- The 2004 Nationals was as dynamic as you can get in 14 - 20 knots wind. The course was in 60 feet of water between Angel Island and Golden Gate, the wind chop was at least 4 feet on Saturday with a strong flooding tide. It was a challenge for most competitors even the top 5, especially when leading the race - a missed jibe costs 1st place for some.
Stacked startline!
On Saturday the course was approximately 1 mile leg and on Sunday approximately 1.25 mile leg with the left side favored most of the time in the heavier breeze. Alex and Tedd arrived ready to the race with only 3 hours of sleep after abandoning the King Harbor Race at Anacapa Island at 7 pm on Friday night and driving to SF for the start of the 29er Nationals. They dominated the day with 5 bullets with exceptional upwind speed, excellent starts and strong tactics. The interesting part of the day was watching the Aussie girls, Bermuda boys, and the local west coast regulars duke it out for the top positions. The level of completition was very high with an international flavor. The Seattle teams were hard core and left the regatta with a smile.
Dan and Trevor were determined to repeat their SF Bay win all through the regatta. Their persistence on Sunday made them winners again. Congratulations!
The winning team with smiles!
Molly and Jen, Mallory and Chad, Brook and Matt, among others had solid performances in each race keeping the hunt on. This venue separated the light wind favorites from the hard core. In the end, all skiff racers loved the downwind speed, aggressive starts, and the upwind challenge.. It took several races for some to figure out the flooding tide at the windward mark, they just didn't overstand enough.
Mallory and Chad keeping it upright and fast downwind.
The USA Nationals was a perfect venue in rough conditions, which definitely helped train our teams for the 2005 Worlds. Thank you SFYC!
Respectfully submitted,
Dave
