On the Road

First off -- preparation check list:

If you can get the Friday off work and get an early start to miss traffic you will be psyched to get to the venue early, clean the boat and the bottom and take your time to slowly go over the boat and put the rig up. Don't be afraid to ask a club or class member on how the hoist works or for help putting the rig up.

If possible try and go sailing in the afternoon with another team. The buddy system is great and it is nice to sail with another boat of folks that you enjoy the company of. If it is early in the afternoon go outside the break water and go upwind watching and noting the compass headings to start building an understanding of the wind. Note buoys for current patterns and see how much if any kelp there is. If you catch kelp -- practice getting it off as quickly as possible.

Take the opportunity to line up with as many boats as you can to check your speed.

- If you are slower than them then take note of there critical settings-Genoa halyard tension, Mainsheet and Genoa sheet tension and backstay tension. If you and your buddy boat are the only ones out -- then go upwind and split tacks for 5 minutes and then converge to see which side of the course is favored.

- You can then come inside the break water and practice as many sets and takedowns and tacks and jibes as you can. When you get in you can use the wet notes book to transfer all the info of compass headings, current, boatspeed settings, what we need to improve on and a maintenance list into the book.

If it is late in the afternoon when you go sailing then you may just want to do what I call a "nuts and bolts' session between two marks inside the break water. Do as many sets and takedowns and tacks and jibes as you can to get every one warmed up and a potential new crew member integrated into the team. If you don't have enough crew to go sailing -- see if there is someone who will go out with you. If sailing is out of the question then work on the boat and register as early as you can.

When you get in from sailing you have a decision of leaving the boat in the water or taking it out. If the hoist is empty then you may haul -- however if it is busy you may choose to leave the boat in which will make your morning a lot easier. The docking situation and the hoist logistics will tend to influence your decision.

Now it is time to register and get the sailing instructions -- try and get 2 copies if possible. It is really good to sit down as a team and go over the sailing instructions together and formulate any questions you have for the race committee at the skippers meeting. Such questions might be a clarification of a rule or wording of an instruction or a logistical question

Now is a great time to socialize with other class members and ask questions of locals on local conditions and possible local knowledge. It is worth noting though that sometimes an open mind is actually better than relying on "what should/normally happen! Our class is really open with go fast info so do not be afraid to ask questions on any topic. We like to have a team dinner together and then we usually order sandwiches to be picked up in the morning. Alternately you can make your own in which case we food shop for supplies in the afternoon. Drink a ton of water in the evening and listen to the weather report on the VHF radio. Don't forget to charge the radio and try and get a good night's sleep.
The fun has just begun!

- At the skipper's meeting don't forget to ask your questions and to check the notice and amendments board for changes. If there is something you do not understand -- do not hesitate to ask someone-they may not know themselves! Try and be one of the first boats out to the race course and immediately start practicing and lining up with other boats.
Remember to stay near the line and RC boat for signals and don't forget to check in with the RC - that is the first thing we usually do.

If you are not used to bigger fleets a couple of things can help:

- Go to the event dinner and enjoy! One of the great aspects of a traveling event is the opportunity to make new friends in the fleet and to catch up with old ones. Ultimately this is the long lasting reward that makes the whole experience very fulfilling.

After racing has concluded on the Sunday it is very good to thank the race committee and the volunteers that made the weekend possible as well as any host club member you come across.

On the drive home -- log all that you have learned in the wet notes book for the next regatta. This book will become of enormous use as you travel back to the same venue at later times.

Quick Kerr Bio !  Co owner with Chris Winnard of  3 time S20 National Champion "Disaster Area"  , North U Seminars speaker and coach, J World sailing Schools rep and staff trainer, "Sailing World " contributor, 2000 J24 National champion, 3rd- 2000 J24 World Championships.