SIRs Report

Charlie McKee, [16 year-old] Hans Henken, and I traveled to Sydney for this event – it was the first chance for the US fleet to check in since the Weymouth World Champs.

Day 1: I ended up with way too good of a start in the first race – after 30 seconds I was a hundred yards ahead of the fleet, and the scariest boat in the harbor – the Manly Ferry – was inbound at 23 knots. Sydney Harbor gives right-of-way to these ferries, and their unwillingness to turn away from a sailboat is legendary. I got across his bow, and found three marks in the water that could have been a weather mark. I chose poorly, and took every boat in the fleet but Charlie and Scott Babbage with me – we all were DNF. Race 2 wasn't much better. Another good start, duking it out with Scott for the first three laps and putting some distance on him by the fourth. I lost count and sailed a fifth lap – this time only bringing four boats with me. Again Charlie got it right, crossed the finish line, and took the bullet. I went across in second – after sailing the extra lap!

So my realizations after day one: I might be color blind, and I have a hard time counting to four. In my defense, racing on Sydney Harbor in a Southerly is effectively like having a race course across a freeway. Between dodging 49ers, ferries, and tour boats that try to make you capsize, counting was pretty low on the priority list.

Day 2: Race 3 gave us a morning start in a dying Westerly. Charlie had a bad feeling about it, and he was right. They started a race and the ultra-lightweight mothies flew away with Scott, Hans, and Mathew Day finishing relatively fast in the fading breeze, the rest of is eating DNFs when the time limit expired. Race 4 added the Lasers, and the course was like a crowded market. The Southerly had fully come in by this point, the RC taking almost 2 hours to anchor in the stiff breeze. The Lasers had no idea of the issues skiffs and moths have moving around a mine field of them at 20 knots, and one Laser got speared by a 49er. I probably didn't do much for the goodwill of the moth fleet by shooing them away as they constantly came up and tacked 4 feet to leeward. Eventually the race started, but mass confusion meant only 5 moths actually on the line at the start. Scott and John had sailed in the go race their 18-footer “Rag and Famish” and I don't know where everyone else was. Charlie, Rob Gough and I had a good battle with Rob winning. I had a capsize after trying to dodge a “Rag and Famish” spectator boat that was inside our course.

Day 3: Another full-on Southerly, but post-weekend meant very little traffic. I could stretch my legs, and I led from wire to wire in 20 knots. On race 6, Dave Lister was pressuring me down the run when my foils ventilated and wiped me out right in front of him. I almost caught him in the end, but he took the bullet – he is extremely quick in the breeze. I finally put a race together without any big mistakes and took the bullet in Race 7 for a 1-2-1 day, 11 points out of first.

Day 4: Scott got a great start while I got rolled, and he took a strong lead to the favored side. After one lap I ran him down and led for the next lap and half, when I found a big hole. Charlie caught and sailed through me to leeward, and the order at the gate - Charlie, me, Scott - was how we finished. This effectively sealed my fate in third - making up 12 points on Charlie and 10 on Scott would be next to impossible without a major piece of luck. Then World Champ John Harris turned it on – getting into form to lead Race 10 up the favored side. Scott held onto second with Charlie third. After the race, Charlie and Scott realized that whoever beat the other in the last race would probably take the regatta – the stage was set for the final race. Everyone got a good start, with Scott and John heading hard left while I tacked up the middle to stay away from the Manly Ferry. Charlie shipped it hard to the right, and on his way back I tacked safely to leeward of him, comfortably on layline. Scott came from the left without avoiding me and over I went. I righted my boat and worked my way back up to third, while Scott's penalty turn took him back in the pack. Charlie finished a safe fourth place, winning him the regatta – with Scott in second and me and Hans rounding out the top four.

Overall it was a sweet result for Team USA - I don't think any of us imagined owning 3 of the top 4 spots at this regatta, but it was only our teamwork that made it possible. Charlie and Hans are staying in Melbourne to keep sailing, while my services were required in Hawaii, building a deck with my father and spending Christmas with the family. I'll be back in Australia for the big event – the Australian Nationals – where former World Champ Si Payne and designer Andrew “Amac” Macdougal will be in town on the new Mach 2. There are even rumors that Rohan Veal will be there, which would mean the three most recent World Champs on the water, making this the most contested Moth regatta in recent memory. 
-Bora