Lake Monroe 2021 Racing Recap (Wildcard)

 

Regatta: Lake Monroe 2021.

Crew: Richard Wojnar.

Finishing Place: 1st place out of 7 boats.  







Watch video of victory speech. 


We were excited driving to this regatta because it was a small but very competitive group of racers where we all agreed that any of us could win it.  I was sailing with Rick Wojnar and the wind was projected to blow so I was feeling very confident.  We raced two races on Saturday in a big wind and good sized chop and finished with two bullets.  For you non racers reading this, a bullet is 1st place.  Scott and Laura Marriott put up a good fight upwind, but we just seemed to dominate with superior boat speed both upwind and downwind.  Everything was just clicking and we just felt like we had a gear that nobody else did.  It was a new feeling but it sure felt good.  At dinner on Saturday night after day 1 of racing, the roles had reversed as my friends were encouraging me to have another drink and telling me the wrong starting time in hopes I might show up late with a hangover and miss a race.  It was all in good humor and it felt great because it was the first time I was on the receiving end of this treatment.  One skipper was trying to figure out our secret to how we had the boat going so fast and pointing so well.  Usually I'm the one asking them for advice and trying to figure out what they are doing differently.  Strangely, I was not nervous and I was hoping we'd get a chance to sail on Sunday.  I felt if the winds and conditions were the same we could easily hold our lead.  Again, never really felt confident like this before.  Ultimately the races were cancelled on Sunday and we would drive home as the regatta winners.  After ten years of driving back from regattas thinking of what could have been if I had made fewer mistakes, we were driving back as winners for the first time ever.   

Where we could have improved

We had trouble finding the tiny finishing mark in the first race.   We need to start reading the sailing instructions as if we're going to win and not have to guess where the finish line is located.  

We we did well

Rick's boat handling skills and spinnaker handling in high wind are exceptional and allow me to focus on driving fast on the downwind and to watch for puffs.  Our communication and chemistry were excellent downwind.  While the Marriotts could hang with us upwind, they couldn't downwind.   I seemed to have found a winning balance of bow down vs point while keeping the bow out of water.  Feels like you are floating over it and the boat is driving itself when you are dialed in.   

Eric Bussell
FS#6135 Wildcard  


 

Location: Lake Monroe, Florida, USA

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