There are a few good tales turning up on various threads, and on GPSTC, so lets, for posterity, put them all together on one thread, even if you cut & paste something you have already written elsewhere.
I will post mine later.
Go for it!http://results.racetectiming.com/Results.aspx?CId=11&RId=2011&EId=1
I was going to wa to do the nationals and the loc. But they changed the dates and I didn't go.
(reposted from gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2010-01-09&team=12)
So much for registering early... I was at the very downwind end of the line. I don't think that there's any benefit to pre-registering.
Conditions looked light, forecast was light, so I rigged my biggest gear (7.0 and big board) but at 45 mins to go I could see the seabreeze starting to kick in... so a last minute board change put me on the iSo 94. Good choice as it turned out.
Had a bit of drama at the start, with half an hour to go my life jacket was locked in Bender's trailer, with no Bender in sight! Finally got that sorted out and waited for the gun.
The chopper was hovering right in front of us so couldn't hear the buzzer, just started running when everyone else did! Also due to the reef right in front of us I decided to go around the downwind side of it. This was the best start to the LOC I've had, clean air well downwind of everyone else, got planing no worries, looked around when halfway to the first mark and there were loads of sails behind me Heaps better than last year when I was dead last
Didn't have much trouble going downwind, could point much deeper than most others out there.
I was hoping to beat my PB to go under an hour, I was totally ecstatic with my result of 63rd overall, 22nd in my division and 47:35 total time, that record is smashed into little pieces now
Congratulations to all who entered and gave it a go. Better luck next time to Bender, Evets, 25 and many others who had trouble controlling bigger boards.
A big highlight for me was shaking hands with Chris D (SA Speed Demons), great to put faces to names.
Here's me at the finish line feeling quite pleased with myself (Thanks Pugwash!)
Wow. Awesome just to finish this one. Haven't done much sailing into the leadup and the wind picked up nicely out on the course. Head high seas and decent chop to keep you thinking.
Used Kinetic slalom, NP RX1 7.1, LE 36 weedie
Got cleaned up by a falling sailor at the start and by the time i'd cleared him and having copped the top of the mast in the face (thanks Gath) i got a good run out and pulled quite a few sailors back in. Avoided the usual carnage at the 1st outside mark by sailing wide. The usual struggle to sail so far off the wind but plugged on. Muscles were screaming by 3rd mark and unusually started getting a cramp in right foot. Still, slog on and pull more back. Unfortunately at all came undone at the 4th when i clipped the reef (bad decision to go inside)and got stuck for about 10 mins trying to get off. The surge just had me stuck fast. Lost probably 50 places here. Finally out with a less than perfect fin and a good run to the last mark but dropped the rig twice going in as i was so fatigued. Had to head NW again to clear the break enough and chugged in. Most exhausting race to date. ROOTED!!
But pleased to finish. Over 250 entered, about 60 DNFs, including some big names. 129th for me at 1 hr 10 mins. 2 mins slower than last year so was well on track to a sub 50 min time. Oh well, next year. 
My LOC debacale.
Wind was light 25mins before so my RS6 7.8m and F2SXXL (80cm wide) felt sweet.
With under 5mins to go i could see the wind filling in. With no time to change to my smaller board i knew my race was doomed. Got a crap start and even was left high and dry on the reef. After slogging in a the huge wind shadow i finally got planing after about 400m out. Straight away i knew i was in big trouble. I gybes around the first boat determined to keep going. This is where is turned into a nightmare.
Going broad(but no where deep enough was impossible. I was being pulled onto my toes so tail walking and jumping was all that i could manage. The only comfortable angle I could sail was taking me back to the start line. At this point i had thoughts of continuing abiet very slowly but them i saw a PD(25) sailing even higher than me heading back. That was enough for me. If was struggling i had no chance.
over all a very dissapointing effort. I know i would have been fine on my 7.8m and F2 95l
Forecast were all for light wind and had me worried. Borrowed a 110l board from Mineral as my largest is a 95 Sonic. Had a trial with both in Lancelin on Thursday and thought the big board would be great, and the extra rocker / soft rails compared to the sonic would be better.
Turn up at ledge for 9:00 registration. Nothings ready so chat and wait. Im first in line (my only first for the LOC EVER). But they need a pre-reg for testing so I lose that one. Anyway I get the 5th worst start spot on the beach. Those 5 or more after me get the best one, luck of the draw. Finish registering by 10 and back to Lancelin to pick up family etc...
Get back to Ledge about 12, starting to worry when all around me are rigging 9s and 8s as Ive got a 5.8 KA Koncept (thanks Troppo) or a ratty old 6.2 (did the LOC in 2007 or 8 with that one). But figured as long as I could waterstart and float I would get there.
Did the usual test run with 30 minutes to start, If I cant get back to the start line its another not enough wind year and DNS. First 200m out Im thinking "no way I will get back to the beach - beer in car best choice". Then I hit the windline (at 400m) and am planing. Head back and land on beach at 15 min hooter. Came in at upwind side but my start position is downwin. Try to get through crowd to other end, its too hard so I end up in the sand hills, which is much better anyway. (Politely mention to a a few photographers but I might be running over them if they stay there - they move).
Stroll down to beach, chat to another like minded sailor as we jog upwind to the top corner. Wait for a clearing and putt out. All good so far.
Made it over the first break and then pick up a huge lump of weed (Thats right the 6 fins that Mineral gave me included several weedies but I just put in the biggest fin !) So after trying all the shaking jumping tricks I drop of the board clear the weed and away again, now Im planing. Then I realise that even though its got good rocker etc.. this board and big fin dont jump well (sorry Mineral) - water start from that and make mental note to steer AROUND breaking waves from now on.
Got the first jybe, usual technique of keeping out of harms way. Head down for second, this is better now Im going properly. Shallow reefs a worry as is spotting that tiny orange flag / boat. The fields so spread out its hard to guess where to go.
Got some jybes and dropped some after that, felt the fin tip at least one rope. Did a double back and extra 2 jybes to avoid the shallow reef on the second inside one (not my fin - have to look after it). But I know thats a reef there, all that white water is easy to see.
Are we there yet - is now my dominent thought. But looks like it will be a finish. The breaking wave on the way to the last outside mark is a good one. I think I have seen that from the beach (out the back of Eddy island) but not really what we want now. Go a but higher to clear that after the first one.
Coming in to South Passage its just white water and without knowing where you are its hard to line up any landmarks. Just know I need to be further north and work that way as hard as I can, never much wind in there so putt along. Catch some help with swells and keep pushing north for the channel. Then can see the inside markers and know that Im nearly there.
Head in and its a nice clear run to the beach (looking for cray ropes all the way). Fall of backwards with a nice splash and jog/stagger up to the finish. There's still people here so its must have been a good race. Wife, family and friends at finish, great feeling.
The timing ladies inform me Ive lost the bracelet - dont know where it came of but thought the ankle was a bad place to put it. All that kicking while trading water is bound to dislodge something on your leg.
Forget to enquire about time or place, but make sure I tell the desk people that the bracelet was lost and that Im not !
Another great Ledge, by far the biggest board I have ever used in one (in fact not counting beginners gear the largest I have ever used). Pity it wasnt windier as one with a strong wind warning, 20-30Knots AND that much swell would be huge. I dont know if there was a lot more swell/chop or if it was just that I was on such a large board but that was definitely the hardest one I have done.
GPS decided I telaported from the water on the way to the last outside mark - so still trying to get full data and google track.
Bring on 2011
Sail L8
Finish 99
Time 58:44
Hardpole,36 weed fin would have been the go. Of course, I am an expert of course, as I have completed ....... LOC's
Even the 31 would have been OK soon as you rounded the first mark.
Mate you finished and that was the aim, complete and in one piece. Agree it doesnt jump well with a fin that big and I was concerned on your trial run when you didn't get cracking until way past the reef. But your experience would have said go or stay, so wasn't too worried.
OK, it seems to have been established that the breeze was not only dodgy in the hours before the start, but being WSW, it did not look at all promising. Having said that, the forecasts suggested 18-20 at race time - and that's about what we got.
It's a fantastic thing that there have now been three years in a row of decent breeze, all around the 18 knot mark, after quite a few years of really **ty conditions prior to that. It would be awesome to see it run in 25 knots+ one day. There wouldn't be too many finishers but it would be a huge challenge.
2010 was my 23rd Lancelin Ocean Classic in a row - I started as a kid in '88 and so have missed only the first two. I guess I should be pretty relaxed about it by now, but I have to say that last five minutes before the start always seems like an eternity!
I rigged my 8.0 North Warp F2010. I only got it on Wednesday, but had it out on Friday and was happy enough that I would be comfortable up to around 20ish knots with it. Went out early on my 110L Manta 69 and barely got planing, but it was always my intention to use the smaller 85L Manta 59 if the breeze got to 15 knots, so I put the 69 back in the car 30 minutes before the start when it became the obvious the smaller board would work.
At 75ish kg, I can get away with a small board / big sail and find the smaller board is much easier to handle in the ocean where you are airborne most of the time.
I started from position 10 but wasted that opportunity really, and was around 20th at the first mark. Given that the first leg was quite tight, I assumed the second would be very deep, so I sailed a good 400 metres past the boat (through a pod of dolphins!) and then gybed. This gave me clear air, clean water and a good line to the second boat and I arrived there inside the top ten and well within sight of Volwater and Dunkerbeck.
At this point I was ready for the race to end right there! I have never been anywhere near the leaders at the second mark before and quite frankly I was stunned!
For the next few legs I was neck and neck with Slowy and Danny Aeberli and we swapped places a few times. The 8.0 was feeling just perfect but there was plenty of sea and swell to slow us down and my tracks tell me we were only doing around 23-24 knots for most of the time.
I managed to get a little ahead of Slowy as I seemed to have an edge on the inward legs, and this enabled him to get a great view of the 4 metre vertical wave face that presented itself and sent me flying to the heavens - this is not where you want to be whilst hooked into an 8.0m race sail! A poor landing cost me 13 seconds (the wonders of GPS!), and Slowy and Danny got away.
That's pretty much how it stayed. My fastest NM was only just over 25 knots and this was on the final run out. There was a really fun section there over a reef with good clean overhead swell breaking right through the course.
I made the finish in 32.36 which is 8 minutes and 13 places better than last year, and only 2min 39sec behind Dunkerbeck (not that I'm counting 
) so that's total elation for me! Was hoping for top 20.
See you all next year!
great day. sailed a 6.5m and 120 litre board but the breeze hadnt filed in yet and was still building. let everyone run past at the start and headed upwind to start in clean air. ocean was confused and sloppy to the 1st mark but settled after, then it was very deep down wind run from there. had some trouble sliding a few times, with one guy abusing me while i was recovering ( sorry mate but its hard to steer while going side ways.) Found 2 big holes of wind closer to shore as most of my gybes were a good 200metres down wind of the marks. Spent a lot of the race trying to keep the board in the water while powered up but im still glad i chose the 120 litre and a weedy. all that ocean practice paid of.
1st ocean race after sailing for 2 1/2 years and im back next year.
thanks to the organisers and big thanks to mandurah crew.
51.57 min. 78th overall.
All year this was the goal and am a bit sad that it ended in the rescueboat.
Hypersonic 105, NPryde v8 7.5, JP 31 weedy
So heres the highlights:
Top start 3rd from top and behind Slowboat.
in straps quickly and some of the fleet behind me
top speed 23.41kn ( 2sec) leg 1-2, best NM 17.62kn leg 2-3
practice run was sweet
my favourite dance tune as the lead up revv up before the hooter!!
"there is no substitute for being there! choose life!"
lowlights:
catapult leg 1, but no damage
mark 1 crash gybe and then catapult- last one around I think
Hypersonic big board had tractor beam on and wanted to go home, on every leg, every wave.
catching a rescue boat for the ride into the finish at Mark 3!!
The breeze was building and I chose the wrong board! - the warning signs I missed:
sea breeze pushing water and waves up, increasing the size of waves at the Ledge break.
swing to west- only a swing south or south east means its dropping
same weather as Friday so probably same wind- blasting!!
all forecasts perth and Gero said same as Friday and strong.
i polished my hpersonic the day before and may be in love with it. (we have now broken up and I am dating a fiery JP FSW 94L who says she might go to LOC 2011 with me....)
ps - thanks to the organisers, nice to see lots of GPS TC friends and make some new ones.
( reprinted from gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2010-01-09&team=31 )
I was on a 8.5m Overdrive and a 122 futura, well over powered on 90% of the run down to Lano, the chop on most of the coarse was insane on this kind of kit, the run to the 1st mark was hard work and used up most of my energy to stay in control..and i knew i was definately on the wrong size sail, the only part of the coarse i was in 100% control was the run through south passage to the finish..i must have passed 10 guys on this leg as they where getting washed about in the white water, stoked i knew where to go from wave sailing there a bit..
I must have waterstarted at least 15 times down the coarse, kept on hitting weed, which pushed my time out to an hour
most of the time i could see the weed in time to steer clear..and gybing on the inside of the reef on the 4th mark was a wrong move..
i'm a wave sailor and this down wind stuff is definatly hard work, I'm just stoked i finished my first LOC and it's definatly a physical challenge..
Next year if it's windy i'm running Freesyle/Wave gear, there was alot of big jump oppertunities i missed being on freeride gear..
Hats off the the guys who had fast runs...
Awesome day. Can't believe I finished! I had a 6.7 but halfway to the first mark I wished I'd gone for the 6.2... Definitely windier than expected.
Many thanks to all the organizers for such an awesome event. Especially Rob - he was just running around sorting everything ALL weekend. Well done. For me it was a dream come true to be in a race with Bjorn Dunkerbeck. And with all the helicopters, photographers and movie guys everywhere I felt like a superstar. (Even though I didn't finish in the top 100!!)
Thanks again. Still buzzing.
Well after swearing all summer that I would only use a 7.7 and IS101 for this race, with the wind playing games I decided to go with the CR9m and IS 122. As the wind starting picking up with 15mins to go and the race director called everyone off the water, i could'nt go and test my 7.7 and 101 combo, so I decided to stick with my call, having being underpowered in previous years.
First leg was messy but doable but after bearing away to the second leg, i quickly realised that the 122 with not enough rocker was just going to be a handful. got belted a couple of times, made it to the second mark but got catapulted again. The board only wanted to sail upwind and with the front foot not wanting to stay in the strap, i knew that the dynamics of this combo were just not going to work. I looked up to see a rescue boat about 200m away and with the finish line about another 18k's away, decided that i didn't need to put myself through another 45mins of pain to prove anything so bailed. Was really annoyed that i left the preferred combo on the beach which would have been sweet but I made my choice and stuck to it and paid the price.
I later heard that Dunky was uncomfortable on a 9.6 and 133l board (!) - but he still did finish top 10....
Well done to everyone that finished, expecially the first timers - this is a tough race if you make the wrong equipment choice on the day and finishing is an acheivement.
Well that was interesting! I borrowed an 8.6m in the morning, and did one or two runs before the start. Big weed fin (42cm) using a JP122 (76cm wide). I hadnt used the big weedy on that board before but I did try a smaller one (38) the week before and it was flying off the wind, but was just a bit too small. So I guessed the bigger one would be perfect. Setup felt really comfortable and powered up- perfect for downwind I though- except that I didnt try that.
Well as we know the wind picked up while we were waiting for the start, and on the first leg I was thinking... gee I'm pretty powered up now, and no way feeling efficient as the front runners eased away. Should be alright when we get off the wind more. First gybe- blam. oops. Stacked it. Got going pretty quick... oooh arrr thats pretty uncomfortable, ummm how do I make this thing go downwind??? The big weed fin was pulling the nose down and with the 8.6m doing the same on every gust it was mighty hard to keep the nose from burying. Besides that it was simply not possible to steer the board downwind past a certain angle- which was 15 degrees higher than everyone else in front of me (and just behind). Crap.
Now my legs are cramping... OK this is no longer a race, but a challenge to finish. Survival tactic time. Problem 1- how to get downwind. Back foot out of the footstrap!! Scary when the nose is about to bury, but the only way to get the angles. So thats how it was. On the way out I was going as low as I could in the straps, and on the way in it was back foot out.
I started to get used to this arrangement by the end of the race so managed to salvage some places. Even managed a peak speed of 30.9kts with my foot out of the strap. The break of back beach was a cracker. I vaguely remember seeing ado get launched and cleaned up. I managed to find a slot just as it was crumbling and got over without getting too much air. Phew.
I was relieved once I got into the flat behind the reef, and could get my back foot back into the strap for the home run.
Congrats to everyone who had a go. It was really tough considering the last minute wind change. The craziest story I heard was from Blair who used a 10.x m (!!!) and nearly drowned after a crash, sucessfully getting a breath of air by going through the sail to daylight. Scary stuff.
Another highlight was the slalom pileup in the last final yesterday. Classic.
Well done for finishing as well as you did being that out of control mr Lockwood. I am still waiting for that long overdue win from you.
I love the stories of crew who slammed in PBs - well done Ado - Aus111- even with the worlds biggest jump / wipeout -an awesome finishing position. Stoked for you.
The Law's laid down the Law with some sensational sailing too - Both Rohan and Haydyn smashed it. Sick.
I had the perfect set up (for my level) for the race - and had a great run down the course. What an awesome event!!
Great to catch up with all the crew at the most legendary windsurf party ever.
Annika or Cheryl, if you read this can to tell us your story for the day? We need a girl's perspective - what gear did you use, what gear was Karin on, where were you on the start line, how'd you find sailing so deep in ocean conditions. Would be great to hear.
Rigged an old 6.9 Ezzy Wave SE (03 ish) for use on my JP 84l slalom board with 28inch race fin. On my second trial run about 30mins before the start, I was able to get planing although only going a long way off the wind but thought as it was a downwinder, it should be ok. At this point, I was expecting a nice cruisy run as I didn't anticipate the swell height from what you could see at the start. My boom rigged on that sail was feeling a little worse for wear but I didn't think too much of it. Start place was 243 so somewhere back in the carpark. At the start, I casually walked down to the water and waited for the majority of the fleet to get underway before attempting my start. Even then the start was crap with the churned up washing machine and gusty inconsistent remnants of wind meaning I ended up over the reef and finally into it. Body dragged out over the majority with a slightly damaged fin and finally got on the plane. 1st leg was feeling ok and I was beginning to get used to the angle which all things considered wasn't feeling too bad. Began to pick up some places and made it to the first leg without any additional setbacks but came unstuck on the turn. Heading landward was a different ballgame altogether both with the angles and the different positions required for goind down waves as opposed to up them. Dived the rail once or twice, came unstuck again on the 2nd mark and started heading for the third. Was feeling better and better the further I went until I heard a crack from somewhere on my rig.Got distracted by the race again and ended up doing a perfect gybe around the 3rd mark onto a wave face and maintained a good planing start to the 4th. Made it about 3/4 of the 4th leg and bang! Catastrophic boom failure. Sat on my rig trying to think up a way to fabricate the boom to the sail and ended up getting a cray boat home...bugger. All in all quite pissed off cause I reckon I might've done ok but there's always next year.
As requested:
Like a few others I rigged for light winds. I'd sailed at Leighton earlier in the week in 12-15kt with some new toys: the RRD cross fire 90 and the KA Koncept 6.4m (well it's big for me!) and had been quite comfortable so I thought this would be perfect for these conditions as the board is easy to manage in the swell/chop (and still quick) and the sail has a really good bottom end power and lots of pull off the wind.... Then I watched nervously as the wind picked up shortly before the start of the race. In hind sight, the board was the right choice, the RRD is really comfy in the chop but still big enough to get me planning pretty early. But I would have been more comfortable in the 18kt winds with a smaller sail.
I had a good start spot, but jumped on the board a bit too soon and had to jump off when a wave came and sucked the water away.... take two was fine, and I got planning pretty early. I realised pretty quickly that I was going to be well powered up for the whole race (bit scarily quick in the chop/swell), so decided to back off and take it easy.... rather than try go flat chat, get tired and inevitably catapult. Survived the race without any big crashes, although did miss a gybe or two when I got tired towards the end.
Had a nice scary moment hitting a reef that snuck up on me trying to get round the 2nd inside boat. Thankfully the weed fin saved me a crash, although the fin is a bit shorter now.
So all in all a good race for me. Finished 2nd in the womens behind Karin, 42nd overall in a time of 43:20. I did make a few mistakes that I can improve on so would love to go sub 40min next year. Although I say this every year.... I should really spend more time in the ocean before the race next year. It's amazing how tiring 40 min in swell on a broad reach is. Completly different to normal sailing.
Cheryl did my trick from last year and broke a harness line. Karin did extremely well (as you would expect) and came 19th overall, not long after the top guys. Not sure what size she was using, but it was a Severne CR and a Patrick Deithelm board. It was good to see a few more girls giving it a shot this year.
Fairly hectic morning loading the van, buying some supplies and making our way to Ledge (the family came along). Headed down to register and was well pleased with my position on the starting grid.
Pre-start preparation was a little rushed. Rigged the 8.5 Koncept as it was pretty light...12-15K @ 1pm. Plugged in a borrowed Formula board and took it for a spin. Quickly realised I was over-boarded and could easily get away with my 120L Kinetic Centurion (70 wide). Back to the beach. A mad dash to change boards (car was parked a long way from the beach) and I was on the start grid with the C70 + 8.5 ready to rock and roll.
Got a pretty clean start and I was in good shape heading for the first mark. The breeze had picked up just before the start to around 18-20K and I knew the 8.5 was gonna be a handful. Made my first gybe and headed back in....hmmm I’m rather overpowered and bearing away is hard. Two legs later I was still puffing and trying to get comfortable in very challenging conditions. I need to check my GPS track, cos it’s all a bit of a blur, but I think it was the fourth leg heading back to shore when I decided it was all too bloody hard and I needed a rest!
Proceeded to hop off for a bit of a breather and pretty much decided at that point that all I wanted to do was finish. I could maintain the pace for a while, but going downhill in major swell/wind chop over-powered on an 8.5 was taking it out of me big time.
From then on it was really more of a free-sail. Had a couple more offs in the rough stuff and seriously thought about calling it a day, but there were no rescue boats in close proximity so I soldiered on.
Made it to the last inward gybe boat near back beach and I was having a wee rest when the set from hell appeared...got nailed by a ¾ mast high bomb and went over the falls. Got pinned under the sail for a bit and dragged along the reef before I surfaced. OK I am officially over this, get me the fxck outta’ here.
Still no rescue boats, but given the proximity of the aforementioned reef and 3m swell that was hardly surprising. Fxck it I may as well keep going (did I mention that by now my thighs were cramping up and in addition to being generally fatigued I was also in a world of pain!)
Cruised down the last seaward leg with my back foot in the leeward strap and the sail fully sheeted out. Dropped my gybe at the last boat...by this stage I was well knackered...but eventually got going and headed in to the bay. Had no idea where the finish line was and ended up well upwind. A couple of gybes and I made it home.
What an adventure. My time was abysmal...an hour and thirteen minutes, but given the conditions and my kit selection I was happy just to finish.
Massive props to the guys that owned it. There were a lot of crew on big gear...Dunkerbeck for one on a 9.6m + 133 iSonic. Ado on an 8.0. JD on similar kit to Dunky. So no excuses from me. I just didn’t have what it takes to go the distance on the big gear.
Didn’t make it to the after-party....I was massively tired and heat-stroked (had a fever by days-end)...in bed by 8.30.
Lessons learned.....
1. Preparation – absolutely critical to do some ocean down-winders pre-race.
2. Stay hydrated – get a Camelbak and drink lots of rehydration fluid pre-race.
3. Fitness is critical...sailing fitness and leg strength (my legs let me down...go the spin classes in the lead-up to race day!)
4. Get to Ledge EARLY and get a park close to the beach.
5. Ideally line up a rig caddy so you can rig a couple of options ready to go at the last minute.
Well my story is like so many others.
My build up was in accordance to the AIS Olympic specifications!!!!
In brief become side tracked with other activities in the months leading up to the selected event and do no training. Then with little preparation head off to Hobart and spend 12 days yachting and drinking yourself stupid (tapering and cardo loading).
Fly in the day before the event and have a quick sail at Leighton to familiarise yourself with the selected sport.
Arrriving at 10.30 am scored a glamour park by the grass North end of the car park.
Registerd and recieved spot 23 having payed the extra for an elite postition.
Now the waiting game, what will the wind do. I pre rigged a 7.5 Koncept, hoping a 6.6 on the Tabou could be used. Around 12.30 began rigging a 9.0 Koncept as the wind looked a little suspect. While rigging a battern broke so happily roled the big girl up knowing I was not in ideal shape for such a challenge. 1pm prepared the Manta 74 and Manta 59 and considered rigging the favourite 6.6 in hope the breeze would kick.
After a couple of practice runs the 7.5 and 74 Manta looked the goods and I packed up so the ever faithfull wife could drive off to the Pub.
I felt confident having prepared so well i was in for a spectacular race. Off to a good start all looked good until I was nearing the first cray boat and the breeze had picked up a reasonable amount. I took a wide berth on the boat but not quite wide enough to miss the wind shadow from the charging throng of boards but managed to pump and glide my way through it.
Well bugger me I was battling to bear off any were near enough to lay the next mark.
Undetered I charged on. However the 40cm Talon and 74 cm wide board were proving a hand full. I jibed miles above the mark and charged off at the boat. Another jibe looked inevitable. Remembering Volwaters effort of sailing clew first and sufing a few waves to make the second last mark to stay in front of Slowie last year I tried the formula board chicken stride. This looked good until after about 100 I actually was going clew first and came ass up. Things then started to deteriorate rapidly. Finally after taking several attempts to round the last inside crayboat and a tangle with the reef the rescue boat decided I was buggered.
Thanks to the lads for an ice cold beer and a smooth ride home.
After such a perfect preparation I am bumb founded as to why I struggled for both fitness and technique. Anyway loads of piss at Galvo's and the Pub started my preparation for next year.
Respect to all who had a go, finishing or not, a great effort from all of you.
Regards GT
Rather like Slowboat and Pointman I bit off a bit more than I could chew on Saturday. Even 15-20min pre-race my Is133 and NP RSS II 9.2 combo seemed fairlyy comfortable. However, lined up on the beach with 5 minutes to go I started to get a nagging feeling that it might have picked up above the reasonable range for the gear. However whilst I did have a 7.8m and JP 112 rigged up the beach I couldn't convince myself that it was quite windy enough and that running madly through 4 lines of competitors to get it during the flag sequence was a good idea.
Anyway I made an awesome start from position 4 and was one of the first up on my board. I was pretty excited about this until I came to a grinding halt about 5 metres off the beach with my 48cm pointer having collected a weed island of sufficient size that necessitated a reversing maneuver before forward motion could be recommenced!
First leg was kind of ok in a slappy big board kind of a way but thereafter things deteriorated fast. Whilst the sail was vaguely manageable the short iSonic without any benefit of much in the way of nose rocker then threatened to submarine and eject me out the front door at the trough of every second wave for the remaining 20kms (yeah I know Bjorn was on a Is131 but I'm just human!). I ended up in a struggle against my equipment to the extent that I pretty much zoned out anyone else. The whole point of going big I had thought was to point off the wind more but that didn't seem to be the case! At one point Ben Severne passed me to downwind and turned around and smiled. I was gritting my teeth too hard to smile back. He looked like he was having fun. I was transfixed by the water 2 feet in front of the nose of my board and didn't feel like I was!
I knew after the second leg that it wasn't going to be pretty and certainly wasn't going very fast but thought 'don't fall in and just get this baby bitch home! Isaac told me later that he passed me at some point but I was far to engrossed in my own personal battle to notice.
Last year I was ill-prepared but things just worked out. This year even though I was well prepared I struggled in comparison. The nature of the race is that you aren't always going to be on the right gear for the conditions and you've just got to do your best in the circumstances. In that light I've got to be as pleased with my top twenty finish this time as with my top ten last year. It's all a learning experience anyway!
Top marks to Pete Volwater - 3 in a row isn't luck! In my eyes Patrick Dielthem has also elevated himself to godlike status by coming second on a 9m. Well done Dan too for an awesome fourth and Rowen in 9th. Slowie for selfish reasons I'm pleased you didn't find it a walk in the park on your set-up either but great sailing to win the slalom yesterday. Ado - 12th awesome effort. Isaac - bad luck with your (non) adjustable outhaul failure but good sailing to come 16th. Well done to all others who took part - it is not an easy event!
I noticed the call for a few females perspective of the race, so thought I'd put mine up.
This was my 2nd attempt at the LOC. Last year I entered due to peer pressure on the day - went round the first boat and straight into the beach into the back of a ute! So I really had no idea of what to expect.
I went out before the race with a 6.5 firefly and a JP 99 FS and was ok, but was worried that if the breeze picked up anymore it was not going to be pretty. (I'd had a bad experience with being very overpowered trying to sail from Woodman point to Freo as a practice downwinder with a 5.5 up in 25-30knots. Got picked up at Coogee!!) So with 15min to go I was asked if I was sure I was happy on the 6.5, that's when I changed my mind and went down to the 6.2 Alpha.
I had an ok start - nothing special but no stacks either and got out to the first boat in resonable shape very very glad I had changed down. Tried gybing but I haven't perfected this yet so fell off in the right position and water started. Got to the 2nd boat ok, got some serious air time (for me anyway) coming into the boat along which the entire cray boat crew appreciated! Stacked it! By this stage I started to think what am I doing! Managed to get downwind ok bar one further catapult close to the 7th boat. Didn't attempt anymore gybes as was too tired. I had trouble seeing where to come in through the passage so followed people a bit higher than me - silly mistake, I know for next time.
Overall I finished in 53.01, 83 overall and 6th in womens. I'd do it again having learnt a lot this year.
i came down with tonsillitis on thursday.
Sailed like crap in the waves on Thursday and Friday.
Started smashing bulk antibiotics on Friday morning.
Didnt sail marathon. Felt too crook. Maybe next year will be my year.
Pitty coz my biggest kit would have been perfect for the conditions.
Pity as you put in some hard yards training this season for it and organising dummy runs for the rest of the crews eager to enter.
