Hobie Tiger Worlds -Cangas Spain- reports

We´re now in Cangas Spain and are getting set to start
>the Tiger Worlds on Monday. We arrived here on Tues.
>from Barcelona - and we´ve been just cruising. We
>set-up the boat yesterday and went for a sail both
>days.... we´ve measured and registered and have had a
>bit of training with some other teams. Tomorrow there
>is a practice race scheduled - we´ll look to compare
>our speed against the other top guys then.
>
>
>For coverage check:
>www.hobieworlds.com
>
>More to come...
>
>Bye,
>
>
>Jacques Bernier

What a day - couldn´t ask for much better... winds were lightish, and the chop was medium... we had three good results placing us 1st overall at the moment over the French team of Moniac / Citeau we´re on 6 points and they have 9.

In all three races we had good starts, and good upwind performance from our borrowed Tiger. We had to dig out of 10th or so in the second race as the wind filled on the right side... many of the top teams having to fight for a comeback.. we were fortunate to get as high as we did.. Moniac only finished 5th. The third race we knew we wanted to get to the left however there were too many boats waiting to tack, therefor Moniac went away by himself on challenged as we clawed our way past two British teams in the second upwind... giving us second.

Our scores were 1 / 3 / 2
The day started pretty slow and were were delayed around three hours waiting for wind - it even rained a while... all was good while a snoozed in the rack - our hotel is just next to the boats so when I hear the horn its time to rise!

Last night for the opening ceremony they had some bans and big fireworks... good stuff - but getting to the rack a 2am isn´t so good when the briefing is at 9am! Hopefully tomorrow we can get up at a more normal time... say like around 11am (its Spain)

For pics and full results check the hobieworlds.com site.


JB

Today we got our throwout race out of our system in the first one.... We rolled the dice and picked a side to come up short... there was allot going on today, winds were not really steady, but we had much more than yesterday... trapezing all day pretty much. We had another couple of average results in the second and third races after digging back to top tens after being further down after banging the wrong corner... it was a theme today for us. Mourniac was able to get up a better than us after coming over through the wrong side... to take some points from us. We did manage to beat him in the one race, so he now has a drop of 11... so any more mistakes and he will be right back.

We were at least able to end the day on a positive note... finally hitting the correct side up the first windward leg to come to second.. only bad thing was Morniac was 1st... so there went yet another point.

The young French team is now a couple points ahead of us so we are sitting 3rd overall- this is still a good place to be... we´re within striking distance and sailing fast, just gotta cut out the mistakes on the first beat -

For complete results and pictures go to: www.hobieworlds.com

Later,

J

The weather forecasters here in Spain have no idea apparently...

Today we got in three more races in trying conditions off Cangas Spain...The sail out to the course was in 3 knots with fog, so we thought to ourselves... where´s the starting area? (the starting vessels were further offshore than the previous days, and the haze wasn´t helping either)

Once we started into the sequence it was like the switch turned on, and the winds filled in nicely. We were not so hot on the day, only managing to post a couple of 10´s and another drop (too bad they give you only one, so I suppose we´ll keep this 15th)Our speed in not in doubt, however some problems in rounding situations and close calls on lay lines have caused us some grief in these past two days. We are just use to sailing to the lay line, however here everyone is so over stood that if you´re not one of them you die. It didn´t help either that we ran over the spinnaker sheet on the second race. (our worst result of course, partly due to this) Climbing out on the bow in high winds and chop isn´t fast.

In the final race the winds really piped up and many teams stuck it in hard. There a several torn mainsails and a bent mast or two. We stayed upright to come across in 10th.

Other notable Norht American finishers today were Tomkop / Billings (from Texas) doing well to secure 8th in the overall classifications. Team peurto Rice had a fall through their main sail - but I hear this won´t put a damper on the rum party they are hosting tonight!

We´re still sitting well in the top five in 4th. Mitch and Taylor Booth are now slotted up to fifth after some good results of their own. (this is the championship now for us... to beat our good friends from OZ - or is that Holland.. or wait - Spain.... who knows)

Tomorrow calls for the same forecast of 6 - 9 knots of wind... so I guess that means it´ll be blowing 20 again!

We´ll keep trying hard.

JB

We´re still hangin´in there... but have lost touch with the French now. Those guys are just getting a few spots better than us in the first rounding and that is making all the difference. We had some good moves today, however our bad ones outweighed the good.

In the First race for the day winds were still medium around 12 to 15 knots which suites our sailing. We had a nice start and were in the lead group at each mark. Mitch and Tay were pushing hard downhill and passing us by over-standing on the runs. We were however able to get back past on the upwinds making for a great duel. In the end they crossed the line several boat lengths ahead - so this started the day off a bit sour since we really want to stick-it to our friends in a bad way (since they´ve beat us in the last two Worlds now...) Good news though, once we hit the beach, we were informed that Mitchy was OCS moving us back ahead to third for the race and 9 points ahead of them in the overall. Tomorrow its gonna all be happening!

The race officials were forced to make the courses shorter today due to some large tankers anchored near the port lay-line to the top marks. This meant that three lap races were posted - meaning that there would be even more emphasis on the starts and the first upwind, as well our boat handling. My hands are a touch on the sore side now with all the raising and dousing of the spi today.

For the second race, winds piped up to 18 knots or so... we were forced to tack shortly after the start to clear our air as we were rolled over by a French team. Once clear (we thought) the Gerard Loos tacked just in front causing us to have to point a bit too much losing ground to the front group yet again. I think we eventually dug back to around 11th.

Winds continued to increase for race three and we were positioned well down on the line trying to get left - with around 30 seconds to go a group of boats just below us pushed too far forward on the line - at this point we knew they were likely going to be called over... so we had to decide ´stay, or push up´we decided to stay back, and we got absolutely hammered on the start... we tried to push through to leeward of all the dirty air to get clear and work left - but with a pack of 6 pre mature starters on our face, it was a big ask. Once we made it to the top we proceeded to foul one of the young British teams, and had to take a penalty turn, under a group of starboard lay-line boats... this meant we came around the offset for the first rounding placed in the high 30´s...we pecked away at the boats ahead, each leg getting through a few more
- Two weeks ago in France during the F 18 Worlds we found ourselves eating American Sandwiches, they consisted of raw ground beef, and french fries inside a baguette served with your choice of ketchup or mayonnaise.... Delicious! (sarcasm) So today we had another type of American sandwich at the second leeward gate. Four teams, all from California, somehow managed to find us making for an interesting rounding. They all managed to finish in the mid 20´s at the finish and we pulled a satisfying 18th after digging out of the ´´Way-Back Machine``

So after hitting the beach we thought... there will surely be some OCS from the last race - and there were... confirming my feelings prior to the gun in that race... unfortunately our friends from Texas John and Ian copped one too (They were below Larruffa)

So now were still sit in 4th - some points up from Mitchy and Tay... so tomorrow we´ll be fighting the death match with those guys for sure!... with much luck the three French leaders will all come down with severe food poisoning from the celebration dinner tonight and we´ll be in front again! (kidding of course)

Speaking of the French, they are pretty much gone, so our mission is to conserve our position if possible - with these winds it is proving difficult for us. In the light air were are quite accomplished, but it seems we need to work a bit more on the higher wind conditions, this is where we´re suffering just a touch. I guess Southern California isn´t the best for high wind training - but it is a wonderful place to live, so I´m not planing a move to Europe just yet...

More tomorrow...for the last day!

Chao,

JB

Jacques
Just wanted to say thank you for these great reports. I imagine you are wondering if anyone is reading them and we certainly are. Personal reports like this give a real flavor of what is going on. I sent some from Cancun and South Africa and people really enjoy it.

So how did Laruffa get an OCS back from the jury? I think I need to find one of those get out of jail cards.

I hear there isn't much wind today, hope you drifted well.

thanks
Rich

Agree whole hardly with Rich.Great to follow the action.Interesting to see Brett Drylands name again.Had a chance to race against him in the 1987 hobie 18 worlds in Toronto CAN.Dryland was untouchable back in the 80,s on a hobie.Apparently it his first time sailing the Tiger.

Hi Rich, THe OCS was disputed and the recording clearly indicated that he was over with 30 seconds to go... the testimony I was told is that he made a dip (that I didn't whitness as we started on his hip and behind as to not be called ourselves.. this is why we had a bad start) The jury had doubt as to his location since the person calling the line said that 'someone' made a dip, but that he did not identify that person as larrufa - but it was enough to get him put back in.... in the end he still finished 6th from a couble bad ones on the last day so it didn't effect the overall outcome.

Sorry for the late report - last night there was no way to get Internet with everything going on... we had to scramble to break down the boats and get them all loaded into the containers... then prize giving was late, and we needed to eat - that left little time to hit the disco before catching out cad at 5am. to fly to Paris at 6 am.. now we've arrived in NYC and I'm still awake. We'll get home to San Diego tonight around 10pm.

On the last day of sailing winds stayed on the light side - and we needed to stay close to two boats... Larrufa and Booth. (they were with us in the overall standings) Larrufa was re-instated into a race he scored an OCS in leaving him tied on equal points with Greg and I going into the days races.. Mitch and Tay were just 10 down.


last report now a day late and from JFK airport....

On Day five of the Tiger Worlds Cangas Spain....They held three races, in 8 knots or less. We were able to get the better of Larrufa, but Mitchy slid through on the third and final race to squeak ahead for fourth in the final results. The French were able to sweep the podium, which was quite the crowd pleas-er, since the Spanish just love the French. (ha-ha)

Its really nice to See Mourniac finally win a Worlds, he's been runner up several times in a number of classes... they were super stoked. We were a bit disappointed in our regatta as a whole, though we've made some good results, and had some successes - looks like we'll be focusing our training now more on downwind high wind speed - light winds we're are right in there.

Our next big regatta will be F 18 NA's in Sept. SO until then.....