole and having to do a 720 for something unexpected.  From 10th down, there were a ton of position changes, but the little things made the difference and we were slowly able to get back to 10th after being around 30th at the first mark.  Staying smart and taking consistent small gains seemed to be the key to getting back into it.

The second start was again aggressive, bringing a general recall and a Z flag to follow, keeping everyone in line and getting the race off clean.  Our boat again had a great start towards the pin and just focused on the numbers and letting the fleet selection occur for a while.  At times both sides looked really good, but again there were holes to be found and it was difficult to tell when chasing a puff or shift was the right thing to do instead of sailing the compass numbers you had at the time. 

We again found ourselves in a great position well up the first beat, but ended up going for more leverage to the left side and watched the right come in hard.  It was such a tough day to consolidate gains, but again Ingham picked his way up the first beat well to a lead.  Scott Griffin also sailed a great first beat and looked to be in the lead at times.  Ingham won again, followed by Griffin and Sam Ingham rounded out the top 3. 

Mike Ingham has an 8 point lead after day one, followed by Paul Abdullah, Scott Griffin, Jack Finefrock, John Baker, and our boat in 6th.  The scores clearly reflect how shifty it was – a far cry from some of the big water nationals venues we have.  As one Thistler said after the race, “It was so much different finding yourself deep on the first beat here, knowing you had a chance to catch up unlike on Lake Erie.”