Miami Training

First day back on the water in Miami. I am here for the winter training and competing, starting with the Senior Orange Bowl regatta at Coconut Grove Sailing Club.

2012 Laser North American Championships

The 2012 Laser North American Championships are being held on the Columbia Gorge in Cascade Locks, Oregon. Results and photos can be found on the CGRA website.

Click read more for daily reports.
read more... Thursday, July 19
Today was the first day of racing. After a short delay on shore, the wind filled in and we were sent out. The wind was up and down today, ranging from 8 to 20 knots, with some very localized pressure which made for some tricky racing. The current was also ripping upwind, making starting and getting around the marks very difficult. In the first race I had a good start and got out cleanly, but missed out on a bit of pressure and rounded the weather mark around 10. I had a good run and rounded the bottom 2nd. At the next leeward mark I was 3rd, and picked off the two boats ahead on the reaching legs to finish 1st. In the second race I had an okay start, but tacked out early to the right side to get into the current. I got the first beat right and rounded the weather mark 1st, but did not have a clean exit from the mark and lost on the first run and rounded the bottom around 6. I was 2nd to the next top mark, but lost a couple on the next run and finished 4th. In the third race I did not have as good of a start and tacked out early. I missed out on a big puff on the left and rounded the weather mark around 10. I did not have a great run, but was able to move up to 7th on the next beat and stayed there until the finish. After the first day of racing I am in 3rd.

2012 Laser Gorge Blowout

On Tuesday I sailed the Laser Gorge Blowout on the Columbia Gorge - an 18 mile downwind race against current, split into two legs.

The first leg had some lighter air, but on the second leg the Gorge delivered with the wind steady around 20 knots. I had a great battle with Greg Martinez, Chris Barnard and Alex Heinzemann, finishing overlapped with Alex and with the other two boats within 30 seconds. I finished 3rd on combined time.

Full report and results.

Laser Canadians

The Etobicoke Yacht Club hosted the Laser Canadian Championships June 21-24.

We saw light winds which made for some tricky racing with a big focus on good starts. I had a bit of an up and down regatta, but finished on a strong note with a couple of race wins to clinch 2nd place.

Full results here

Laser World Championships

I am in Boltenhagen, Germany for the Audi Laser World Championships. I have almost a week of training with the Canadian team before the event starts on May 4th.

Results will be available at the regatta site: http://www.laserworldchampionship.com/

read more... Thursday, May 10
Today was the final day of racing. We once again had more of the same, tricky, offshore conditions, but today with a little more pressure. In the first race I had a great start at the pin and led the left side of the fleet and rounded the weather mark in 4th. I had a good run linking the pressure well and rounded the bottom in 2nd. I was leading for a portion of the second beat, but lost a bit coming into the weather mark and rounded 3. I dropped a couple of more boats on the last run and finished 6. In the second race I was a bit late at the pin end, and had to foot off below a couple of guys to get a clear lane. This left me just a bit back, and I was not able to make some of the crosses I needed to be in the front pack. I rounded the weather mark in the deep 30s, and was able to make a few gains throughout to finish 27. I finished 14th in silver fleet and 70th overall, narrowly missing the top 40% goal I had for the event.

Wednesday, May 9
Today saw very similar conditions to yesterday, with a southerly breeze that had large variations in pressure and direction. In the first race I got out from the start relatively cleanly but was a bit back from the leaders on the right. I had an okay first run, but was able to stay in phase nicely on the second beat to make some big gains. I picked off a few boats on the last beat and finished 12th. In the second race I got stuck in a marginal lane off the start going slowly, with other boats able to duck out and head to the corner behind me. Once I got clear I was a bit back, but found a decent lane and hit the pressure relatively well and rounded the weather mark around 15. I rounded in good pressure, and stayed high in the pressure while the majority of the fleet ahead dug low. I rode the pressure the whole way down the run and rounded the bottom in 1st, with the next couple of boats splitting from me. I did a decent job on the next beat and rounded the weather mark in 2nd, but ran out of pressure on the last run and lost a few boats on the last beat to finish 7th. I am currently in 15th in silver fleet with the final two races scheduled for tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 8
Today was the first day of the final series. We sailed in an easterly offshore breeze which made for some very challenging conditions with large pressure and direction variations. In the first race I quickly found a good lane and was in the first couple of boats playing the right side, but we were not able to get across, and I rounded the weather mark around 20. I had a nice first run, rounding the bottom around 12, but got stuck in a big hole off the leeward mark and watched as the boats behind avoided the hole and sailed around me. I rounded the weather mark around 45 and picked off a couple of boats to finish 42. In the second race I had a great start a couple of boats up from the pin and was punched out on the fleet, leading the left side. Up till the last 100 metres on the first beat it looked like I would lead by about 20 lengths, but the wind shut off as the right side filled in, and I rounded around 15. I dropped a few boats on the first run, but got a clear lane in good pressure heading left again, with what looked like more pressure ahead. With the wind phasing back and forth I thought I would be able to ride the first rightie out to the left and come back on the next leftie, but the wind kept winding right, and there ended up being more pressure on the right. I lost big again, and finished 33. It was a frustrating day with two races that could have been very good, but ended up well below par after tough second beats. Racing continues tomorrow with a bit more wind in the forecast.

Monday, May 7
Today was the fourth and final day of qualifying, with more of the light and tricky northerly breeze. In the first race I was able to get off the line well and was immediately playing at the front of the fleet. I made a couple of mistakes, but rounded the weather mark around 22. I had a good first run and connected it nicely into my second beat to make a few gains and finish 16th. After 7 races I was making the gold fleet cut (by one point!). In the second race of the day, I did not have a good start and was scrambling to find a lane. I did not get clear enough and rounded the weather mark deep. I was only able to make a few gains throughout, and finished in 42nd, which means that I will be sailing in the silver fleet tomorrow.

Sunday, May 6
Today was the third day of racing, and we saw more of the same conditions as yesterday. In the first race the wind was lighter and further right. I did not have a good start and went the wrong way on the beat and found myself near the back of the pack at the first mark. I was able to pick off a few boats throughout, but only enough to finish 40th. In the second race I again did not have a good start, but had a good followup and got a clear lane on the favoured left side. I rounded the weather mark around 15, played the second beat well to pick up 4 boats, but lost one on the last run to finish 13th. Tomorrow is the last day of qualifying. I am currently in 61st, only 1 point off the gold fleet cut off.

Saturday, May 5
The second day of racing saw more tricky racing with a moderate offshore breeze that eventually faded and swung to the north. In the first race I had a good acceleration, but did not link it with a good followup and did a few too many tacks off the line. I was able to get a partial lane out to the left side of the course (towards land) and linked into a puff on the left side which brought me all the way up to top 20 around the weather mark. I was even on the first run, but didn't have a great escape from the mark. I got the last shift on the second beat to gain back what I had initially lost, and finished 18th. In the second race I again did not have a good followup after the start, and started at the wrong end of the line. Being behind in the lighter northerly was deadly, and I rounded the weather mark with only one boat behind me. I made gains on the second beat, but the wind faded for me near the top again and I was only able to pass 5 boats to finish 48. After 4 races I am in 46th, with the points very tight.

Friday, May 4
Today was the first day of racing. We had a light to moderate offshore breeze ranging from 200-250 with slightly warmer conditions than in the training days. In the first race I did not have a very good start, and was scrambling early to find a lane, but had started at the right end of the line. Despite a marginal lane, I was already ahead of half the fleet, and in more pressure. I continued on port to the right side of the course, ahead of the other boats below, and was one of the first boats to get into pressure on the right and rounded the weather mark in 8th. I had a tough time seeing the leeward marks and sailed a bit of extra distance initially on the first run and lost a pack of boats, but was able to pick off three boats on the final run to finish 10th. In the second race I had a better start, but some of the boats below were able to tack and cross, and I was again not at the front of the fleet. I rounded the first weather mark in the mid 30s. I was able to find pressure on both runs, and passed boats throughout to finish 17th. After day 1 I am in 26th overall.

Saturday, April 28
Today was the first day at the venue in Germany. We had a 2-hour session with some boat handling, starting and racing. We had around 18 knots from the north, with relatively steep waves. The water here is quite cold, and with the wind we had today it made for some pretty chilly conditions.

Sunday, April 29
Today we had another 2-hour session and worked on similar things as yesterday. When we first got out we had about 20 knots, but it came down to 15-18 for the majority of the session, before picking up a bit again for the sail in.

Monday, April 30
Today we had very different conditions, sailing in a very light northerly. We worked on starts and did a few races with  a larger group.

Tuesday, May 1
Day off 


Wednesday, May 2
Today we had  another windy northerly day, with winds around 15 knots. I had a short session with a couple of races before heading back in.

Thursday, May 3
Day off and final prep

Midwinters East

I am in Clearwater, Florida for the Laser Midwinters East regatta. Racing runs February 23-26.

Results can be found here.

read more...

Thursday, February 23
Today was the first day of racing. We had 12-16 knots from the south with big waves slightly skewed to the wind. In the first race I had a decent start and was in the top 3 coming into the weather mark, but got into some trouble and had to do a double tack and rounded around 8. I passed a few boats throughout to finish 5. In the second race I had a good spot on the line, but did not have good speed after the start. I made some gains, but was not quick on the first run, and was left a bit back. I passed a few boats on the last run to finish 10. In the last race I had a good start, and held my lane nicely out to the left. I rounded the weather mark around 5, and was a few spots up and down throughout the race but finished 5. After 3 races I am in 5th, with more of the same conditions forecast for tomorrow.

Friday, February 24
Today we had very similar conditions to yesterday. In the first race I got nicely punched off the start and rounded the weather mark 5, and held that spot until the finish. In the second race the wind died down to about 6 knots. I had a solid start again, but after a couple of minutes I fell into the boat below and was forced to tack out. It was a big duck on a large portion of the fleet, and I was left pretty far back. I was able to make a few gains throughout to finish 17. For the last race the breeze was back up. I had a good clear start again and rounded the weather mark 4th. I lost a couple of boats on the reach, passed them back on the run, and went on to finish 6. After 6 races, I am still in 5th overall. Tomorrow's forecast is for a strong northerly with big waves.

Clearwater Training

2012 Canadian Sailing Team Announced

The 2012 Canadian Sailing Team has been announced on the new Canadian Sailing Team website .
I have qualified for the 2012 team, and I have moved up one level on the team, based on my performance in 2011.

Training videos from summer 2011

A few videos of training in Kingston summer 2011.

Miami OCR

I am in Miami for the Olympic Classes Regatta. Racing runs January 23-28.

Follow results here.

read more...Thursday, January 19
Today was my first day back on the water since NQRs in October. It was good to get back on the water, but I was a little rusty in spots. I sailed with the Canadian Team, as well as sailors from the US, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and South America. I will train for the next few days, and then take Sunday off before racing starts on Monday.

Friday, January 20
Today we had another 3 hour session in a medium easterly with chop. There were big variations in pressure and direction, making for some very tricky sailing. I started to get the feel for the timing on the start line back today, and was really happy with my ability to hold marginal lanes in the sloppy conditions. Training continues tomorrow.

Saturday, January 21
This morning we showed up at the sailing centre early to get used to the regatta schedule, but the wind did not cooperate. Finally around 2:30 the wind filled in, and I had a short session working on light air boat handling. Tomorrow is registration and I will make sure all my gear is ready to go. Racing begins on Monday.

Monday, January 23
Today was the first day of racing. In the first race I did a nice job of creating a hole below me on the line, and had a solid start. After a few minutes, I lost my lane and tacked out, ducking many boats that held on starboard. I sailed into the middle of the course, and came back across on starboard in a nice lane and pressure, and crossed everyone on the left. I rounded the weather mark 1st, but quickly lost three boats with a big chunk of weeds on my rudder. I rounded the leeward mark 5, passed one boat on the next beat, and lost a couple more to finish 6. In the second race I approached the line too late and did not find a good spot. I was able to get clear to the right hand side of the course, and rounded the weather mark around 15. I had a good first run, passing boats, and gaining on the boats ahead. I rounded the second weather mark 9, but lost a couple on the last run to finish 11. After two races I am in 14th. Racing continues tomorrow with another 2 races scheduled.
Weather: 6-12 knots, SE, 26 degrees, sunny, short chop

Tuesday, January 24
Today we had similar conditions to yesterday, but with slightly less wind. In the first race I was near the front of the fleet for most of the first beat, but made a mistake going left at the top, and fell out of the pressure. I rounded in the mid twenties, and was unable to make any gains. In the second race I did not have a good start. I made some gains on the first beat, and sailed a good first run, but was not able to connect it to a good second beat, and finished 23.

Wednesday, January 25
Today's conditions were quite similar to Monday's conditions. In the first race I had a decent start, but was only in the teens at the first mark. I lost a bit on the second run and finished 17. In the last race I had a better start, and was able to get clear to the right side on the first beat and was near the front for the whole race, finishing 8th. After 6 races I am in 33, good enough to qualify for gold fleet.

Thursday, January 26
Today was the first day of gold fleet. Today the wind was slightly more southerly (around 150), 10-13 knots. In the first race I had a good start, but tacked a few too many times and rounded the weather mark around 30. I had a good first run, but did not go the right way on the second beat and lost a few boats to finish 23. In the second race I had another good start, but again fell back a bit on the first beat and rounded the weather mark in the deep teens. I lost a few boats throughout to finish 24. Tomorrow is the last day of fleet racing, with medal races on Saturday.

Friday, January 27
Today was the last day of fleet racing. When we first got out it was a light SW which quickly went left and built, peaking near 18 knots by the time we finished our second race. In the first race I had a decent start, but played up the wrong side of the first beat and rounded near 20. I had a good run relative to the boats around me, but there was more pressure on the other side of the run and I lost a few boats overall. I was slow out of the bottom mark, and had a tough time getting anything back and finished 31. In the second race I had a good start, but tacked a couple too many times on the first beat, and got stuck out above the port tack layline and rounded the top mark near the back. I had a good first run and connected it into a decent lane from the leeward mark and passed boats throughout the race to finish 23.

I finished 29th overall in the event. It wasn't a great result, but at the same time I am not too disappointed since I hadn't sailed since October. I was a little off the pace a few times, but overall I am happy with how I sailed, particularly with my starting towards the end of the week. I am looking forward to heading back down to Florida for the Midwinters in Clearwater at the end of February.