Our race committee is experienced and as soon as the wind stabilized, racing was underway. Once again, the priority was staying in the pressure. There were some really big left shifts every once and a while, and the trick was to stay with them. The right side of the course sometimes didn't have much pressure at all.
My focus for today's racing was basically the same as yesterday. I am working on staying in the pressure, being aware of what's going on around me, and working the rig as much as possible to go faster. I'm trying to spread my effort through the entire racecourse and applying it to smaller situations where I can gain advantage, rather than going hard for the entire race. This allows me to make better decisions, to think more about what the other sailors are doing, and to conserve strength for when I really need it.
The discrepancy between the front and back of the RS:X fleet seems huge. However, there is no real secret other than the sailors have been doing the sport long enough (usually 8+ years) where tactics, technique, and fitness are all automatic. The very best sailors have the fastest boardspeed and are able to pull themselves out of bad situations by being fast. In the middle of the fleet, where sailors are all about the same speed, different situations can make or break a race, and tactics in these shifty conditions are more important. I can feel that I'm on the verge of being able to actually "race" (meaning the three elements are coming together).
The wind should be marginal for the remaining two days of the regatta (sigh) so there will be plenty of opportunity to build the "racing" experience. We are looking forward to being out in the Florida sunshine and warm wind again tomorrow.
Hey Farrah! It's really cool to hear the speed and the tactics are starting to come together for you. Keep up the good work, and I hope you smoke the competition.
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