Hi All-
Just my 2 cents here-I didn't understand the leg and course lengths (especially Friday) given by the (very well run)
CPYC committee. I also don't understand the 7 race limit in the rules for NA regattas. I just tracked the J-24 NA's in which 11 races were completed, Farr 40 Worlds with more than that, why are we afraid of a high race count regatta? My theory is that the Barrington NA's when we had 11 races/three days/.75 mile upwind legs first day...scared everyone. The stack ups at the weather mark were pretty amazing in that one. But as a remedy, why not set a minimum (and maybe maximum) leg length in any given race, but allow as many races as possible?
As to Bob R's comments-
"Having four races Friday would have taken some pressure off completing two Saturday, both shortened to 3 legs. That might have allowed one four legger to finish. The decision to abandon the first start Sunday was pretty easy. In my mind the forty-degree shift on the first leg of the restart should have been enough to do likewise, though it did result J. Doe/Teresa's win, the feel good story of the regatta."
First thought-we had a regatta with three out of seven races finished as three leggers with upwind finishes. As a boat that seems to be a bit suspect on speed upwind, and pretty solid on speed off, I feel that we (and others) were placed at a disadvantage by the many shortened course finishes. Our fleet (as with most OD fleets) seems to divide into heavy air fast/light air fast, and upwind fast/downwind fast. I would strongly advocate for a rule stipulating that an even number of legs be required for any race scored, to ensure that no boat with a particular speed advantage up or down gains an unfair edge.
Second thought-no amount of up or downwind edge (including a fourth leg) would have helped us catch the "JDoe" gang in race 6-but I can't agree that the race should have been abandoned. JDoe dug all the way right into a huge shift, but the rest of us mixed it up in very tricky but not unfair conditions-I was part of a group that went left, but managed to find our way back into the game (along with several others) if not into the top three.
Finally-none of this probably would have helped any of us against the Zephyr gang-they are just that good.
