Day 2 Europe Cup Aabenraa Result, ‘big shifts and still damn cold’

Rain, freezing cold and high wind ... welcome to Denmark !!!

Hi all,

Just got home from Day 2 of the Europa cup in Aabenraa. Today was a sunny day with cloud banks moving through the course at regular intervals. It was said to be 14 degrees which was much better but still damn cold on the water. Wind was again from the shore between 10 – 25 knots and extremely gusty and quick to shift rapidly. Tricky conditions!!!

My aim for today was to just keep setting solid scores and stay consistent. Big ask in the shiftier conditions but I did solidly.

Race 1 I started at pin and managed to tack across the fleet. The breeze started dialling left so I went low and fast and with fresh legs it was all smiles. I managed to get over to the right where I saw Jeemin Ha and Mark Powell way up on starboard tack. I was a little behind them but pretty much locked in 3rd for the duration of the race. Was pretty easy and just focused on keeping the fleet behind me and trying to keep an eye on the corners. Jeemin and Mark sailed solidly and although I closed to only 3 boat lengths by the finish I took home a 3rd.

Race 2 I was keen to start up on the boat end but got caught up in a gaggle of boats and everyone was too close together. I backed out and ran the line toward the pin and shot out in perfect time. After going flat stick for about 2 minutes I tacked out to the right and ducked about 5 transoms which was OK as I could see some huge right handers rolling down on the shore. I led the group out to the right as everyone tacked to follow but Jeemin who was 100m below but a little bow out got there first and got a magnificent right hander. I tried to follow but couldn’t come back on port as the angle was so damn terrible. Hang in there i thought it’ll come back but it just went further right !!! arghhh anyway the far left hand boats managed to scoot around in front of me and I rounded in 4th. Not bad and recoverable for a good result. The reach went smoothly taking me up to 3rd but then on the downwind about half way down I heard that dread sound of a shrill whistle. Apparently I had attracted the attentions of the jury and so got a yellow flag downwind in 20 knots … what the hell

Anyway I had managed to pop out with the other front guys so after two tight turns I managed to round the gate in a respectable 8th. The second beat my game plan was lift angles only and it worked swell. I managed to take some 4 boats by the top mark and then hold ground to finish in 4th. Very happy with the come back but again something held me back from reaching 1 and 2 … arghhhh

Race 3 the wind had picked up and was oscilating left and right but I would say more predominantly right. I started on pin and immediatly jumped out to a good lead with rob godwin to leeward. We waited for the left and it came and we crossed about half the fleet but then this huge right hander came down so I tacked back prefering the lift angle. Rob kept going and took a big knock but tacked inside the front group. From here I got more and more stuck out to the mid left as I waited patiently for something to come back on and it just never came. The further right the better your starboard angle and I just waited all the way to the lay and got something to come back on but it was pretty shitty and I rounded in 14th

The first reach I dived down to jump inside two young germans who happened to be playing lets see who can push the other higher which was all beneficial to me. On the first run I managed to round the gate in a respectable 8th. Up the 2nd beat it looked like everyone was clagging and so I went harder and took a nice lift out on port to meet and even nicer right hander to lift me up and pass 4 more boats. Rounded just infront of Kristian Kjgaard (DEN) and managed to bear away where he got a huge gust and couldnt.

Rob Godwin (GBR) was about 100m in front but I looked behind and hooked into the very smooth 25 + knot gust that almost toppled me but carried me right up to parrallel with him before he realised and repositioned. We played the pressure all the way down almost no speed difference but I was outside and pulled a power by the lee move to take buoyroom and power gybe to take 3rd !!! the final reach he was right on my hammer but once we reached the final upwind I got my controls on faster and managed to hike to a higher position and just loose covered him to the finish to take 3rd. Epic comeback !!!

Pretty solid 3rd, 4th, 3rd and in such shifty\gusty conditions I am relatively happy. There will be a drop now after  races and I think I simply drop a 4th where everyone else drops a high score. Might finish the day and hold onto 2nd overall again but in a better drop position then anyone going into the final 2 races tomorrow. Wish me luck!!!