We sailed three races at day one of the NSW Tasar Champs yesterday is a very tricky Nor’easter. Puffing up to twenty knots at times, and with big shifts – it was all on for our Tasar team sailing in different roles. We had a pretty good day, and showed to ourselves (and others) there is a lot of potential for our team with me up the back.
Big breeze is our thing when sailing with Dad up the back – so it was a challenging day to be taking in a new perspective. The biggest errors funnily enough were for exactly the same things; not doing our own jobs. Unfortunately the errors are larger when Dad is crewing and I am skippering, because he is not as good in the crewing role as I am, and I am not as practiced at skippering as he is.
The pressure is bringing a completely new perspective also. With me steering it is very different for two reasons; firstly we are not expecting to win and secondly we have to concentrate on doing new roles that we are not completely comfortable with. It is different, but still equally as fun!
In race one we had a tough start just down from the middle of the line. I managed to sail the high groove well and get us to the favoured side of the course. We rounded the top mark in about sixth and sailed well on the second work of the two lap windward leeward to finish in fourth.
Race two was a bit tougher. We had a good start, and stuck to the game plan to round the top mark in about eighth. At the second top mark we came in on the port lay line, and tacked below some starboard tackers who had overlayed. Dad unfortunately left his job cleated, which meant we went sideways onto the top mark. Luckily, I think the top mark stopped us from capsizing! We managed to get clear (after losing a few boats) and then commenced the 360 turn, which was a bit intense in the puff of the day! To add to the issues, our jib clew came undone. There was no way I was letting Dad up on the foredeck, so we swapped to get it sorted. Organised again we caught a few before the finish, but ended up in 18th.
Race three we had a cracker of a start. The first triangular course was fantastic! The bottom reach was awesome! I was in fifth for most of the race but unfortunately almost put us in the drink at the gybe mark and lost a few. Fortunately, we managed to save it and didn’t lose any more! I got into fifth again up the last work, but got suckered out to the right hand side to finish back in seventh.
Carrying the eighteenth I am sitting in ninth overall. We potentially have a nine race series, one drop at five races and two drops at nine races so we will have to see what happens! Full results are available here.
I can see the building southerly just over the hills at the other end of the Lake. There are quite a few top Tasar sailors missing, but the racing is still tight! I am hoping to finish in the top five… we have the potential to finish in the top five. We will have to see what today brings! I am looking very forward to the racing – and enjoying the new perspective!
