June 24: LOTSA MISTAKES

[experienced1]

June 24: LOTSA RIDER ERRORS

The sixth night of the 2010 Cabrinha Race Series looked like it was going to be a standard night of racing; averaging 18 (14-24) at Anita, which means it was a bit windier outside and there was about a 2.5 knt flood. So, the standard drill…riders rigged their 11s



First race saw Joey Pasquali the only racer choosing to start on port…MIISTAKE as he saw almost 30 racers barreling down on him; he didn’t make it and was forced to tack. At the windward mark, it was Adam Koch, Eric Due and Joey. Adam however didn’t take the “offset mark” to port, in fact he just totally ignored it and after about 5 sec on the down wind leg he was hailed by Due…MISTAKE by Adam as he now needed to go back up wind to round the offset mark. By the time the racers got to the leeward mark, the wind had picked up some to 17-27 and Due had about a 20sec lead over second place Joey...both who had taken advantage of Adams mistake. With Due taking the outside route and Joey the inside to the leeward mark. After rounding the leeward mark, It looked like Eric was crusing to his first win of the season when he tacked over to starboard and what he thought would be the lay line to the finish…wrong and another MISTAKE….he tacked way too early, sailed himself into less wind and a stronger flood. He needed to tack another three times before finishing fifth…yes he watched four racers pass him on the way to the finish. Adam 1, Joey 2, Stefaans 3, and Chip 4.




The second race saw the wind averaging 19 with all racers starting on starboard. At the windward mark, it was Joey, Adam and Stefaans. All took the outside route to the leeward mark. At the leeward mark it was Adam, Stefaans and Joey with Due about 20 secs back. Headed back up wind to the finish, Adam tacked early instead of chasing down Joey. Seemed like all the leaders needed to tack twice to make the finish rather than the usually one, and several missed their tacks causing them valuable time and distance; MISTAKES…in the end it was Joey 1, Adam 2, Wasson 3, Stefaans 4, and Due 5.




The third race saw the wind shift a bit causing port to be favored. Nine racers recognized the shift and started on port. At the windward mark it was Adam by about 5 secs followed by Joey. Joey took the outside route while Adam the run line. However, Adam went thru the restricted finish line on the way downwind and was subsequently DSQ’d. ..MISTAKE At the start of the night, the race committee placed the leeward mark windward of Alcatraz and favoring the Pier 39 side. During the third race, the mark broke free and drifted at least a mile downwind; almost below Alcatraz and further towards to SF shore, Pier 39, creating the longest downwind and upwind wind finishing legs in the history of the Cabrinha Race Series. Adam was first, followed by Chip , Joey, Stefaans and Due. The race committee never noticed the run away buoy, and I’m surprised no racer protested the race committee as each subsequent racer rounding the leeward mark was required to race a different course than all who had rounded before...the final MISTAKE of the evening.

So after Adam’s DSQ in the 3rd race, the final results for the evening were: Joey 5pts. (2,1,1), Wasson 8 pts (4,3,1) , Stefaans 10 pts (3,4,3) and Due 15 pts (5,5,5).