Practice Race & Welcome Party

Mimi Appel, Santa Barbara, USA, March 30, 2005

Sunny, Wind, Temperature 65

After losing so much time during the first days of the regatta, the Race Committee made a decision to remove the group system, not have a cut into Gold and Silver fleets, and all remaining races would be a single start with all 87 boats on the same start line. The single race sailed in the groups is shown in the results as Races 1A & 1B.

12:00 noon - Race 2 Overall (First race of today)
Wind Speed: 15 knots at 230 degrees, Course 2 (ACACA)
Water: flat

From 12 - 12:30pm the wind shifted 180 degrees, it was just incredible. Big holes with no wind made it hard to maneuver. At the start Teams from: Netherlands, U.S.A, France, and Italy were all over early. Armchair quarterbacks feel that the right side of the course was favored. Sure enough, droves of boats scream toward the yacht club and Motorhom Home beach. Local hot dog, Larry Harteck made the most of normal prevailing breeze leading the pack to shore. Those out to sea were dog meat and no-one went out to sea on the second beat.

2:00pm - Race 3 Overall (Second race of today)
Wind Speed: - 6-8 knots at 260 degrees - Course 1 (AC)
Water: Tight chop, bi-directional

The second race was in more moderate 12 knot breeze and a tightly packed field. Seventeen year old sailor, Taylor Booth, with Olympic Silver medallist faterh Mitch Booth crewing, pulled off a magnificient port tack start all by himself, BIG KAHUNAS…Unfortunately he takes a couple of sterns, but you really gotta give it to ‘im.

Gate One Hobie Skiff team of Gary Russell and his Dad, Russ were in fear for their lives. They looked up to see Rob Jerry’s Tiger (USA Fleet 204) come at them on a screaming reach. Unfortunately Rob wasn’t on the boat, “I didn’t even do a Wicked Dick (The Fleet 204 name for getting washed off the boat from the wire) “One minute I was driving the boat, the next I was in the water holding nothing but the tip of my stick”. Crew Darcie Sinnett hangs on as the boat fly’s a hull over the Skiff. “I swear I heard a “ping” from the flag pole.” The Skiff jets away, just seconds before the boat flips.

4:10pm - Race 4 Overall (Third race of today) Abandoned
Wind Speed: 8-14 knots at 020 degrees - Course 2 (ACACA), Water: Seemed flatter
The Race Committee then moved the whole course out further from the shore. After waiting almost an hour for the wind to stay put they set the course for the third race. The two winds in the area started fighting, with 180 degree different breeze at the top and bottom of the course. It came from the South at the leeward mark and from the North at the windward mark. Too weird! At one point we looked out about a mile from the shore the boats are just sitting there, and within 500 yards of the shore they are screamin’. .

The breeze became very, very patchy and the race was called off, much to everyone's delight. Even the leaders were pleased as they knew that it was unlikely that they would be leading at the finish.

Everyone then headed for the beach/parking lot party. Cool dancing tunes, and hot videos flowed from the back of Matt Millers truck. The celebration was put on by the organizers of the next Tiger World Championships to be held in Cangas, Spain. Their delegation brought over dozens of bottles of Spanish wine and the sailors felt that it would not be good for them to have to pay excess baggage on the return flight. The Don Q Rum from the Porte Ricans made its usual big hit.

For more information, contact hobie_worlds@hotmail.com