Worlds Eve

Sorry we have neglected the blog of late, the internet down here in the Bahamas has been spotty and we have been focusing the bulk of our time and energies getting cranked up for our first event in the boat. It is quite a venue down here in Freeport on Grand Bahamas Island, like Somerset Long Bay meets Shelly Bay, with all the racing inside the reef line which barely reaches out 3/4 of a mile. The shoreline and breakers run East/West, so the forecasted Northerlies (the same Arctic Blast that has Miami in the 40's) for the entire week should bring us gusty, offshore conditions that are going to make the racing very variable and "collegesque" in terms shifts and tight racing.

The beats are probably going to be about 6-8 mins long, making the final shift and the approach to the mark critical. Starts will also be huge, as we battle it out for a lane to the first shift. We are both looking forward to starting the event and to see how we many manage the fleet and our boat! Zack Maxam, our coach has been instrumental in getting us up to speed in terms of rigging and has given us great advice for getting around in the boat. We are stoked to have Zack and look forward to working with him in the future as well.

-Zander


Getting as much time in the boat has been our number one priority. Unfortunately, we were unable to practice more than two days at home for the 10 days before Christmas due to high winds in the region of 35-65 knots! After spending the first day rigging, we were able to get out on the water and get some much needed practice. Over the course of our 5 days of practice here in Freeport, we have seen shifty Northerlies, steady Easterlies and Westerlies with winds between 5-18knots.

The focus in the majority of our sailing has been gaining confidence and experience in the required maneuvers of tacking, gybing and bearing away. The practicing here has also led to many firsts for us whether it be speed testing, starting or weaving through the fleet both upwind and downwind.

As we head into the Worlds, we are unsure of how we will measure up to the fleet, but have the firm mentality of gaining as much as we can from the top boats. For me, I will try and understand slight differences in the tactics involved with the 49er. I will also have to adjust my perception of crosses and fleet judging as the angles in these boats is significantly different to any previous boats I have sailed.

Jesse