Second post lockdown pursuit race in my Laser, about 8 knots. I was having a good start until the helm felt very light, the tiller extension had come off the tiller. I don’t care what the environmental people say, I’m going to use some tape from now on.

As a try to sort this I notice my main sheet is caught around the flag of the OD mark. By the time I sort it all out the rest of the fleet is half way to the first mark and I’m need to beat back to the start, yes a down wind start.

Catch up really well pass a number of the Lasers and a few Streakers I couldn’t beat in my old Streaker so feeling pretty happy. A few marks on at a shifty mark in the lee of trees I misjudged my approach and need to do turns by which point I’ve lost a fair bit of ground.

Anyway some good racing between a few of the Lasers, one gets a good lift and escapes. I end up in the bottom quarter but overall some good racing.

Lessons:

Boat prep critical

Mark rounding rules and tactics are very important

Where I sail getting the shifts right is key

Sometimes I slow a lot and stall after tacking, get speed before heading up. My training tacks where close to perfect but racing just … appalling.

Positives:

When I get it right I get it, I feel, very right.

Without the two errors I would have done much better