Walker Cup Final

Coconut Grove

Two races were held today in a postcard perfect Miami.  10-15 knots from the North and clear blue skies.

The Walker Cup is in honor of Harry Walker, who served the star class as secretary for many years.  The 43 competitors were competing to win the Walker Cup but also as a tune up for the 88th Bacardi Cup that stars tomorrow at the same venue.

Brian and I continued our good form by wining race 1 wire to wire.  We started at the pin end of the line (left side), with that end being favored 10 degrees, and never took anyone’s transom.  With that win,  that we had a 8 point lead in the regatta.

Star Winter Series

Star Winter Series – photo Marco Oquendo

The second start was less that perfect as we had a boat directly on our wind as the gun went off.  We managed to dig our way out of 20th to finish 6th.  The German team of Schmidt/Seeberger sailed very well to take the final race in the now fresh 16 knots of wind.

The final standings were Cayard/Fatih 15, Lars Grael/Goncalves 25 (current World Champions) , Tom Loefstedt of SWE third with 28.

Brain and I were trying a few new things this weekend on the boat.  Obviously it went pretty well but we will be continuing to try some things next week during the Bacardi Cup as we prepare for the World Championship in April.  It is important to keep trying to raise the bar…up to a point.

The forecast for the upcoming week is generally windy.  16-20 knots, with gust up to 25, from the North East going South East as the week goes on.  So the temps and humidity will be up with the wind coming off the 82 degree ocean.

For complete results go to www.yachtscoring.com.

Paul

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Walker Cup

Coconut Grove

Three races were held today on Biscayne Bay for the Star fleet.  The Winter Series fleet has swollen to 40+ boats in anticipation of next weeks Bacardi Cup.

The wind was generally steady in direction and strength with 10-14 knots from East Northeast.  This made for a shifty day as the wind was coming over Key Biscayne onto the race course.

I am sailing with Brian Fatih for the first time.  Brian is an Olympian from the 2012 Games where he crewed for Mark Mendelblatt USA.  Mark and I were team mates in the Athens games where Mark sailed the Laser.  Brain and I will race this weekend (the Walker Cup), then the Bacardi Cup next week (88th edition!) and finally the Star World Championship in April, all right here in Miami. Its a good regatta schedule with two important events in our sport.

So Brian and I are trying to build our team work, our vocabulary, and our maneuvers in light of the events we have in front of us.

Today was day 1 and a good start.  We struggled with a lack of speed in race one but went very fast down the last run to finish 5th.  Peter Vassella and Phil Trinter won this race.  We made some rig changes for race 2 and were fast up and downwind.  After and excellent start, we won this race after a battle with Torkel Borgstrom of Argentina done the last run to the finish.  In race three, we didn’t have such a good start but sailed the shifts well, and with good speed, to finish second.  Thomas Loffsted of Sweden won this race.

After three races, Brian and I are leading with 8 points, Vassella/Trinter in second with 11 and Loefstedt in third with 13.  Current Wrold Champion Lars Grael is in 4th with 18 and So Cals Jim Buckingham is 5th with 19 points.

Star Winter Series

Star Winter Series-Marco Oquendo Photo

Two races are scheduled for tomorrow with  a forecast of 8-10 knots from the east.

For complete results go to www.yachtscoring.com and look for the Walker Cup.

 

Paul

 

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Schoonmaker Cup

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Coxonut Grove

Danny and I are back in the Grove for more Star Racing. This time the Schoonmaker Cup with 20 other teams.

For this event,  I am crewing for Danny. It has been fun to share the Star with him this past year and I hope he enjoys Star sailing for as many years as me and his grandfather have!

It’s been a while since I was in the front of a Star and today we had 3 races in 15 knots from the east. I will sleep well tonight!

Star Winter Series

Star Winter Series photo by Marco Oquendo

We had some great moments and some more challenging moments. At the end of the first day, we are tied for 9th with Arthur Anosov, the winner of the Masters two weeks ago.

Augie Diaz and Arnie Baltins had a great day with a 2, 1, 1. Brian Cramer of Canada is in second and George Szabo third.

Two more races are scheduled for tomorrow and the forecast is 10 knots from the east.  That should be more to our liking.  Team Cayard, at 380lbs all up, likes the lighter winds.

For complete results go to www.yachtscoring.com

Thanks to Marco Oquendo for the photos.

Paul

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Zag Masters

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imageCoconut Grove

Two races were held today in 8-10 knots from the east on Biscayne Bay. This weekend is the “Masters” regatta in the Star Class. Obviously,  the name is indicative of a certain amount of life experience required to race in the “Masters”.  The Masters has become the Zag Masters in honor of Frank Zagarino, one of the class stalwarts and a Bicayne Bay Fleet member.

My son Danny joined me for this event and we got off to a great start winning race 1 by a healthy margin. Unfortunately I went the wrong way on the first leg of race two and we were deep coming into mark 1.  We made a couples of nice choices,  always with good speed, so we moved up to 7th by the finish.

Arthur Anosov and Dave “Julius” Ceasar had a better day than Danny and I with a 3, 2 and are leading after day 1 with 5 points.  Dan and I are second, 2 points back with Seiggert/Fatih in third 2 points behind us.

One race is scheduled for tomorrow and the forecast is calling for big breeze from the northwest following a cold front coming through the area tonight.

For complete results go to www.yachtscoring.com and find Zag Masters.

UPDATE

No racing today. Too much wind.

Arthur and Dave won the Zag Masters. Danny and I are second, Swigert/Fatih third. Danny and I won the Father-Son Team. That’s special!

The next Star event in the Winter Series is the Schoonmaker Troohy in two weeks.

Paul

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Star Midwinter Championahip 2016

Coxonut Grove

We had just one race today and that’s all Magnus and I needed to end the weekend on a good note.

Truth be told, we were very lucky today.  At the start of the race, the pin end was favored 20 degrees and of course the black flag was up. We fouled Ante at the start and had to do a 360 penalty turn. At that point we were a bit deep so we had to clear out to the left. Once clear we takes back onto port and benefited from a 10 degree lefty that came with pressure.

Magnus and I rounded he first mark second to Tom Lofsted  of Sweden. By this time the wind was blowing 18-20 knots and we were planing downwind.  We started the second windward leg in second but quickly passed Lofsted with better speed in the breeze.

The rest of the race was a procession as the wind shifted back to the right and we fetched the finish on the final run.

I am very happy with my new Folli Star!

Augie Diaz, the regatta leader going into today, got caught on the wrong side on the first leg and never recovered, finishing 21st and losing the regatta to Peter Vasella and Phil Trinter.  Brian Ledbetter and Josh Revkin sailed very well to finish third.

The next event down here is the Master Regatta February 6-7. I have asked my son Danny to crew for me for that regatta.  We are a bit light together but had so much fun sailing last summer.

Complete results can be found at www.yachtscoring.com

Thanks for following!

Paul

 

 

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Star Midwinter Championship

Coconut Grove

The wind was late filling in today so we didn’t get the first race of the day started til 14:00.

There is no other way to say it than the starting lines were horrible. Yet, the race committee put the black flag up! We haven’t had a race in this regatta without the black flag.  This time the victim was regatta leader John MacCausland. Game over.

Magnus and I had a good first race. The wind probably touched 14knots in this race.  Our start as mediocre at best but we had great speed up and down and finished third. Brian Ledbetter and Josh Revkin won easily and we finished right behind Like Lawrence.

In the second race,  we had a mediocre start and went the wrong way on both windward legs. Tough to do well when you do that. Anyway, our speed was very good again which is what I am really pleased about with this new Folli.

Brian Ledbetter and Josh Revkin won this race also. They have a new Folli just like mine. In fact, they were shipped here in the same container.

Magnus and I climbed up the score board a bit today, into the top 10, but we af never going to feature in this regatta counting a 35 from our Bkack Flag yesterday.

One day to go and possibly three races tomorrow.

For complete results go to www.yachtscoring.com.

Paul

 

 

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Star Midwinters Day 2

Coconit Grove

Three races were held today on Biscayne Bay for the Stars. The winds were 6-10 knots from the South-Southwest.

I made a cardinal mistake in race 1 and was over early with the black flag up. So we were instantly disqualified. I was kicking myself for the whole day. Sorry Magnus!

John Max Causland and Dave “Julius” Ceasar won the race handily.

In race 2, after a good start,  we found our speed a bit lacking.  We adjusted a few things and got going a bit better to finish 7th.

In race 3 we were going very well and gotmtomthe first mark first. We went a bit the wrong way up the second windward leg and rounded the top mark 4th after being as far back as 6th.

All in all, it was a good day because the new boat seems fast up and downwind.

John MacCausland leads with 8 points and Augis Diaz and Eric doyle are tied for 2nd on 9 points. We are out of contention for this regatta as there is no discard and the black flag adds 35 points to your score. So it’s all about getting used to the new boat and figuring out what makes her fast in the various conditions.

For complete results go to www.yachtscoring.com and Star Midwinter Series.

Paul

 

 

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Star Midwinter Championship 2016

Coconut Grove

No wind, no race.

Actually, we got 3/4’s of the way around the course in a northerly breeze that started at 4 knots and died to less than 1, when the race committee abandoned the race.

It was good for Magnus and I as we were in about 12th place.

3 races are scheduled for tomorrow with a forecast that’s worse than today.

Paul

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New Star

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Coconut Grove

It’s winter in the northern hemisphere so where do Star sailors go? Miami.

More than 30 teams are here in Miami for the 2016 Midwinter Championship. As usual the fleet is very is international with teams from Sweden, Italy, Germany, Canada, Argentina, France, England and USA.

Today was a special day for me as I launched my first new Star since 2006. She was designed and built by Folli on Lake Como, Italy. Andrea Folli and his team did a magnificent job in building the boat. Launching a boat for the first time doesn’t happen very often so I gathered my friends, got a good bottle and did it right.

image

Magnus and I then took the boat out for her maiden voyage.

The forecast for tomorrow is 8 knots from the Northeast. 2 races per day are scheduled.

I am really looking forward to racing tomorrow! Reports will follow.

Paul

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SSL Finals Day 3

Nassau

No wind today. Not sure I have ever had a day of no wind in my 10+ regattas in Nassau. It did happen in 1959 apparently! 1959 was otherwise a good year I am told.

It is hard on the guys who were just a few points out of the top 11 and hoping to have another shot at making the quarter finals.

Brian and I finished the qualifying series in 8th so we are into the quarter final tomorrow at 11:00. The top 6 from the quarter final will join Rohart in the semi final. The top four from the semi will move into the one race final.

The forecast is for 10-15 knots from the northeast so it should be a good day of racing.

for more info go to :http:/starsailors.com

Paul

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