Crew Jeremy Pocock Blog
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Sailing Networks Abersoch Dinghy Week - Day 4
July 26, 2007
Wind and plenty of it – woken up by torrential rain and a howling wind balsting the side of our house on the Cilan headland just south of Abersoch. By the time we’d had breakfast the rain had cleared and it was a beautiful day.
20+ knots of breeze made for some great racing on shorty courses close in the bay. And what a blast! The Laser Bahia is easily driven and has proved herself to be pretty quick even in the light airs. Today, however, she was flying. We played it safe on a couple of legs with just the white sails but probably would n’t have gone much faster and would almost certainly have ended up swimming more than we did anyway.
We managed a 6th place as a result of taking too long to right the boat after just one capsize. 5th overall
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Sailing Networks Abersoch Dinghy Week - Day 2/3
July 25, 2007
Day 2 – Light winds, a little sunshine. The single handed fleets got away for a good round of racing in the morning. Unfortunately, by the time the afternoon’s racing started the wind had died to very very light. Starts were not delayed and we had a great start and were surprised at the pace we found when we discovered the optimum heel angle and weight placement. We were soon well ahead of the leading Laser 2000 and enjoying the light winds more than we had expected to in the Laser Bahia.
However, it was not enough and like the fleet just ahead of us we were short of the one hour time limit for the first boat to reach the first mark – abandoned!
Day 3 – Breeze and sunshine – this is more like it! Perfect conditions and with our new rating (1095) we were looking far a good result. And we might have had one, had we not (along with 2/3rds of our class) failed to notice that the course was not shortened. It was for the class ahead of us! Doh! Doh! and Doh! again.
But we did at least have a screaming reach with the gennaker up. Very satisfying!
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Abersoch Dinghy Week - Day 1
July 23, 2007
We spent yesterday afternoon putting the Laser Bahia together. Impressively, since the boat was brand new and direct from the factory, everything went together quickly and easily and there were no missing bits (and no bits left over either!). A few people were amused to see us poring over the manual at frequent intervals, but we were quite happy to get it right first time without any guess work! We probably should paid a little more attention the the bits that were already attached – but more of that later.
Our first race (first at Abersoch, first in a Bahia and first in a dinghy for about 15 years!) was at 14.20 so we decided to get out for a little familiarisation. Half an hour later we were pleasantly surprised by how easily driven and easy to sail the Lser Bahia is. We hoisted the gennaker, did a few gibes and headed in to the beach.
First race – great start, third round the first mark, going well against the Laser 2000s and tussling with the Vago. Getting the hang of sailing the angles down wind (may take us a few more days to master!) And then… our first excuse, the gennaker drop didn’t go as expected. The gennaker downhaul had found it’s way under the pole and so the gennaker drop ended in a mess. We then spent the next 5 minutes sorting this out while trying to go upwind in the general direction of the next mark. A long way to catch up….
Much of the rest of the course we sailed in clear air!!
And then our second excuse… gear failure or more accurately, our failure to check the tightness of all the shackles and screw fitting following a long trail to Abersoch! The starboard gennaker sheet block parted with its shackle just after a gibe…. and we had an opportunity to practice our righting technique.
But we did finish and we did remeber to tally (sign) off on returning the beach. So we have a result and we look forward to impriving upon it!
Very happy to be in a dinghy again -
Abersoch Dinghy Week - Preparation
July 20, 2007
I ordered a wetsuit yesterday (arrived today – great service from an on-line shop based in cornwall – www.watersportswarehouse.co.uk) but didn’t expect to have to wear it before going afloat. Rain, rain, rain. Still, it hasn’t dampened anyone’s enthusiasm and there are over 260 boats already entered and on their way here to Abersoch.
The Laser Bahia which has been generously loaned and delivered to us by the top team at Performance Sailcraft arrived earlier today. We’re planning to get her down to the beach early tomorrow and head out for a practice in the afternoon. Don’t want to disgrace ourselves on the first day’s racing on Sunday.
There’s a bit of a buzz in the bar right now as they get ready for wakeboarding show just off the beach. The Wakestock Festival (boarding and music) is in full swing between here and Pwllheli and there are 45,000 people in the area to enjoy it – glad we drove up last hight!
Anyway – time to grab a beer and get a good seat…
