I was racing at Gosport on May 12th. With 16 boats, it was like an open meeting sailed in light to medium A rig conditions but very shifty. Gosport lake is a curious beast. In a WSW wind, at one end of the lake, the wind comes in at a SW angle. At the top end of the lake the wind is more westerly. Somewhere in between is a transition zone. Get the beat right and you are golden. Get it wrong and you can look such a fool.
It was a difficult day and I picked up seagrass and a small jellyfish on the rudder in 2 races which you can see from the results. There is no point moaning as it was the same for everybody and the results averaged out
What I should continue doing
Stay behind the line at the start of the races.
Develop the habit of winning races
Sail fast and free most of the time
Sailing all round the course before the first race to assess what is going on
Offering hearty congratulations to the winner
Looking up the course for new wind
Sailing down a run in clear air.
Have a clear plan for the first part of the windward leg
Developing a gap to leeward at the start so I can sail fast and free
Maintain absolute concentration during a race
What must I stop doing
Tacking to cross a line of starboard boats when there is no chance of crossing them
Approaching a windward mark on port and trying to barge my way in
Tacking into a header although sometimes it was hard to see the wind shift
tacking to leeward of a starboard boat instead of going behind and then being forced to the wrong side of the course
Sail for any length of time in dirty air from another boat
Get trapped on the wrong side of the fleet on the first beat.
What must I start doing
Better position myself so I can see when to bear away at the windward mark when you cannot see the bow wave hit the mark
Sailing smarter in relation to the fleet on the first beat and getting to the correct side to take benefit of the first few shifts.
Tracking the above and more should help me become a better sailor. Work to do.
Some of you may wonder why my sail number has changed. Same boat just a personal sail number.