Friuli Venezia Giulia TRIESTE - Match Race report.

Match 1: Wibroe 4 -5 nds.
We wanted the left.
By jibing at the entry as blue you guaranty to have a good speed in position 3 when you’re about to jibe back on starboard.
Good start on the side we want. He turns the boat too fast. Very important to kep the speed up light air start. Light air tactic's: don't play match race play the wind avoid tacks.


“Short court effect”. You'll pay a little bit on the layline sailing slow and high. You build the speed high when he’s on your air that gives you good short court effect faster at the tack and at the hoist you'll keep the benefit of your speed very long.

Match 2: Barker 4 – 5 nds


Right end line. We wanted the right.
Jibe a little bit too late I should had more leverage to push him lower to the line.
We get the side but too slow after the start.

Match 3: Henriksen 4 – 5 nds.
We enter on time but the line was port end and he catch us on a dial down.
In these conditions it’s so painful to be dial up or down than you could imagine to hoist the kite to cross. Pretty radical but we use to do that in J80 or the Cup Boat in 2000.
You don’t get a perfect first hoist at the top mark but you can cross which is crucial.

Good way to get rid from the hook is to sail upwind create a speed difference and tack. Very difficult to get rid of a dial up in this breeze. Especially because the line was so long than if you chose to sail down you ended up far from the line and less time to do anything. We did a circle who is not on the dial but that helps to sail upwind with a good difference of speed fon your side.
We get out with a decent start regarding the conditions it could have been more painful.



Another possibility would have been to sail a little bit longer up wind and try to tack and take his stern to do that you need more space.

Proposal:
The speed is hugely important in match racing because you only have one opponent. If you’re slower you will lose anyhow.
We should sail with proper sails for match race, I mean the new ones.
We’ve got so little time to train than the trimmers will take a lot of improvement to sail with the same sails in the 2 events match race and fleet. We will learn the boat better. There is no dial up so you don’t damage the jibs so much and a good main will last long enough to do the all season.

Malcesine Slam Cup - Match Race Report:

Match 1: Spithill – 10 12 nds
Get pinned at the entry by James. First time I sailed the boat.
Too much vang could not bear of to get free from the dial up.
Must use the trim tab at the start to help to drive the boat attaching the flow.
Driver must ease the leeward runner by hand to help to bear away.




Match 2: Wieser – 10 12 nds
Play around the comity.
Goal tight to leeward play the shore effect.
We won the start first cross, clear in front.
Then push to the left.
Couple of bad tacks.
Good hoist but we cannot gibe before the layline leeward sheet under the jib.
Get rolled down wind. Took the left gate very good reaction of the team for changing plan.
Push to the left up wind ahead at the top mark.
Good hoist. I decide to control matching the gibes. Too low on VMG. Second gibe too late get rolled loss the match.





Match 2: Magia – 12 14 nds
There was no match we gave him two penalties at the start.

Match 3: Ellison – 12 14 nds
Goal left line don't lose the bias.
“Eddy baby” move & control all the start. Close to penalize him gibe too close.
Get better start at the pin USA was OCS.
We broke the trim tab during the start. We have to retire.
Must limite the angle for the trim tab.


Match 4: Sushi – 12 14 nds
Goal left.
“Eddy baby” move we penalize him.
On he start I was pushing but he was marginally above pin layline I was too greedy. Should have wait by getting more separation at the end.
Sail well until the 2nd top mark almost on his stern.
Could not hoist properly the genaker get caught on the retriever line. Could not gibe before the layline we overstood but we discover that hot angles were very good very faster. Won the race.


Match 5: Appleton – 12 14 nds
Goal right line don't lose the bias then left.
Get hooked and good start on port at the comity
First cross ahead but I decide to protect the left because the left was paying all day long. But the wind went so left that the left effect was not a fact anymore.
Lost the starboard then. We sailed well just behind them.


Match 6: Barker – 12 14nds
Goal right starboard bias.
Get the start winner close to have him penalized for pushing too close.
First cross in front leebow tack but too close. We get penalized stupid move…
Then we tried to get rid of the penalty so we push a lot and we’ve been penalized again. Room to tack even if far away you should answer always.




Match 6: Col – 10 12 nds
Line starboard, goal get the line.
We get a good start get hooked may be a little bit too early but we start at the boat and he was over early. Huge lead.
Not super fast and I miss the layline down wind.
We protect the right push him left. Bad tack the sheet get locked somewhere around the mast.
We stop him at the top mark but bad hoist (1rst speed ?)
Good move to gibe the main only. He had to gibe and destroy his kite.



Overall:
Watching the leader board I’m a little bit frustrated. We were leading every match except the first one and with more luck (trim tab) and more experience of the boat (Wieser) we should have been able to reach better position (around the 3rd place).

Area of improvement:

1/ Boat handling:
There is a lot to do on the boat handling. Today we should be able to improve that area big time.
Tacking, gibing, dropping and hoisting. That’s “stupid easy” just a matter of time, work, coordination and energy.

2/ Speed of the boat: we’ll see the same comment on fleet race. The sails are not the best of the fleet I will say. We can improve the shape by a lot and then the use of the boat will be easier.

These two areas must be improved by us without the need of Majick. In my oppinion Maciej must arrive and use the boat tuned by us and boat handling polished and then focus on his driving technique only.

Way to improve:
Session of 4 days training 2 boats. Repeat that sort of training every regatta (not necessarily just before).

Daily plan:
Speed test 2 hours.
Boat handling alone with camera and marks.
Match racing 2 hours.

Malcesine Slam Cup - Strategy & Fleet Report:

Match Racing:
When the mark is around 220° beginning of the day left pays.


After that no more shore effect to the left (less). Don't lose the line bias and starbord is powerfull.


Fleet racing:
Race 1 – 8th: 240° - 7 nds
Very soft wind line was set for 230° wind was 220° and course 240°.
I get foul with the position of the top mark which was not 240° at the end but 220°.
Went right the wind get 40° left. Stupid because I had set the plan to the guys before the start...
Last at the top mark we passed the SUI.



Race 2 – 8th: 220° - 13 nds
Start at the boat but could not hold the position. Went left but the middle paid.



Race 3 – 3rd: 210° - 15 nds
Start middle tack very good line and boat speed first at the top mark.
Gibe early huge gain.
Get the right gate get a little bit on fire at the bottom mark.
Up we’ve controlled James. Good push and gained the all dog leg lead.
Failed to hoist (Speed ?)
We sailed too hot on a hole spinnaker not hoisted at the top. We had to gibe almost crossing James. He got more pressure then and he laid and we overstood.



Long race - 7: 240° 10 to 0nds
Excellent start but we could not hold the position it was a race to the left.
Get pinned on the corner and fight to stay in front of BMW and SUI.
Could not hold the position forced to tack in a hole.
Good fighting spirit downwind we went from very far to beat SUI and AQUA