- 2007 29er Midwinters West
- March 18th, Day 2
Today the fleet was towed out to the racecourse in almost perfectly glassy water, but didn't have to wait long for wind. While the breeze settled teams used this time to tune and try to get a feel for the shifty southerly wind. Today's conditions featured flatter water than yesterday, but still challenging shifts and puffs. The first start got off cleanly and was sailed in 5-9 knots. The left side of the course was favored and those who could get there were rewarded with stronger breeze and left shifts to lift them over boats in the middle of the course. A hole at the first weather marke condensed the top teams for a close rounding. The teams spread out laterally down the run only to come back together at the leeward mark. Jen Glass and David Liebenberg tacked out left immediately around the leeward mark and were the first to the still-favored left side. The pair gained up the beat, rounded the weather mark in first and never looked back. Judge Ryan and Hans Henken, in 2nd going into the day's racing, finished 4th in the race. Glass/Liebenberg and Ryan/Henken were now tied for the lead going into the last race.
Whoever gets it up and full first wins! Photo by John Liebenberg.
Race 2 was equally as shifty and patchy as race 1. The fleet got off to another clean start and most headed to the previously favored left while a handfull, including Glass/Liebenberg and Ryan/Henken and Alex Bernal peeled out right for a close puff. Through the middle of the the race the three right side boats were looking to be far ahead, but as the two sides converged on the weather mark the left side came back in and the top two from the left and three from the right rounded the weather mark together. Alex Bernal lead down to to the leeward mark, rounding in first followed by Ryan/Henken and then Glass/Liebenberg. Ryan/Henken and Glass/Liebenberg sailed to the left, hooking into some increased velocity. Ryan/Henken tacked directly on Glass/Liebenberg up the left side of the course. For a while it looked like Glass/Liebenberg, who had found a bow-out position on port, were going to be able to tack back to starboard and control Ryan/Henken, but after sailing through a set of waves slowed considerably and Ryan/Henken were able to tack directly in front of them and finish the race in first.
Overall, the racing was very close throughout the fleet for the entire weekend and we owe San Diego a big thank you for a great regatta. And thank you to John Liebenberg for sharing his photos!
Top Five Finishers:
1. Judge Ryan and Hans Henken, 9 pts
2. Jen Glass and David Liebenberg, 10 pts
3. Oliver Toole and Willie McBride, 23 pts
4. Jack Driscoll and Cody Shevits, 24 pts
5. Cameron Biehl and Briana Provancha, 32 pts
FINAL RESULTS
The racing was very close all weekend long. Small mistakes were costly! Photo by John Liebenberg.
- March 17th, Day 1
After the marine layer burned off sailors were presented with a beautiful San Diego day, indluding sunshine and 5-15 knots. The 29ers were racing out of Coronado Yacht Club on a coarse with I-14s, 505s, Flying Dutchmen, Ultimate 20s and Bucaneers. With so many sailboats, coach boats, mark set boats, and general traffic the bay was soon very choppy. In this particular part of the bay the wind comes over San Diego and Coronado Island before hitting the racecourse, so its very shifty and puffy. These difficult conditions favored teams that could work well together, and keep going relatively quickly through the lulls and chop, all the time keeping their heads out of the boat looking for the next puff and favorable shift.
The fleet lined up for one of the first starts on Saturday. Photo by John Liebenberg.
The race committee also had a hard time with the shifty winds which resulted in two general recalls and moving many marks before the 29ers were able to get a race off. Once everyone settled the fleet was able to get three double-windward-leeward races in. Unfortunately, a little too much race committee trouble in the second race caused that race to be discarded. Despite this, it was a competitive and challenging day on the water.
Willie McBride showing some good setting form. Photo by John Liebenberg.
Locals Cameron Biehl (stepping in for Emily Dellenbaugh who was stuck on the east coast due to bad weather and airport closures) and Briana Provancha, and Judge Ryan and Hans Henken sailed very well and played to the home court advantage came out tied on the top at the end of the day. This is not to say that the fleet gave them an easy time. The 21 boat fleet featured many strong teams including longtime 29er sailor Alex Bernal, 49er skipper Andy Mack, the experienced team of Morgan Gutenkunst and Cameron McCloskey, North American Champion Jen Glass, and Bermudians Olver Riihiluoma and Peter Miller who traveled the longest distance.
The fleet grouped together racing downwind. Photo by John Liebenberg.
