Dienstag, Juni 09, 2009

Will I be last in the upcoming Moth EC?

it is a rainy day today in Schleswig, Germany and I gathered through the list of the 45 participants for the Moth EURO coming up soon in Horsens DK. see also: Moth Euro Entry List. Going through this list of famous, fast and furious competitors my mind is wandering to the slower end of participants, making up a list of the "not so fast" sailors. In stark contrast to Scott B´s list about "would be" World Championship results. He starts from the top and is also able through personnel knowledge of competitors and by reading their websites, to analyze the results. I do mostly know the sailors via reports, their websites or because they have past me in nano seconds during Kiel Week last year. Some had lapped me. I was fighting for speed and height and tacking and jibing without capsizing. Some things have changed a bit. I felt comfortable on the boat with speed until last Sunday, when the bloody centerboard rod broke. I am installing a new one of course but my spare parts box got lost and some of the tiny little things, which make the difference do not fit well at present. I have a gap! At the bottom of the centerboard when in high speed mode. And the weather is not cooperating to give it a try and trying for adjustments when necessary.

Anyway the theme here is a list of finishers from the bottom up. There are a small bunch of guys whom I think I can beat. So, to become last is no option. I guess Felix will be last due to less time in the boat much time on the plane, than comes Gerold, who lives too far from the water. (sorry guys!) and the fight will be for them with maybe one or two Dutch guys. Depends on the number of break downs. Frederik and Michael might be beatable and if Burkh is not sorting his yellow raptor out, he will end up there too. If he gets good help from Adam, he is up in the top 20 and I will not see him other than on the startline. Hey, this starts to become some fun. Ole might be beatable and than I will have a good fight with Harald and Soeren as usual through our last regattas. Guess we will end up in the mid thirties if all signed competitors are showing up on the startline. What do you guys think? Hope nobody gets offended. This is all for fun and we are all sailing the Moth because we just like it. Looking forward to meet with some new Mothies. Smooth sailing!

7 Kommentare:

Tillerman hat gesagt…

I like the way you're thinking.

Gerold hat gesagt…

Hi Fred,
tomorrow I will see if the splint for my finger will come off. If it does I have one and a half week to
do finger work out. And on June 21st I will be in
Horsens ready to get on the water again.
Although you have a big advantage in boat handling
over me I won't give up.
Cheers
Gerold

scott hat gesagt…

It's about time I wrote a form guide for the Worlds.

Any suggestions?

Fred hat gesagt…

Scott,
definitely the guys who get up early to foil at 7am will be at the front. Two of the foiler kings (different brands) are already hyping themselves up with upwind speed around the 17kn mark. Though no comment about the height... The AUS team will have 3-4 sailors in the top ten as well as the USA team. Bora hopes to steal the show. The Brits will have 2-3 in the top ten. I wish I could be there to fight for "not gettin" the red lantern. Have dreamed about the Gorge (though at a different spot, other than Cascade Locks) in my days as a slalom windsurfer addict. Good luck with the training.

Gerold hat gesagt…

Splint is off, Doc is pleased, got a surgical hose for the competiton and now I am training to get the mobility again.
So all lokks good for Horsens.

Fred hat gesagt…

Gerold, Great. Wish you luck!
I have improved my chance to become last. Broke the rudder foil on Wednesday, the centerboard split and the Tiller lost 25cm of it´s length. Damned, after a long time trouble free foiling I really had a bad day in 17-20kn wind. Must have hit something as we had low water. Now waiting for parts. Eric Proust (eric@proust-sailing.com) seems to be very cooperative for BR parts.

jan schmidt hat gesagt…

come on, manfred !
affirmation !!!! dont think about getting last, think about who will be behind you on second place.
THE MIND IS THE ENGINE !!!
i just stepped in a 5x5 piece of stainless steel, went thru the shoe, and 15 mm in to my foot.
hurts !