Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship: Race Day 1

We had a nice coastal race today in light to moderate conditions. We started in the middle of the line with a clear lane. However we missed a couple of puffs on the beat and rounded on Stig’s tail in 4th place. We bore away to a kite in 8-9 knots of breeze. It was a straight shot all the way to some rocks where we gybed and quickly went to the FRO. The change was smooth and controlled. We then reached to another mark with the FRO and jib on stand-by. About 3 minutes from the mark, the call came for a jib change. It was a bit rushed but we got it up in time. We furled, got the FRO down and settled in for a long upwind beat. The beat saw us get close to shore and too close for the Shockwave guys. They hit a rock at full speed upwind which resulted in the lifelines breaking and sending most of the crew in the water. All the crew members were ok, and after lots of work tonight, they expect to be racing tomorrow.
Once we got to the top of the course, we set to a kite at a very high angle. With a lee shore, we kept the jib up in case we couldn’t hold the kite. After that, we enjoyed a few minutes of VMG sailing before reaching again with the jib. Not to worry, the jib reaching didn’t last too long, we were soon back to the FRO. So up with the FRO and as soon as that was settled, we started setting up the next kite. After a few minutes, the kite went up, FRO furled and down and run into the finish.
The boat handling was relatively smooth with no major issues, a nice change from that horrendous race in Palma. On days like this, the guys working downstairs are working overtime. Mickey and Jesse kept getting sails thrown at them and we kept calling for more sails. As a bowman, it’s nice to have the next sail ready to go when you go for the set up. So nice work guys!
Tomorrow we are into windward leeward racing. The boat has been swapped into its inshore mode.
Stay tuned,
Doogie