What’s going on out at the Gorge today? Here is a race report compiled from the Tweets we’ve been getting. We’ll post more later on when we talk to the guys.
As expected, the wind was once again kicking on the river for a solid day of sailing. The racing was quick and there were numerous breakdowns on the course.
Race 11 had the guys sailing a Z course with winds ranging between 10-14 knots. Brad (Funk) rounded the top mark in fourth place, again, great sailing from a guy who is new to the Moth. The fleet was down downwind quicker than we could type! After sailing through the leeward gate, Brad found himself in third place on the beat back up, but lost two spots because of a bad tack. Tacking in the Moth is tricky- a skill that takes a long time to master. He dropped back to fifth place, but still a good way to start out the morning.
The breeze was up to 12-15 knots for Race 12, with the waves starting to pick up- not too much of a problem if the Moth remains foiling. The fleet was lit up from the start. With cool temperature and heavy air, the guys were working hard for sure if for nothing more than to keep warm. Winds died down a bit during this race forcing the fleet to remain in the puffs toward the middle of the course. There were lots of changes and mixed results, but Brad once again finished in the top 10.
For the first time in the event, the Race Committee had to move the line and marks a bit to accommodate for the breeze shift. It was a long, hard three races for the guys out there with cold and windy conditions. The fleet was full steam around the windward mark then favoring the right side of the course downwind. Back on the upwind beat, the fleet hit close to the right shoreline. Fully hiked out for the entire day, these guys must have been exhausted and just waiting for the finish. We’re not sure of his exact position but Brad kept it in the top for Race 13- top 10 all day!
More to come...
