Laser Midwinter's West Day 3

Well today was Day 3. Unfortunately I had to miss Day 2 because of math class, and I'm glad I did, as we have a test next Saturday, and we went over 60% of the material that will be on the test. Gotta do what you gotta do. Thankfully today was a lot better then Day 1. The swells seemed to have calmed down some, and the wind came up a bit, much nicer. It seemed I was able to get back in my groove a bit more, and I felt more comfortable for the conditions. This weekend really turned into practice for Kiel for me. Seeing as how I was so unprepared for this regatta considering the conditions, there wasn't much I could do, I haven't been in a Laser since Turkey Day because of school, but thankfully I did a bit better today then on Day 1, so I don't feel to bad. Just gotta get out more. It was interesting today that we had 3 general recalls for the first race, with the last have an I and Z flag. I'm pretty stoked that my starts turned out pretty well, so at least something went well this weekend.

Final Score:

64

172515

Ross Bennett

Open (17-34)

58

60

59

- 69 dnc

69 dnc

69 dnc

52

53

420

http://www.mbyc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=347&Itemid=51



Till next time, keep your dreams alive.

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.

Where you teaching a clinic out there?

So this Wednesday was my first time out since....... Turkey Day at ABYC? Fack it's been awhile....... This was a special occasion for me as one of my yacht clubs, Lake Mission Viejo Yacht Club (http://members.cox.net/lmvyc/) has recently acquired a handful of Balboa 13's from my other YC, Balboa Yacht Club, and it was the start of the Wednesday series, which also happened to be Spring break for me. The Balboa 13 is a funky little boat, to me the hull shape is a mix for a Finn, Europe, and a 505. It's got a fine entry in the front, and flat and wide in the back, if you roll it to hard, you'll scoop in tons of water. It only has a Main, but it has check stays, so its more fun than a Laser as far as adjustability goes, and it's very tippy! So I must say I love it! Gotta find one for cheap and fix it up! It was also nice to sail against other Balboa 13's, instead of being the only Laser on the lake. A lot to be said for One Design!

I admit that before going out on Wednesday, I was a bit worried that I might be a bit rusty. It's been since November, I am currently in Physical Therapy, and am currently doing the whole student thing. But as usual I worried for nothing and it all came rushing back to me. I did a roll tack, a roll jibe, remembered that hiking with a short tiller extension sucks and that winds on a lake ALWAYS shift just as you get comfortable, and then dump you in the water, forgot what it's like to have a wet butt.. We had a couple of informal races, never had a start line, we just grouped up and headed for a mark, and finished near a mark, and we did about three of those. It was nice to be able to jump in a new boat, on a lake, and feel pretty good in it, and do very well. As always, I can never remember where in bloody hell the marks are on this lake, so when I sail without a course chart, I have to rely on the usual plan: TACK ON EVERYONE! It seems to work. The key is to figure out the vague direction you heading in, get ahead of everyone, and tack on them, and when they tack, tack back, and continue. It's easy really. Sooner or later you figure out the marks again, and your legit! It was just nice to go out there after so long, and get ahead of everyone and win like the old days, lets hope it lasts.

When we go back to the Pizza place, for after race pizza, Rod asked me if I was running a clinic out there! Thats one of the best compliments I've gotten since I can remember! Thanks a lot Rod, Hope the knee keeps healing, we're pulling for ya!

Speaking of knee's... I met with my shoulder doc yesterday, for all of 10 minutes, after waiting for 45 minutes.... (shame on you for making me wait for long!!) and he said it looked like I was improving, but to do another month of Physical Therapy, and I'll see you in six weeks. I feel good, so another month of PT can't hurt. Oh well..

So I've started to buy all the stuff that I need for Europe this summer, and it's nice when you realize that you just might have underbudgeted, just a smidge..... So far I've got some Hot Chillys underlayers (http://www.hotchillys.com/cm/Home.html) for Baltic. Very good stuff, I used to own a bit of it before my whole gear bag got stolen while I was out sailing at a regatta a couple of years ago. But I would highly recommend it, but under layers I've ever had. I also got the Henri Lloyd Shadow Smock with hood, Salopette, and Musto HPX Ocean Boots, they seem like wonderful stuff, can't complain so far, but I haven't been sailing in it yet, so I have no reason to. Full reports on how all that works after it's been put to the test. My accountant is still crying.....

I also bought some stuff to do some splicing and that has been an adventure! The full adventure can be found at Sailing Anarchy, and I would like to thank everyone that got me through it and kept me from slitting my wrists, it was a long journey! http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=68985&st=0
Basically I going to splice the primary line on to the top block of my downhaul. And splice the boom/top block of my vang, make it all nice and neat.

Also in the news, I will now be sponsored by Ink Me, in their Sail division, which is very exciting. The site is not up yet, but here's the link, so save it, and keep trying! More on that soon, as I don't know much either. http://www.inkmenow.com/

I'm also going to be product testing and reviewing for Intensity Sails (http://www.intensitysails.com/) I'm very excited about this as they have some very good stuff. More on that as it comes in.

Laser MidWinters West is next weekend, and I will be sailing Friday and Sunday so I will have a report for those days. As usual, I will have to miss Saturday as I have math class, I must go because I have a test the following weekend, which I must pass to keep my average up!

Have a Happy Easter, and stay safe out there!

2 More Years

A small diversion if you will.

As you all know, I am currently in college, my second year to be exact. Well today I received my acceptance letter to Concordia University. It's a nice school, small, and just up the street. For those of you that know Orange County, its right below UCI. I'll probably be studying Graphic Design.

Yay me.

http://cui.edu/