01 May 2011
(machine translated in 2023) BK Slalom(2nd day)
Same forecast as for yesterday, so again O/NE and again a lot of sun, it remains special to sail a race. Turnout today was lower. The race management had now explained a downwind slalom course: Always much more fun to sail, after part is that when the wind turns the race is stopped longer to put all the buoys back on track.
Immediately started rigging my RAM F9 8.4 and 7.3, and kept the possibility open for the 6.3.
Heat 1
GT85 with RAM F9 8.4 and Deboichet R10 56cm.
After yesterday I really wanted to start better, my start well timed and go. I get on, pump and call immediately full in plane, sit among a few other surfers, Wolfgang shoots in front of me and then stops, I plane on, BEL 17 goes up in height and crosses the line ne in front of me, when I am a few meters over the horn goes: false start! Another 2nd horn, recall and so restart. Hopefully they didn't see it right and we all start over. Waiting for the start line I hook the race leader shouting: NED-80 out, BEL-17 out, NED-118 out... Unfortunately seen.. No more starting with the restart unfortunately. But I was a lot sharper than yesterday. Together with the others in a row watching the heat, we could laugh heartily about it.
Heat 2
I expected the pace of the starts to be a bit slower, so I started eating a sandwich. When I walk back, I already see a Slalom Class flag on the start boat. I would be in the 2nd start of these cycles, so run. Come to the race management it turns out my start has just been... It starts nicely today: Start missed, that had never happened to me before.
Heat 3
GT85 with RAM F9 8.4 and Deboichet R10 56cm.
Start was good, started at pin-end and ended up between the top. All the heat a nice battle with BEL-30 Wim Claasen. On the straight it made no difference, at the buoys he seemed faster in the corner, but when sailing away my excelling was better and the distance between us was back.
Heat 4
iSonic 111 with RAM F9 7.3 and Deboichet SL2 38cm
Start was good, went for the pin-end again, there we were only 3 surfers, neatly over the line within 2 seconds. Just after the line a 2nd horn. False? A restart? Anyway, we kept sailing, until RJ came with his boat next to us, really a Restart.
2nd poing. Again started at the pin-end, again neatly tight. Towards 1st buoy nicely somewhere in the head of the field, I'm guessing a man or 4 or 5 in front of me. Was overtaken at the first gybe inside. But after that it was a tight race, good gybes. Last rak to the Finish boat was quite spacious and went very fast.
Heat 5
iSonic 111 with RAM F9 7.3 and Deboichet SL2 38cm
Very bad start, another attempt for a start at pin-end. I always start in the back to do the whole run-up at full speed. So that turned out to be wrong. The wind just before the start line dropped, I fell out of plane just before I ended up in the field and lost so much time that I crossed the start 20 seconds late. So that was a catch-up game. I was with another surfer, the rest planned away. 1 someone still fell, but I couldn't catch up with them myself. Just sailed well.
All in all, a lot less dangers than yesterday, less having to adjust my stuff, we also had to wait less time. Add to that the fact that I was no longer allowed to sail heat 1 and I had missed heat 2...
Organization thanks. Great weekend, I had a good time and it was educational for me.
I think this may have been the most beautiful race weekend ever, 16 to 25 knots of wind and clear blue sky and 20 degrees it looked like a tropical island.
Unfortunately, I'm limping now, I once stood too much on one of those sharp stones in front of the restaurant.
Grevelingendam
11:00 | 1.5 hour | Wind: |
---|---|---|
Board: | AHD GT 85 - Deboichet R10 M+ 56cm | |
Sail: | North RAM F9 8.4 - North Platinum(11) 490cm - Maui Sails Carbon 230-290 | |
TODO |
14:00 | 1.5 hour | Wind: |
---|---|---|
Board: | Starboard iSonic 111 - Deboichet SL2 38cm | |
Sail: | North RAM F9 7.3 - North Platinum(09) 460cm - AL360 E3 Carbon 210-270 | |
TODO |