We’ll continue training from Poole over the next few weeks before our next event at the end of May, the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Holland. This will be the second time Match Racing will join in the ISAF World Cup Series but with the Elliott boats not arriving until June we’ll be back in Ynglings for the week, I’ll need to dig out my hikers!

Thanks to Lynx Sport Management for the use of their SB3s over the last two weeks, Jenkins Marine, and everyone for your support.

Lucy

Friday began with light winds for our semi final races against Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen (DEN) and her team. After two close starts in the first two races Lotte won an initial advantage that we were unable come back from in the light and choppy conditions. Going into the third ‘must win’ race we controlled the last part of the start but were given a red flag penalty for infringing Lotte at start time. Luckily we completed our penalty gybe and ducked Lotte to win the right hand, favoured side of the race course. Unfortunately though, having gained a strong position with the girls calling our gains and losses against the other team it became very clear we were beginning the loose… quickly! It turns out that we had managed to get a forest of weed stuck on our keel, I’m fairly sure I’ve never been so slow in an SB3 in my life!

So unfortunately we missed out on a place in the finals but did go on to win our petite-finals 2–0 against Genevieve Tulloch (USA). As the front came through, bringing much more wind, Lotte went on to win the event against Giulia Conti’s team in a 5 match final, winning the final deciding race by less than half a meter!

Overall it’s been a great couple of weeks. It has been the first time just Annie, Ally and I have sailed together, the first time I’ve had any match racing coaching and the first Women’s Match Racing event in an Olympic Classes Regatta. The event was a real success, the race committee and club were fantastic, and there seems to be a very strong desire by the sailors to make match racing in the Olympics one of the best sailing disciplines.

Finally, but by no means least, thanks to Jenkins Marine for their support for this event and especially to Hortensia and Bob for putting up with us staying in their home with them in Key Biscayne this week!

This morning seems a long time ago! We had a slightly frustrating day in the end, even though we still won all but three of our 22 round robin matches. Short courses meant the start was everything today, and sure enough the starts we won we extended our lead to comfortable wins. However, in the starts we didn’t win, we had a little more to do! Luckily we’ve put a lot of work this week into our pre start communication linked with our timing and tactics and it feels like everyday we are making great progress for the future… and for tomorrow!

Finishing second after the double round robin to the Italian team helmed by Giulia Conti puts us up against the current third placed team of Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen (DEN) while Conti is matched up against Genevieve Tulloch’s team (USA). The semi finals and finals are scheduled to be best of 5 races and the forecast is showing a bit of wind for the afternoon, perhaps reaching 20–25 knots so the racing should certainly be exciting!

Races 1 and 2 saw us up against the American teams of Christine Erdmann and Maegan Ruhlman, in which we comfortably won both. Up next was Mary Rook with Nicky and Bex who we won a penalty against with about 30 seconds to the start and when the umpires gave them a red penalty (meaning they had to take it straight away) we took advantage to get in a strong position and lead the race throughout.

As the wind started to die, time and distance became key to our pre-start strategy but this was actually our downfall in our pre-start against the Spanish team helm by Margarita Cameselle. After controlling her for the majority of the start we failed to lead back to the start at the correct time and started on the back foot. After winning the right side of the course up the first beat however we were able to ‘dial down’ at her on starboard and force a rushed tack therefore winning a penalty. Confident calls by Ally downwind meant we extended on the first run and the breeze just about held up for us to finish with a good lead.

After a half hour wait for the wind the race committee decided to call it a day, so unfortunately we are behind schedule and hoping the wind plays ball tomorrow to complete the second round robin leaving Friday clear for semis and finals.

We’ll keep you posted!

Today we raced against 2 American, 1 Italian, 1 Spanish and 1 fellow British team (Mary Rook, Nicky Macgregor and Bex Marriot) and sailed consistently well to finish the day with 5 wins out of 5. All of our races had common themes about them coming off the line equal but by having great speed and conservative tactics upwind we were able to extend to the windward mark and continue to lead around every mark. With the SB3′s asymmetric spinnakers there is a slight change in tactics from ‘the norm’ downwind, but we made a good step forward today and we’re ready to hit the ground running tomorrow morning!

Day 2 will see us up against some of the higher ranked teams to finish the first round robin. Results throughout the day should go up on the event website.

Later this week we will take part in a Match Race clinic along with 5 other teams. Racing starts next Monday.

Lucy