The First Race Experience

Written by: Brad

Well today was the first day of racing. The bay was filled with a sea of sails as everyone launched their boats and sailed out to the race course. I was placed in an extremely tough red fleet and was the last of the three start sequences.

After waiting for the yellow fleet (which had five general recalls) and then the blue fleet, it was finally our start. I had a decent start in a cluster of boats and soon had to tack to find clean air and water. I rounded the first mark about mid fleet, which I was pleased with considering the calibre of sailors I am racing against. But I was soon passed by boats when I turned to the downwind leg of the course. I expected this, though. I am able to go downwind in waves fairly decent but with the company I was racing with, “fairly good” doesn’t cut it.

I finished the very long race pretty deep in the fleet after picking the wrong side on the second upwind leg. I placed 48th in my group. The second race was similar. Mid fleet around the top mark but bad shifts seemed to haunt me today. I finished 44th in the 2nd race.

I am looking forward to being put in a different fleet for another day of racing. All and all, I am having fun and learning lots!