GBR Match Race Girls

After a long wait due to the lack of breeze then the lack of consistent breeze, we left the dock just after 12 for our petite finals against Hazard’s team (NZL). In the first to two point series we had a slightly frustrating time of it, winninin the lead of the first race until the final run where in a gybing dual we ended up getting a penalty and being too close to the finish to do anything about it. In the second race we then looking good in to the start, looking to win the right hand end of the line but once we tacked off to the committee boat we found a hole in the wind and were slightly late on start time. Up the first beat we were starting to look good but the shift went their way and they were able to cross from the left on the long tack to the windward mark. With the cleanest breeze we have had all week they were then easily able to control the race to the finish and take third place.
In the finals Leroy beat Spithill 3-1 in what was at time a veery close contest.
Thanks to Jody, Josie and Ally for joining Annie and I this week, it’s been tough conditions both physically and mentally so they have worked extreamly hard this week, couldn’t have done it without them.
After a day of sightseeing tomorrow we are back home to the gym and a few meetings before our next trip which is some training in Barcelona.

A long day for 5 races today due to horrendously shifty and gusty conditions this morning which meant our semi finals didn’t start until about 1 this afternoon. As highest ranked skipper going into the semis, Leroy chose Hazard to race against and so we were matched with Spithill’s (AUS) team in which ended up quite an eventful and close contest.

At 1-0 behind after the first race, the second looked like it could be over for us at the start when we tried to squeeze in between Spithill and the race committee boat at start time thinking there was enough room. Evidently not however as a collision with both the committee boat on one side and Spithill’s boat on the other side earned us a double penalty! Although that would often be a race loser, the team worked really well and by the top mark we were ahead and nearly but not quite able to take our second penalty. The downwind was close but a gust which wiped both boats out gave us an opportunity to gain and that we did earning enough space to do our other penalty on the second upwind and take the series to 1-1.

The third start was almost a carbon copy of the first where we did all the hard work keeping control early on but then slipping up at the last minute giving them a winning start which they were able to close out the race. At 2-1 to them, the fourth race was quite tense and the conditions getting harder and harder to manage due to the size of shifts and difference between the lulls and gusts. It was close all the way round but in the end a poor leeward mark rounding by Spithill’s team gave us enough of a lead to take a little breather on the second lap and take it to an all deciding final race.

The all important final race had it’s excitment too as an even start but left shift enabled Spithill to lead round the first windward mark but with us breathing down their necks. By the final gybe into the leeward mark we were positioned to windward and we though with room to pass round the mark ahead however the umpires did not agree and a luff from Spithill led to us broaching out…unfortunately game over for us!

So not really our day today, but with fairly crazy conditions the team put a great effort in and we are confident going into tomorrow’s petite final against Hazard’s team (NZL). We are still learning as a team and learning about the boats so need to make sure we use all of that in tomorrow’s racing, despite further wild conditions expected!

We will start with a fleet race tomorrow and then will be into the petite finals in the afternoon.
Lucy

Into the semi finals after day 3 along with Leroy (FRA), Spithill (AUS) and Hazard (NZL) having won our quarter final 2-0 against the Russian team.
It was certainly a busy day, with reefed mains the whole day it was either periods of being too windy to use spinnakers or was super shifty and breeze anywhere from 5-15 knots in one race! Hoping for some more stable wind tomorrow however I think the sponsors and cameras are about so we are likely to be closer to the shore and the forecast looks windy to start with.
As top ranked through from the round robin, Leroy’s team gets to choose their opponent for the semi finals, we’ll keep you posted, wish us luck!
Lucy x

Another shifty day for us today in Busan to continue on with the round robin. We were on first against the Japanese, Italians and Russians this morning and got three great starts, two of which led to solid wins but one led to a split from which a large right shift let the Russian team cross by a couple of lengths which we couldn’t pull back. After a long wait the Race Committee finally called our last three races off for the day as sunset was drawing in. Tomorrow we will therefore have three important races against the other Italian team, the French and American team to decide the seeding into the quarter finals.
The team is coming together the more and more we do so bring on tomorrow!