GBR Match Race Girls » K30

4th at Busan Women’s Match Race

Lucy — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 08:45:28 +0000

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.

Day 4: Not our day!

Lucy — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 09:34:52 +0000

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

Through to the semi finals

Lucy — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:40:51 +0000

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

Day 2 – a little less shifty, but only just!

Lucy — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:58:36 +0000

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!

Women’s Busan Match Race

Lucy — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:10:03 +0000

Day 1 of Women’s Busan Match Race has certainly been an exciting one with some pretty crazy shifts and puffs the whole day, certainly in our last two races today!

For Annie and I it is our third time back to Korea and once again they have put of a great show with a load ois sponsors and loads of supporters and a really good mix of competition from all over the World. As Kate is at the University World Championships this week (and currently winning) Annie and I are sailing with Jody Slater, Josie Gibson and Ally Martin. Jody has joined us a couple of the events in the bigger boats and is trimming the jib, Josie who we have pulled out of Match Racing retirement (as she used to helm very successfully on the circuit herself), is being kept very busy in the pit area and Ally who it is great to be sailing with again is in charge of the bow which is all a bit new but slightly easier now they have changed from asymmetric to symmetrical spinnakers.

Today was the first day of the round robin stage and we ended on 4 wins and 1 loss which after the size of shifts we had today is certainly a result to be pleased with! The final two races against the Danish and Australians were our closest with the lead changing dramatically a few times, once massively in our favour and once not so much! I believe the conditions are likely to stay quite similar so I’m sure there is still some tricky racing to come. Tomorrow we will be continuing on with the round robin from which we will go into quarter finals.

Overall win at Busan Cup

Ian — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:29:33 +0000

News just in from Korea is that the girls have won the overall title :)

Having lost the first match in the finals against Sally Barkow, Team Lucy Macgregor then went on to win the next three in a row to take the title 3–1. Congratulations for not only a great result against top international competition, but also in achieving this with the quite remarkable consistency of conceding defeat in only one match throughout the entire event.

More to follow I’m sure…

Through to finals in Korea

Lucy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:47 +0000

After some more shifty racing today we finished the round robin in 1st place after winning all of our races. The highlight was winning against world number 1 ranked Claire Leroy after ripping our spinnaker in two at the first windward mark. We held our nerve and extended enough to defend downwind.

Following the completion of the round robin the race committee went on to complete the semi-finals which we won 3-0 against Anne-Claire Le Berre and her French team. Tomorrow sees us racing the first-to-3-point final against American Sally Barkow and her all British crew, including Lucy’s usual crew member Annie Lush.

The whole team are delighted with our progress so far, with more left in the tank for tomorrow.

An early night now ready for some competitive racing tomorrow!

Nicky and the Team. xxx

Korea Match Cup

Lucy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:17:31 +0000

Hello from Korea! We’re here again for the Busan Women’s Match, where having won the inaugural event last year crewing for Sally Barkow, we’re here this year for a crack at the title in our own right :)

With top international teams competing from 8 different nations, including the more local Korean and Japanese teams, the Busan Women’s Match is a great event to come to and something of a different experience from the European events! Joining me this time is Ally Martin, Jody Slater and both my sisters, Nicky and Kate, on the 30ft asymmetric K30 boats, designed specifically for this event.

Unfortunately we’ve been struggling to find internet connection here, but online now so here’s a quick recap so far…

The round-robin stages started on Saturday, however the wind failed to materialise in the morning when our group was scheduled to be out, so no racing for us. As a result we were first out yesterday, confidently winning 5 out of 5 matches. Today has been another successful day, though with racing taking place as close into the beach as possible for all the spectators it is a tricky race area, with the wind disrupted by hi-rise buildings on the shore. This was especially noticable today when we had anywhere from 10-20 knots combined with frequent, random, 40 degree shifts hitting us with very little warning! However we were pleased to win another 3 matches today against the Dutch, Finnish and Japanese teams, so after the third day of racing we’re looking strong with straight wins so far in the first round robin stage. We have only 3 more races to complete in the round robin tomorrow morning, against 3 of the higher ranked teams.

Forecast is for a little less wind tomorrow, so hopefully we will all finish the round robin stages. Due to the uncooperative weather on Saturday it is likely the organisers will go straight to a semi-final knock out stage then the finals on Wednesday, the final day of the event, so we’re aiming to continue our good form and secure a top 4 position in the round robin tomorrow to go through to the semis.

We’ll try and keep you posted!

Lucy x