Tuesday was another up and down day aboard Warpath. After a bad first race, we were finally able to settle in, and put up two good scores. The shifty and choppy conditions were challenging, and Steve did an excellent job keeping the boat moving. Luck wasn’t always on our side, but we battled hard all day. It’s amazing how a little bit of luck can go a long way, especially in this fleet, as every boat is competitive. It’s definitely a game of inches out there.
Yesterday’s lack of breeze kept us ashore all day. Back at the house, we were discussing the irony of our sport, and how much time we spend waiting for the weather to change. I don’t think I could add up all of the hours even if I tried.
Today was a great day of sailing. The conditions were up and down, and the shifts were fairly dramatic–a tough day to be a tactician. We had much better starts, our speed was on par with moments of brilliance, and our boat handling was crisp. It feels really good to have found our rhythm, and hopefully we can keep things going for tomorrow’s final two races.
I must say that every time I race in the Melges 32 fleet, I am impressed. The boats are well-designed, and are a pleasure to sail, especially in big breeze. Solid crew work pays huge dividends, and everyone onboard is able to contribute to the performance of the boat. The level of competition is fantastic; there are a lot of really competitive teams, which always makes for exciting racing. Everyone can win a race, as proven by Malcolm Gefter and the Celeritas team in Tuesday’s final race. A big shout out to Malcolm for his first race victory in the Melges 32!
So far the racing in Key West has been top notch. One more day of racing and the forecast looks promising. Good luck to everyone out there.
_ Access SW‘s complete coverage of Quantum Key West 2012. _
