Laser Midwinter's West Day 1

Laser Midwinters West started yesterday, and I was feeling ok about it. I thought that aside from missing Saturday because of math class, it was going to be just another regatta. Boy was I wrong. It was pretty horrific. The waves were absolutely huge. More like swells really, they were so big, that when you were in the trough of one wave, and the next guy was in the wave of the trough ahead, you couldn't see him, mast and all! Unfortunately unlike the 2003 MWW, which had swell to match, 10 ft+, and was blowing 20+ with three days of rain, Saturday was pretty light, ranging from 8 to 12. This made sailing the waves pretty difficult. You were usually fine going up the waves, but once you got on top of the waves, and over the side, the boat just seemed to fall on top of you, and you just stooped, you couldn't hike at all when this happened, you just got tea bagged, it sucked. And going into the waves was ok, but going parallel to them was horrible, just horrible. I didn't do well in this regatta, absolutely terrible for me. I know it's not my lack of practice. I went racing last Wednesday and got back into it. The Laser is like a bicycle, you can get back in and do your thing, and your pretty much good to go. I think I was just heavily mentally prepared for a flat water, or flat water with short chop/waves, and was just totally confounded with enormous swell, I don't often race in that, as Long Beach benefits from a breakwater, and Newport is pretty flat. Too my defense, there was a High Surf warning till 2pm yesterday, and the swells did get a bit smaller through out the day. Oh well, try again Sunday, and do better next time.


I also want to give a shout out to Sailing Pro Shop in Long Beach, for hooking me up with gear again for Baltic. They have some very nice gloves by Harken called Trimmer Gloves (http://www.sailingproshop.com/Products/Harken-Trimmer-Gloves__Harken-2087.aspx) and they are awesome! All five fingers fully covered, can't get much better then that.

Also, while I've been gone from Laser sailing because of school, (I'ts hard to maintain an A grade average, and Saturday Stats class! Gimme a break!) has the Laser outhaul setting changed at all? I've always done one had depth from finger tips to watch/glove band for the loosest setting usually done at the first mainsheet block, but I've seen pics of it at the boom cleat, anyone done it there? It was just weird, as at MWW, it looked like people were trimming their sail A LOT looser. Let me know your opinion, and shoot me an email.


Till next time, keep your dreams alive.