Well I have the B – RAD staying with me for the regatta and I think I have passed my pre worlds MOJO over to him as he is ripping it up and is in second right now. I seem to have lost a little upwind pace since the preworlds and am going round the windward mark in 7th 8th and 9ths. If i can get round the mark in the 4th 5ths and 6ths then i will be happy for the remainder of the event. Scotty and Mike Lennon are just in front of me by one point and Bora is a few in front of them so its all to play for between us lot. I have a 25 point gap behind me to I guess its time to attack attack attack. I dropped my rig back today to get s touch mroe uphill pace but it was not working for me really. I have had 5 of the worlds worst starts in a row now so I have to change that tomorrow as well. I think 7 is also my number for the week having had 5 7th places out of nine races. I think thats pretty good consistency but not the kind I am looking for…. Anyway, I cant complain, I am enjoying the regatta but a little over the light airs now!!
Bring on the beefcake program for belmont and a high airs sail as well.
I cannot remember the last time I got the flu, it was years ago. I got off the water yesterday feeling pretty rubbish and it has now developed into full blown cold. I think I might sit out the slalom and just take it easy today. I had a good day yesterday. After a general recall in the first start of the day they put the black flag up, which i thought was a touch harsh. Anyway, i got myself a bag fish and tacked off the boat end while the entire fleet foiled over the top of me… not good. I tacked up the middle and foiled back into the top few at the windward mark. I think Mike Lennon had a big lead followed by Simon Payne, Scotty, Rob Gough Brad and myself. I got a good puff and foiled down into the lead pack with Bora going low and fast to windward of me. I tried to gybe out to get back across but fell off the foils while Bora kept going for about a kilometer in the wrong direction only to jybe back and overtake myself, scotty and simon. Mike held on for the win with bora second and myself third. Scotty edged out simon for 4th.
Race two saw Simon clear out. I cant really remember what happened, i sailed most of the race by myself without seeing many people and finished about 5 minutes behind simon in second. I think Bora was third?? There was another general recall in that race with another blk flag up.
Race three and we got it away clean. The breeze had picked up a touch and i went up the middle again with the guys coming out the left going well. Adam May and Dalton lead round the top mark in front of JP Ziegert and Emma from Sweden. I am feelign pretty good with my downwind pace although on the first downwind i dropped my mainsheet and went into windward. I think in total i dropped my mainsheet about 6 times yesterday mid foil. Not a good look!. The breeze had built a touch in the last race and Dalton, Adam, JP and Myself had a good lead at the second windward mark. I foiled down underneath Dalton and gybed away, he did the same while Adam sailed into a huge hole out left and was foiling back at our transoms while we chuffed away. Dalton won, I was second with Adam third and JP fourth. Fifth was daylight i think to Scotty or possibly Arnaud.
I am really happy with the North and getting a good range from it, i used it friday and saturday while most people changed up a sail today. Anyway, lets hope I can get rid of this cold and not do the usual, sail well in the pre worlds and then get bumfucked in the worlds! fingers crossed!
I got 4th in the second race today. That was also DFL so it did not feel quite so good as it would have if 44 other boats were sailing with me. Anyway, fantabulous conditions for epic moth sailing today, pretty monster waves and building breeze meant it was a bit of a hang on and say your prayers kind of day.
The first race had all the big players out and the start line was worringly close to the rocks for the publics’ benefit…… It definately was interesting sailing upwind. The great white Hope had a blistering first 45 seconds, tanking everyone off the line and rolling the entire fleet. He promptly broke his boat. I tacked off up the middle with the rest of the boys sending it hard out left. I came back to cross the fleet and lead at the windward mark with Bora right on my ass. Being so suprised to be leading I had to ask Bora how many laps we were doing. I managed no swims on the first downwind so had a healthy lead with only Arnaud on the radar on the second beat. I had a swim on the second downwind, I fucked the race up by not being able to gybe for the finish line and wound up 100 meters past the finish layline…… and had to close reach home. I was a bit annoyed with myself but hey ho, it was awesome sailing.
The second race was a race of attrition. The breeze had built and I could not hang onto the new North I have. Everyone swam at the windward mark except Arnaud and Scotty. A few of the power boats were in the way between the windward mark and spreader mark which was really fucking annoying. I think i swam about 5 to 6 times on the first downwind and didn’t see another boat. I figured i was like 8th or 9th but was pleasently suprised that no one else made it round the course in one peice. So a bit of chillage tonight and hope its more of the same tomorrow. I’m glad Dubai has changed it up a bit. Will be interested to see Amac wind it up in the waves tomorrow and give us all a lesson in how to sail. Rob Gough was the quiet achiever today, coming in with two thirds.
My money is on the great white hope to send it tomorrow, he was ripping it today before he broke his stuff. I think it must be the new haircut!!
Lets get straight to the point here. I hate planes. I was in Doha yesterday for work, and isnt it always the way that when u go away or have an unavoidable non sailing related thing to do its windy? I’m sure ze boys had a lovely day on the water, my boat stayed in park firme for the day.
Why is it when you travel nothing ever goes to plan? Firstly my taxi was late. Then I got stuck in the immigration queue in Doha for a while and was almost very late for where I was going. On the way back I was sat in front of a bulkhead so my seat would not go back and I had a little child in front of me with some rocking disease that involved her banging her head backwards against her seat for an hour and a half. Thrill. Then the plane takes 35 minutes to taxi cause of pre mentioned wind and landing the oppsite direction to normal. Finally when you think you are being clever and standing right next to the door of the bus you are sure is going to open and get to the front of immigration line, other side opens and you are last. Hmmm. Travelling by boat is much better.
Boats and people are here, new gear being tested too. Thinking about having a bbq on tuesday for anyone that is around at the house. Warm pool, warm hot tub, free beer, just bring meat. Im taking it easy this week in preparation for the party in barasti on friday where we have to figure out how to make the puma moth’s float in the water on their own. Suggestions welcome, we have a fwe idea’s… Been thinking about the slalom event as well. Have been thinking to have two mirrored courses and have one on one shoot outs with 2 minute starting guns. Like a kockout and then have a best of three or mini MOTH Cup final on the lay day bbq event. Or should we just keep the same format. Anyone that has organised one alreayd is more than welcome to help…. more to the point… PLEASE help us haha.
Take it easy people.
I am not one for having blog counters etc to know how many people visit my blog or even read it. There is a big difference between visiting and reading my shite.
Anyway, I have a bit on right now, there are so many press things going on with the worlds coming up. Photo shoots, radio interviews, TV shows, Branded Moths, boats shipping in, trophies, dinners, jury, volunteers, paperwork, bank accounts, sponsors, branding, flags, ribs, marks, twitter and general panic going on. One good thing is someone beat us to the punch with a facebook page. At least we dont have to update that too. In between all of that I have to try and do some sailing. Safe to say my sailing is probably suffering a bit and I feel a little under prepared. saying that when I sailed a lot better in the US when I had hardly done any sailing and almost written off my boat on my first outing in the Gorge.
My North sail arrived the other day. Initially when I first went out I thought I had made a mistake getting a north in again. As i got used to the difference it became easier to use and I got it going well in the afternoon in the line ups we had. Jonny was out for a rare appearance which is a good thing, I hope he races in the nationals and gets some good moth fleet experince, shame he cannot make it to the worlds for the Dubai Boat show. I have changed up a few things on the north now so will see if it makes any difference to my light air take off. I found the MLS 13 got you going a bit earlier, but I need to get out in some marginal stuff with Glenny to really match it. Training with Glenn for so long makes him the best yardstick and I know if we get up at the same time while he is on the 13 and I am on the North then there is something wrong.
I think the Swiss guys turn up this weekend, which is a good thing, some more people out training and tuning up.
It is the Maktoum cup next weekend and the RC 44 event. I am in Doha on Sunday for an ISAF conference and then should be free to be sailing msot days for the worlds.
I watched the cup on TV on Sunday night. It was a weird mix, I was excited on the first beat and thought Andy Green’s commentary was pretty good and entertaining. When they went round the windward mark though it was dull as dishwater. I think they should have done two laps with more manouvers.
I must say even before the worlds start that Lisa the event manager is a complete star and I owe her so many bottles of wine.
I sailed on monday night with Glenny in borderline breeze. Was very good to practice getting up early, however the effort used to get up on the foils compared to distance ganed is very very small. I stayed high in some real marginal stuff while glenn went for it, he lost a good 100 yards when he came down again.
Last night we had 8 boats rigged up, two of them were the puma boats for some pics with the puma guy. The other 6 went out training. Its so much easier to be motivated to go sailing midweek when there are other people sailing. We had a few line ups and all made some changes. I had my new ride height thingy going….. feel like you could get carried away playing with it to be honest. Had a fantantic roast dinner at the club last night. Roast pork. mmmmmm
Off for an old school curry tonight at Ravi’s restaurant. A MUST visit for anyone who likes their curry while they are here at the worlds. I would put a link up to a website…. but its not that kind of place. No sailing tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Racing Sb3’s on friday and then mothing on saturday again. I am going through a phase of just enjoying my sailing, and wanting to sail everything and anything (apart from a Mcgregor 26)!
The water temperature in Dubai is cold. I spent a lot of time on the water this weekend and spent most of it pretty chilly. It has been overcast and friday I was at the yacht club at 8am. Grogs was with me and did some invaluable video work and sorted out a few little technique issues I have been having on the new boat.
He is going to come out with me on monday as well and try and make me do some pressure situation drills. So after three hours on the water by myself the rest of the gang turned up to come for a sail. I feel real happy with the work that I did on friday. Afternoon session was finding some modes with these new KA 13’s we have. Glenny has a very fast mode and was cruising on 16 knots upwind in 18 ture. We did some downwind modes late in the day about 4pm, I still not really figiured that bit out yet.
Saturday the breeze was not very good in the morning so did some boat work. It came in about 2 and we were back out. We had some low riding practice when the big cloud sucked all the breeze up. The breeze came back in for another three hours so spent saturday doing upwind to a mark and back over and over and over and over. I am completely fooked now so will give today a miss before i do monday tuesday and wednesday afternoons on the water.
Rob had his new Assassin out for the first time this weekend. He had a few teething issues. I had a sail on it on saturday afternoon for 10 minutes. It feels soo different. I do like the material the wing covers are made from. Being on the foils reminds me of being on a hover craft in Florida. It would take some time to figure out how all the systems work on it, there seems to be a lot less flap movement on thoes boats than I have seen before.
Anyway, not long to go now until people arrive. Happy days! See you all soon.
While I sit here feeling sorry for myself with the flu I thought i’d do a form guide, its only a month away afterall.
1) Scott Babbage: Scott has been the nearly man since Garda. He was on a troubled boat in Weymouth but was right on the money in the USA, barring gear failure would have been in the top three. He says he has not been doing a lot of sailing on his moth since the Worlds. There is no pressure on him and it should not be windy enough to break any gear in Dubai.
2) Simon Payne: Light airs flier, won the last worlds that were sailed in light stuff. I think his knee might hamper him a bit if there is borderline conditions. But then again it all might be a red herring and he might be lapping us all. Plus he is yet to enter. Keeping his powder dry.
3) Arnaud : Always there on the money. Very nearly snuck into second on the last couple of races in the USA. He could also easily win it, but then again so could anyone in the top five.
4) Bora Gulari: Bora has not won any big event overseas before. Maybe he does not travel well or just a bit unlucky. Rumour is that he can take off in a gnats fart now. If thats the case he could again just blow all before him away. I do think his downwind mastery will not be as pronounced in Dubai.
5) Dalton Bergen: Only behind Bora because he got beat by Bora in the PCC’s first day, and thats the latest I have got. He could easily win though. Really helping to push the American fleet along at a rapid pace.
6) Amac : Winning everything in Australia so far in 2010. Very dangerous and hard to place, I feel like i should put him higher up, especially with his new super sail that he is developing. I have only ever seen him go in big air, not sure what he is like in lighter stuff.
7) Rob Gough : Just got his Mach Two and learning quickly how to sail it. Another consistent performer and pretty lightweight.
Ricky Tagg : Word is he is going very well in the Mach Two and has been putting the time in. Can see him causing the big boys some problems.
9) Mark Robinson : Mark showed he has got it in the lighter races in the USA coming up with some top 5 results. I think he will come back into the fold in Dubai and show some good skills. No idea how much time he has put on the water though.
10) Adam May : Always a dangerous customer, I feel like he should also be higher up in the pecking order. We will see.
I wanted to put Bear in the top ten somewhere as well as Martin Gravare and Glenn MacDaddy Raphael. Glenn has got some serious pace going on when he is foiling, but he will loose at least a couple of races to not being able to get on the foils early.
I also think that by having a full Jury here and having a light air regatta we will actually see the Jury penalising people for breaking rule 42 when trying to get onto the foils.
Where do I wanna finish? Anywhere around the outskirsts of the top ten will do.
I have not been feeling myself for the last week. I have been flirting with the flu for quite a few days now. Anyway, due to boat issues and Glenno pressuring me into practising this weekend i borrowed Jonnies bladerider for the Jumeirah regatta. Going to a regatta in a borowed boat and not bothereing to do anything before hand is not clever. First thing that happenned to me was the pin came out the main foil and the push rod bent up, kaboom, not a good start. After some heel pressure action it was straight…ish enough to kind of foil. Coming down was a major issue though, I had very little control even in marginal foiling conditions.
Anyway, i did two races and they were ok. Then the pin fell out again before the third race, I think I foiled off the start line at about mid foil height and that was me done. I was thouroughly pissed off by this point so retired and had some beer. I was shivering like no tomorrow all night on friday and was feeling pretty rough yesterday. Anyway, there was less than five knots so Glennbo and I pulled the plug about 1pm. Im not sure how many races the rest drifted around for but i was not keen. I feel like I will go backwards if I go into a BR. My Mach two is sorted now so should be out tomorrow hopefully. That is if I can shake this flu away.
Lets hope the forecast of 24 knots next friday off the desert holds true. Flat water and we can send it. Yeah.