The event on Calema started with a nice weather the previous day but today the sun run away and we got a stormy day. The storm created a great atmosphere…as six of top ten of the Worlds are here, Kevin, Antoine, Phil, Woijtec, Micah, me(Gonzalo) and top racers as Sam Ireland, Devon Boulon, Patrice Belbeoch, Jimmy Diaz and Chris Mcgrath, wanted to go into the water to battle…All them show their skills the previous days and all of them seemed pretty solid. Alll new boards and sails are here so everybody are pretty excited on going into the water for racing.
The wind shifted from yesterday and we got a shifty 7 to 15 knots side shore going to side off shore. The race course was set for a 25 minute races. We combined some upwind and downwinds with a couple of reaches and finishing on the upwind to be close to the beach. So everything was set and before the 15 minute zet flag was posted most of the fleet was already on the water checking the shifts….
The first start seemed to be best on the race comitte so I battled with Sam for the best spot and this made us go over the line. Even though we still did the race. Off the start the excitement begun. Micah had an excellent start on the middle of the line on top of Antoine and both took some advantadge as they got first to the first headed. I hit the headed and tack, instantly I saw Kevin below me taking the right side of the course. So we got Wojtec, Micah and Antoine on one side, Devon, Jimmy, Sam on the middle and Kevin and me on the right. Antoine and Micah got a good gust and got a good lift to the mark making them be first and second, me on third, Wojtec fourth and Kev fifth. We had a short reach and then the downwind. I manage to get Antoine after chosing the rigth side of the course on the downwind. So we started the second upwind battleing for the first place and third was Micah and Wojtec behind him. We manage to take a good lead on that port tack with antoine so the back guys tacked and went to the inside. There were two groups, me and anointe, Wojtec and Micah and then the rest.The wind benefied the inside again and the guys got me and almost get antoine. Antoine managed to keep his first place with a very close finish with Micah. Eventhough I was overearly so that fourth didn’t count for me.
Second race seemed to have stronger wind. Most of the non pro guys were on there 11s. The wind shifted to the beach even more. There were gusts coming with 30 degres difference (thanks Suunto compass on my watch). I manage to predict a port tack start on the last two minutes of the sequence. I got it!!! I manage to be undercover wainting on the pin end and cross in front of everyone with a nice lead. The wind was so shifty that you have to take adavantage of the shifts, so when I was getting close to the lane line i heat a headed, waited a couple of meters and tack, I got the lift and headed directly to the upwind mark, I was gone at that moment but the wind shifted again and the guys that went to the left side, Antoine and Micah managed to come back. Antoine and me entered first and second. devon with his new WindWing, was on third coming really fast, being persued by Wojtec and Micah. I managed to pass antoine on the downwind pointing lower and faster at some moments. By the end of the downwind I took the lead. The second upwind was a battle with him and the guys were coming close from behind. They were changing positions most of the time, Wojtec got Devon on the downwind and Micah was really close. I got some nice distance from antoine and the guys were battleling on the last upwind. There was avery nice tactical situation on the last upwind to the finish gate. Wojtec tacked to the beach and then Micak followed him being on top but quite behind. Devon tacked too and then Antoine. I had a gust really close so I waited, got on the gust and tack. Wojteck and Micah started getting less wind on the inside and Devon instantly tacked again to the outside as Jimmy Diaz was coming really fast from the outside with Kev. I manage to take a big lead as got that lift first before them, antoine got second, Devonn third, Micah, Jimmy and then Wojtec.
We had a lunch break over there, eat some pasta and pizzas and then head again to the water. On the third race we got a really nice start with Kev and Dev on port but it was cancelled as there were people over early. The gusts were hitting better on the beach now and the constant gust on the rigth side was gone. I managed to go on on that cancelled start and went all the way to the upwind to check the course. Jimmy took the opposite way and seemed to be best. So next start most of us decided to start on starboard next to the pin end to get first to the beach gust. Phil got a good start on top of me as Micah and we were battleling to get on that beach gust. Antoine tacked away to the other side along with Wojtec and Jimmy. I tacked too early and patient Micah got a good lift to the mark as i got punished through the midlle of the course. Antoine got a good gust too and went into second and wojtec third, me fourth, Devon fith and Kev sixth. The wind started to die so the distances became bigger but errors were paid worst now. I managed to get a good last upwind passing Micah and Wojtec as Antoine run through the starting line and was taken out. So finished first, Micah second, third master Mike Zaciej who leads the masters overall and fourth Wojtec. The wind died after that so most of the fleet was begging for some good gust to get in the time limit.
So the results after three races are: Micah (2,4,2), Wojtec (3,6,4), Jimmy (6,5,5), Kevin (4,8,6), Devon (7,3,10). Antoine (1,2,dsq), Gonzalo (ocs,1,1)
We came to the beach and races were posted on stand by as it started raining hard. The new 147 was the choice of many top sailors as Devon, Chriss and seems very promising after my two first places.
After some time we were reschedule for tomorrow. We had this nice dinner on the holiday inn and now I am relaxing on the hotel. Tomorrow we start at 11 AM and the weather forecast is nice shifty light wind!!!
Gonzalo Costa Hoevel
