Good evening, Frost biters!
As Kaitlyn had promised us, we got a nice day on the river with light to medium wind from a (by Potomac standards) stable northerly direction. The results are attached thanks to Farley – both for today and the totals. Below are a few highlights.
Eva gave the tip of the week of the year: When you’ve capsized enough times, find your way back to shore. Last time we sailed, for me that number was one.
With the strong current and medium wind, be aggressive on the start line. If you find yourself too close to the line, all you need to do is head to wind for a moment, you’re back where you need to be, and there’s enough wind to get going again. Today’s conditions really provided a safe environment for practicing getting a front row spot.
As my mother has told me for fifty years, dress appropriately. I thought with the mild temperature today, I’d skip a layer, and I ended up being a bit cold. A warm torso keeps your fingers warm, and more importantly, I think I had poor focus today partly because I was cold.
The current in the Potomac remains an enigma to me. Today’s current was strong, so it mattered. Current runs strong where the water is deep, so logic would suggest staying on the left side (west) upwind and on the left side (east) on the downwind. I think this tended to be true, but certainly not always. If someone has cracked the code of the Potomac currents, please let us know.
As you can see from the totals, we’ve had just 26 races, with hopefully more than that ahead of us, so everyone has a good chance for a good spot by the end of the season. Hope to see many of you next week.
Steen