Finn Coaching - Luke Lawrence Takes Silver at the Finn Junior European Championship

I had the opportunity this past week to coach a promising young American Finn sailor, Luke Lawrence, to a Silver medal performance at the Finn senior and junior European Championships in Split, Croatia. For me, it was a walk down memory lane in more ways than one. First, it provided me with a chance to check in with the class in which I spent many years training and campaigning for the Olympics. It was also an opportunity to help out someone who is walking in the same footsteps I did when I began Finn sailing.


Luke, who is from Martin County, Florida, made a last minute decision on the eve of the Rolex Miami OCR this past January to switch from the Laser to the Finn. It was based on the realization that at 19 years old, he was already fifteen pounds to heavy to be competitive in the Laser. With only one and a half hour practice, he surprised himself and many others by finishing a credible 17th place. As a member of US Sailing's AlphaGraphics youth development team, Luke was able to send his newly acquired used boat to Europe to compete against the best sailors in the world this season.



After Luke's two frustrating World Cup regattas in Spain and France, I was brought in to provide coaching support for him at the Finn European Championships. As is the case with any new Finn sailor, getting up to speed is challenging and time consuming. It's not just learning the proper sailing technique in all conditions, for you also have to develop the physical strength and stamina that is required. In addition, getting the equipment sorted out is paramount, especially the sail and mast combination.

Not surprisingly, Luke is quickly picking up the different sailing techniques needed to make the boat sail fast. He has a naturally aggressive sailing style that is well suited for the Finn. Physically he is well built to pack on the muscle strength and extra pounds he will need to compete with the top Finn sailors.

Besides time in the boat, Luke's biggest challenge is developing his sail/mast combination to find the proper set up to match his weight and sailing style. It is not uncommon for sailors and their national teams to test dozens of masts and sails before settling on a fast combination. Ioannis Mitakis, the two-time Finn junior European gold medallist from Greece, is reported to have tested dozens of masts and sails. Most impressive was his 12th place overall finish in the senior championships on the way to the junior title.

Luke's major goal this year is to place well at the Finn Silver and Gold Cups (Junior and Senior World Championships) that are being held in San Francisco this coming August. He will continue to train and race in Europe through early summer and then take a break from the Finn to crew for Augie Diaz at the 505 World Championship in Denmark before preparing for the Finn World Championships.

I look forward to working with Luke at the next two World Cup regattas in the Netherlands and Germany, and helping him prepare for the Finn Silver and Gold Cups being held in my home waters of San Francisco.

My own Laser campaign continues towards the 2010 Master's World Championships at Hayling Island, UK this September. This includes competing in the August Pre-Olympic regatta, Sail for Gold, in Weymouth, UK. In July, I will also be racing onboard Dorsey Ruley's "Scout" in the 2010 Chicago to Mackinac Island race attempting to recreate our class victory two years ago.

International Sailing Academy Training Camp

I just finished a week of training at the International Sailing Academy in La Cruz, Mexico with some of our top North American Laser sailors. It was an incredible experience and the most productive training camp I've ever attended. The same sentiment was voiced by all the participants.

The camp was thrown together at the last minute by Clay Johnson, Rob Crane and Chris Dold after the flight disruptions to Europe caused all of us to miss the French Olympic Week in Hyeres. Clay sent out an email to the group that said "why don't we get together in Mexico for training as an alternative to Hyeres." Less than 24 hours later, everyone confirmed to meet in Mexico in two days!

The plan was irresistible. It involved a group of highly motivated top Laser sailors, one of the world's best Laser coaches, Luther Carpenter, and an all-inclusive price including boat, lodging, food, and coaching. Not to mention, the promise of spectacular sailing conditions.

The International Sailing Academy is owned and operated by a couple of top Canadian Laser sailors, Chris Dold and Vaughn Harrison. The facilities and venue are world class and offer a unique experience. It is based out of the newly built Riviera Nayarita Marina in the town of La Cruz, that just hosted two major regattas, 2010 Mexorc and Regata Copa de Mexico. It is a twenty five minute cab ride from the Puerto Vallarta international airport with easy and affordable service from all major North American airports. They have 10 new Lasers that we ramp launched from the marina, and from there it is a quick two-minute sail into the Banderas Bay.


One of the best features is the consistent wind. Early in the morning the winds are light and from the south. By eleven o'clock it starts to build as it swings to the west, and in the afternoon we saw a steady 15-18 knots. It was easy to tailor our training program based on this consistent wind pattern.

Another great feature was the food. Our meals were prepared by Leah Danielson and served at her home, which also houses the North Sails loft and overlooks the Marina and Bay. She has worked in the catering business both on yachts and in restaurants and is a fantastic cook. The food was fresh, local, healthy and delicious. She catered to our individuals needs and requests. It was convenient and really nice not having the hassle of eating out every night. The option to eat at the local restaurants is also quite easy, because the town is just on the other side of the marina.

Leah Danielson's meals are fresh, healthy and delicious

Because this was an elite group of Laser sailors, we would launch at 12:30 to take advantage of the building sea breeze to work on fitness and speed testing. To get the blood flowing, we would begin the day doing laps around a very short windward-leeward course for a half hour. Afterwards we would do up to 2 hours of upwind "speed sprints" followed by a series of speed runs back to outer harbor. We would finish the day with a series of short sprint races. One day we launched early to tow up the coast and spent four hours just working on downwind technique and drills. After quickly unrigging in the protected harbor, we went up to the the house/sail loft for a quick stretch and filling meal. The video debrief was held the following morning at the villa before breakfast.

Radial sailor Tania Elisa leads the group home after a long day of training

I continue to be impressed by the current group of aspiring Olympic sailors. They are smart, clever, motivated, and focused. Instead of accepting the setback of missing a major international regatta, they found a way to turn it into a huge positive. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit that we were all quietly pleased that the French regatta was a virtual washout with little to no breeze.



highlight reel

Canadian Laser Sailor David Wright Finds and Rescues Lost Kiteboarder in the Middle of the Night

Miracle Rescue in Mexico

David Wright, a top Canadian Laser sailor, who is training at the International Sailing Academy in La Cruz, Mexico, rescued a downed kiteboarder at 2:30 am today after a three and a half hour water search in Academy's coach boat. The kiteboarder had been in the water for seven hours when David found him.

Like all of us, David is only here in Mexico this week because the of the air travel shambles resulting from Iceland’s runaway Eyjafjallajokull volcano. He’s part of a group of top North American competitors who couldn't get flights to the French Olympic Regatta in Hyeres

David Wright Canadian Laser Olympic hopeful

Those of us who know David know he is one of the most determined and focused individuals you will ever meet. He just never gives up. Whether it's during an upwind heavy air grind and he is tight on your hip, or if it is a sail back to the harbor after a long day on the water, he will always be sailing his hardest. After training with him on and off for the last five months, I found out he purposely puts himself in the most disadvantage position in our speed tests and drills just to test his abilities to their fullest. It's that tenacity and his Merchant Marine training that combined to save a life last night.

At 10:30 pm yesterday, David along with Rob Crane and Clay Johnson, were awakened by frantic knocking on the door of their villa. A man wearing a kiteboarding harness, board shorts and a rash guard excitedly told David that his friend was lost out in the bay. He knew there was a powerboat at the villa. Could they help go search for him. The man had been kiteboarding with his friend after the wind died in Banderas Bay. He lost sight of his friend and decided to swim for shore. The guys jumped to action. While David tried to ascertain exactly what the situation was, Rob immediately went to the other villa to get the keys to the coach boat. Within minutes David and the kiteboarder were headed out in the 25-hp 14' RIB to search for the lost sailor.

Dave recounts the events of the rescue: "I didn't know what to make of this guy pounding on the door so late at night. Once I determined there was a legitimate emergency we immediately acted." The kiteboarder who had made a swim for it was picked up by local fisherman. They ignored his plea to go search for his buddy and was brought to the Riviera Nayarit Marina. The guy had passed out from exhaustion and shock after being picked up by the fisherman but had recovered enough by the time they docked to go find help for his friend.

Dave was formulating a plan on how to find the lost sailor from the get-go. His training as a graduate from Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy and as a 3rd Class Merchant Marine officer was put to good use. Dave goes on: "The first thing we needed was the key to the boat and to get an idea what the current was doing over the past three to four hours this guy was in the water." Dave was in the inflatable within minutes with the exhausted kiteboarder heading out into Banderas Bay, the second largest bay in North America, on a search and rescue mission.

Dave continued: "We first motored fives miles up the beach to where they launched, to make sure their car was still there. I brought him (the kiteboarder who was rescued by the fisherman) in close and he waded ashore to check the car. He flagged down a police officer and gave him a report on his missing friend. After that we motored to the last spot he saw his friend out in the bay. That's the spot where I started to run a search grid."

Because the 3/4 moon provided better visibility looking back into shore and based on the prevailing winds, Dave motored southwest offshore for another five miles and started his grid search first heading southeast. This was based on his best estimate of current and drift of the stricken sailor. As it turns out it was a smart move. "I motored as far out as I felt comfortable for my own safety in such a small boat and then started the grid pattern. I planned on running a five-mile square grid. I motored for two minutes at a time and then turned off the engine to listen and look. We had a big flashlight and it was amazing how much marine life was out there. I saw dolphins and all sorts of fish and you could hear the whales spouting. I didn't see any sharks but you know they were somewhere out there."

It was on his second pass that Dave found the lost sailor. "He was laying on his sail which has an inflatable section that kept him afloat, but he was mostly submerged." "We got him and his board and sail in the boat and put a jacket on him. He was pretty cold at that point." Dave arrived safely back at the marina at 3:00 am with the two kiteboarders.

On reflection Dave had this to say: "It was neat how all my Merchant Marine training was so naturally retrieved. There was good visibility because of the clear skies and good moonlight, and relatively smooth seas. I was supposed to be in France this week racing but because of the volcano, I ended up in Mexico instead."

I happen to agree with his next statement. "I think the guy is extremely lucky."

Dave training a few hours after rescuing a kiteboarder

Laser Midwinters West Final Day

The final day of the Laser Midwinters West ended on a high note for all the competitors. As was the case in the first two days of racing, the westerly sea breeze came in late in the day. With a three o'clock cutoff time for the last race, we only sailed one final race in the strong 18-20 knot breeze.

The ebb tide again made it difficult to judge the line, and the Radial fleet, who started first, had a number of attempted black flag starts that were postponed as the final seconds counted down. There were only a handful of boats behind the line within the final seconds. The race committee was smart to go to the AP flag instead of penalizing the fleet in extremely difficult conditions. These "practice starts" gave the Radials an opportunity to better judge the current and finally on their third attempt, they had a clean start. We also were able to judge the current by observing the Radials, and our first attempted start was all clear.

The breeze for the first beat and run was a little unstable. Even though it was windy, there were "holes" in the breeze. Upwind, if you dropped into a hole, the boats just to windward would gain by being in five knots more pressure. There was a very distinctive line of wind on the edge of the hole. Dropping into a hole downwind was more dramatic because the big waves meant the boats with pressure would gain great distance surfing the big waves by not having to struggle to catch them.

After a good midline start I suffered on the first beat along with others by dropping into a hole while the boats to the right hand side gained. I was able to minimize the loss at the top of the beat with some good old fashioned straight leg hiking to round just on the heels of the leading four boats. Down the run, the fleet spread out with some boats going low sailing by the lee while others sailed high in the surfing conditions. I decided to take the middle road on the downwind, which took a lot of hard work and patience.

In typical Laser fashion, everyone was doing their own thing downwind. The sailors were sailing drastically different angles, everyone rolling wildly, and surfing the short steep waves to the best of their abilities. With the holes still present groups of boats would stall out only to catch back up in the next gust. As the leaders converged on the leeward gate, I was able to catch a "big set" of waves at the last moment and gained just enough to break an inside overlap of 3-4 boats to round in second place.

For the next beat and the remainder of the race it was full on power sailing. The wind stabilized and increased slightly to a solid and consistent 20 knots. The top reach and final run in these conditions is what makes racing on the Berkeley circle so much fun. The reach was non-stop "fire hose" planing, followed by a downwind leg where you have no option but to go for it on the edge of capsizing the whole time. If you sail conservatively, you'll end up submerging by burying the bow and filling the cockpit with water (making the boat even more unstable), or possibly pitch poling, death rolling, or capsizing to leeward. There were more then a few boats upside down on this run.

Being extremely comfortable in these conditions, I closed in on the leader as we arrived at the leeward mark. I could have pushed for an inside overlap and most likely have gotten it, but it would have been really dicey with the potential for disaster being high. Making two jibes and a really hard rounding was not worth it. On the final short beat to the finish there was no opportunity to gain. I crossed the line in second place feeling satisfied with a hard fought race.

Sean Kelly, an intercollegiate sailor from Cal Maritime, finished two boats back in fourth place and sealed the regatta victory. I end up scoring fourth place in the overall standing.

Left toRight Sean Kelly (1st), Peter Vessella (8th), Tracy Usher (7th), Ian Elliott (6th), Alex Heinzemann (5th), John Bertrand (4th), Kevin Taugher (2nd)

To celebrate I plan to do a ten mile run to the top of Mt. Tamalpais in the morning.

Results

Laser Midwinters West Day 2 - Fits and Starts

Day 2 of the Laser Midwinters West produced three races, two races were sailed in a very light and dying northerly wind, but the third race was in a strong 15 knot westerly.

The first two race starts were complicated by an ebb tide, pushing the fleet over the line prematurely. After the first recall, the committee went to the black flag. It did not help that the leeward end was heavily favored. A number of boats were caught out on the next attempted start. I decided to make sure I wasn't one of them so my strategy was to start on port tack ducking boats on the line looking for a clear opening. Good for not getting black flagged, but not great having a good start. I spent the first two races working my way through the fleet. It was a good challenge, especially because the courses were only one lap around the trapezoid.

When the wind completely died and I thought we would be heading in, the westerly came roaring in with full force. It happened in less then two minutes. I have seen this many times before. It was fun hearing one sailor rave about how great it was and how he had never seen anything like it before. He couldn't stop talking about how great it was to have it go from a flat calm to perfect racing conditions in lees then five minutes. And he was right! It is like some turned on a fan and completely transform the day in an instant.

The final race was a classic Berkeley circle racing. We sailed a full course for a change, having an extra run and beat to sort out the fleet. The top of the leader board has not changed with Sean Kelly putting on a commanding performance and holding a seven point lead going into the last day.

Results

road trip

large group of Canadians competitors are here

Laser Midwinters West - Day 1

The Laser Midwinters West regatta is hosted by Richmond Yacht Club with the race course on the famous Berkeley Circle. Famous for it's high winds, short steep chop, and the numerous World Championships, Olympic Trials and many national championship regattas held there over the years. It might be considered sailing's version of golf's National Augusta, where they hold the Master's tournament each year.

view of San Francisco and Berkeley Circle from Richmond Yacht Club

With 54 Lasers and 50 Radials registered, the regatta promised great competition.

I am fortunate to have grown up in the San Francisco bay area and spent many days sailing and training on the "circle". I've learned many lessons on this venue in my early years sailing the Laser. One such lesson was the fastest way to round the reach mark was to have a controlled capsize instead of "trying" to gybe. It was less stressful knowing exactly what the drill was, going into it, instead of the option of either pitch poling or death rolling, both leading to a "yard sale" where you end up swimming after the boat and gear (that was another lesson - how to swim after your boat). Fortunately I have a better handle on heavy air gybing, but I still have that option if ever needed! Even when it is not blowing the racing conditions are spectacular.

The Spring and Fall in San Francisco tend to be milder which was the case today. The racing started late in the day when the westerly finally settled in. We sailed three races around a trapezoid course in a steady 10-12 knot westerly. It was a great day of sailing!

My goal for this regatta is to work on my starts and get faster downwind. My three race score today is a direct indication to how I started. I had a 5th, 2nd, and 13th. The third race was going to be a great start but in the last 10 seconds another competitor was ducking into my leeward side and I became too distracted with him and lost track of the time and ended up starting late. It was a black flag start and I was being extra careful not to be early but I also ended up stalling and blades which put me back in the third row (I was the only one in the third row by the way). The good news was that I stayed patient, found clear air and the favored side of the course. I had good speed downwind and pulled back a lot of places. Much better then I thought I would, ten seconds after the start.

The fleet is very competitive. Sean Kelly, an intercollegiate sailor from Cal Maritime is leading followed closely by Greg Martinez, who is a Radial sailor sailing in his first standard regatta. I'm currently in 5th and hope to have more good starts over the next two days.

Results

Laser Midwinters Recap - Great Progress and More Work Needed

The final day of the Laser Midwinters at Clearwater Beach saw us running two races in a light, southerly 5 knot breeze. The lighter conditions and bumpy sea state gave us a new challenge, and very different conditions from the northerly winds we raced in during the first three days. It reminded me of the typical conditions found in Newport Beach, California - underpowered and bumpy. Also, the north-flowing current added two challenges to the day. It reduced the wind pressure upwind, and it was swirling, producing "lanes" of stronger and weaker current. This played havoc with normal tactics and made it frustrating for the fleet.

I was challenged finding any decent speed upwind. The good sailors have developed a special feel for these conditions, and know how to set up the vang, outhaul, and mainsheet, and can sail high with good speed. Sailing low to gain speed wasn't an option because the boatspeed wasn't faster, and it ended up being just simply sailing lower with no significant gain. I spent more time focused on what the top guys were doing and trying to develop the proper feel. I ended up scoring in the 30's in the two races which were more points then I totaled for the first three days of racing- painful! This dropped me from 13th to 25th place in the final overall standings.

All in all, I felt it was an outstanding week for my Laser sailing. In the first three days of the four day event (with the exception of the first race), I rounded the top mark no worse than 6th and was leading in one of the races. My downwinds are improving and on my second upwind legs, I either gained on other boats or held my own. My upwind speed was good with the exception of the last day. Also, my Laser starting technique is still evolving and was an improvement from the last regatta. Most importantly, I have more confidence coming from this event and more resolve to improve in the areas where I have weaknesses.

To celebrate my successful regatta I went for an hour run after the awards presentation on Clearwater Beach, as the sun set.

Results