European Championships-Day 1

The first day of the European Championship has now ended. It was a great day on the water with 15 knots of wind, sun, and nice waves. I had a great day to finish with a 3,1. I'm not too sure what place I am in, but I have been told I am tied for second.

In the first race, I started a couple boats down from the RC. It was an ok start, apart from someone to weather pulling the trigger a bit early and bearing off into me. Unfortunately, I didnt see who it was. I sailed up the middle for the first half of the work, and then made a switch to the left at the top to round the first weather mark in around 10th. I snuck by a couple of boats on the top reach, and then a few more on the run. On the run I used my speed to sneak by a few more boats. A few got past up the next work, but they were just in front around the top. I past about 5-6 on the next run, and then hung onto 3rd until the finish.

I had a great start in race two about a third up from the pin. I started just above one of the bigger British guys who was footing hard in the first race. After the start, he cleared out the boats to leeward, and I cleared the boats to weather so we both had good lanes out left. We pinned it out there, and after quite some time, he tacked and crossed. I tacked shortly after, needing to duck one other boat from the right, and then sailed free for the rest of the work to rount the top in second.

I snuck by the leader on the top reach, and dove low on the run, but forced my positioning too much, and lost one boat on the run. Another boat got past me on the next work. I promptly past him at the start of the run, and then linked some great waves to close on the leading Croatian, just getting inside at the bottom mark. We maintained our positions on the reach, and up the last short beat we were neck and neck. He split immediately around the bottom mark, and then ducked me when we converged again. I tacked back on the port tack layline, and converged with CRO. I thought I might make it accross, but it wasnt worth the risk, so I elected for the duck. I shot around his transom(a bit close for comfort-I had about 1cm between his transom and bow). I immediately cracked sheet to go into low mode to gain separation as I knew he would flip onto my hip and try to pin me. I created the leverage needed, and then flipped back on starboard tack lay to cross and take the race.