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Best day
It was Thursday, when we won the Week. Saturday was the most exciting, because we finished way ahead of the competition. The only problem was, we missed a passing mark near Gurnard and had to retire from the race!
Worst day
That would be Sunday, when the wind died approaching the finish.
I shouldn’t complain – we got there and finished 4th on corrected time.
Top tips for winning
Boat preparation, obviously, and a good crew line-up. The team works well, having already done Key West and Miami this year.
Biggest error
Missing that mark in the last race, but we were probably over-relaxed.
Luck or judgement?
With eight races and two discards you would have to be very unlucky for luck to be a factor.
Most important pre-race prep
Assuming the boat is fully sorted, getting out to the start line early is important – the line is long and the courses can be difficult. Lots of time is needed to assess the conditions, if the right decisions are to be made.
Favourite conditions
I like 22 knots true. That gets the boat going at a steady 18 knots downwind.
Racing/social balance
We do the entertaining early and then everyone goes to the crew house for supper. We don’t do the balls and try to get to bed early.
But I’m sure some of the younger members slip out to the Pier View.
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