CALCUP ROUND 1 WAS CANCELLED!
RESULTS: http://www.calcupevents.com/Results/2014/14_CalCup_2.html
PHOTOS: http://www.calcupevents.com/gallery/14%20CalCup%202/index.htm
Minutes before the start, the wind picked up from 20 to 30 mph so everyone was well powered up to say the least.
The start boat had taken a few attempts at setting the start line as the anchor was slipping but in the end the line was dead square to the wind.
I got quite a good start and I kept driving the board upwind hard without too much tail walking.
The upwind mark was all the way to the top of the Berkeley pier so that was a good size beat.
My tactics were nothing revolutionary, just controlling the fleet.
When you're not a local, it's best to check what the others do before coming up with your own things.
I got the layline to the upwind mark about right and rounded up first.
The downwind leg was not so easy.
I was sailing too conservatively and Eric Christianson was quick to catch up with me.
Trying to keep up with him didn't pay off. I ended up in the drink.
Other people must have been struggling too as I didn't loose any positions.
Tom Purcell was challenging for second place at the end so I sped up to stay ahead of him.
The second race didn't go well for me.
I'd left my watch on the shore so the start was a bit of a guess.
After seeing Mike Percey crossing in front of me, I thought it was time to go but little did I know that he was over early.
I finished that race in second place again, this time closer to Eric, only to be informed that I was over early.
With only one more race to go, any chance of doing well evaporated.
As it turned out, neither Eric nor myself could see the upwind mark in the last race where the course had changed.
We both over layed it by a good margin. Tom Purcell was too far ahead to catch up with him.
Eric finished that race second and I finished third.
Well, next time, I'll make sure I don't leave my watch on the shore and hopefully, I'll have found a faster set up to go downwind when it blows hard!
Congratulations to Eric Christianson for a well deserved win in 30 mph winds!