Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom – 02-19-06 - Jim Porter

I talked with Steve about sailing getting blown out this past weekend. As we were talking he asked me to write the WOW from the last weekend of sailing.

Often on Mondays I talk to my brother about the previous weekends racing comparing notes. I usually tell him; “I could have not have done that well. Since Steve did not ask me to write the WOW”. Well as I write this I still do not know how I finished. I know I did not win but, I know it was one of my best days.

The last Sunday we raced it was cold, windy and puffy. My guess was it was blowing 15-18 with puffs in the twenties. Needless to say, it was a dry suit day which took a bit of adjustment getting dress. I have been able to wear my wetsuit every Sunday so far and I had to think about what to wear under my dry suit. I ended up wearing two layers of capelene on my legs. I wore a silk weight long sleeve shirt followed by a thin capelene shirt and vest. Luckily, I borrowed my wife’s breathable dry suit. It makes all the difference compared to my old dry suit. I started running behind so I quickly rigged up. I grabbed a windproof fleece hat and my knit Home Depot gloves.

We only had about fifteen boats so my goal for the day was top five. That would be tough since Scott, Mark, Ed and Andy were racing. Plus Will and my brother are no slouches in heavy air. I just made the first start and my day did not get off to a good one. I was very cold since and the Home Depot gloves made my hands feel like bricks. I manage to get around the course and finish outside of the top five. Not the way to end up in the top five for the day. The RC had to move the course so I just sat in my boat doing arm
circle until my hands warmed up. When they blew horns for the second race my hands warmed up a bit, but only just. I need to keep working on my glove options.

I needed to get a good finish to get my day back on track. Patients would be the key, just let other people make mistakes. In heavy air you are moving fast, especially on the reach legs but I think the key to my day was to not make fast decisions. Be patient I kept telling myself.

With about 5 seconds left in the start sequence of the second race, the breeze shifted hard left. The group of boats below me auto tacked. I saw what was happening and managed to get in a clean tack on the new left shift. Behind me on the line I left a large pile of boats that did not react fast enough. I rounded in the top five and maintained my place the rest of the race. I did not have to be too patient for this opportunity but it worked out ok.

In the next race I had a lousy start I had to tack out. I ended up rounding behind the top group. On the reach leg I was in a tight group but as soon as the first big puff came through the lanes started to open up. I tried working my way to the inside but I could not get an overlap. I thought boat inside of me he was concentrating too hard on keeping the overlap. I slowed down and tried to patient. The inside boat ended up too close to the mark and could not complete their jibe. I was able jibed into a clean lane all by
myself. I could not catch the front boats and nobody behind me had a clean jibe so they could not catch me. I think I ended up fifth.

In the next race being patients was just holding on. On the first reach leg the breeze dropped down to ten knots. At the jibe mark I had the inside overlap on a small group of boats. I jibed over in almost no breeze. I just did not exchange hands quick enough, so my tiller hand was behind my back. A huge puff hit me just as I completed my jibe. I started to plane down the reach leg driving with my arm behind my back. Luckily no one was around me. I knew if I tried to exchange my hand I would death roll. I just had to be patient. This time I had to be patient with myself and not with my competitors. Luckily the puff died before I reach the leeward mark and I was able to exchange my hands.

In the last race I got a good start but Scott and Moose were right above me. I wanted to tack but with the breeze I did not want to risk having a slow tack with Scott and Moose bearing down on Starboard. I told myself be patient. Luckily Scott’s patients ran out before mine. Scott tacked and could not clear Moose plus his mainsheet got stuck on Moose’s bow. Soon they were doing the Fleet 413 two step. I was able to tack into a clean lane going towards the mark. It was the last race of the day. I ended up fourth right behind Mark Bear and Ed just by being patient.

I did not win the day. But it was one of my best days of frostbiting. Plus it will be my highest finish of the year. The key was just to be a little more patient than the next guy.