Breitling Dutch championships (previously known as SPA Regatta began yesterday on the Ijselmeer in the north Part of Holland.
All Olympic classes are here as one of the final events before Cascais, and the ISAF World Championships, which is the first Olympic qualifying regatta.
For years, this event has been known to test sailors in big breeze and very cold conditions. This regatta so far, has been nothing like that! We have had warm sunny weather, with little or no breeze.
Our first scheduled race was for 11am (23rd May), but due to lack of wind we sat on shore until almost 13h00. the organisers have the view of ‘if we can race, we will’ so there is no doubt as to whether we should go out on the water in case they start us soon or just wait until they give the OK. It is a 40min tow to our course, which is the furthest course area from the harbour.
The race officers are fairly keen to get things going ASAP, as there is another fleet scheduled to race on our course area, just after us. Due to the delay yesterday, some fleets only got back to shore at 21h45 last night after completing their races.
The feeling on our boat yesterday was one of uncertainty. After two good events in France and Italy, there is a bit of expectancy looming. But the weather condition was difficult to understand and we didn’t have a solid enough of a plan to give us the confidence you require in this fleet.
The game plan was to start near the favoured end and see what develops with the fleet and the breeze. The first beat of our course was probably two par 5’s, so not a lot of sailing time to make any sort of come back if you didn’t get the start you wanted or missed the first shift.
Our first race was fair, good clean start above the fleet and with the breeze shifting we managed to play the right-hand side and come out about mid fleet at the top mark. Tricky sailing but not a lot of time to catch up and we ended 16th. Not too unhappy.
The race committee have made the policy that if there is a general recall, the next start will be a black flag (over the line with in one minute – you are disqualified from competing in the race).
Our second start was a black flag, so all the competitors are a little more aggressive than normal, we were a little close to the boat below us and with a gap to weather, we thought we could put in a quick tack and cross the fleet above us.
Quick tack and Yngling should not be put in the same sentence while sailing in less than 6 knots, so we where forced to tack back in front of another boat and thereby infringing them.
We did our 720 degree turn and started the race again, in almost last position. From then on its a game of should we tack on this or just go on – less tacking and clear air could be the way forward (less is more). But with the short course…… no time to do much.
We finished a painful, drifting, 21st. For the last race our course was moved closer to the shore as there was no breeze left on our course. We had a better start, but too far away from the favoured end, and therefore 5 boat lengths behind from the beginning.
More breeze and less shifty conditions made it even tougher to make any sort of comeback. We ended the day on a 17th again putting us in 20th overall.
There are a two other boats from South Africa sailing, Dale Rae/Bex (UK) in the 470 and Mark Sadler/Dave Rae in the 49er.
We are starting at 10am this morning, so must dash.
Dom, Penny and Kim
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