Jon Deutsch

Despite a dismal forecast we ended up with better wind than Saturday for the 2nd day of the Laser District 10 Championship at Manasquan River Yacht Club.  Out on the ocean course we started on time and sailed 3 races in 6-9 knot breezes.  I generally didn’t start well which put me in a tough spot for the first beat and I settled for just below mid-fleet in each race.

The excitement for the day was the ride in – since we had better wind than expected, we finished the racing sooner than expected and before the current turned to go back into the river.  So to return to the club we were sailing downwind and up current.  Most of the trip was fine until we got to the bridges.  The railroad bridge is only about 40-50ft wide and only 1 maybe two boats can get through there at a time.  The current also rips through the 1 span that boats can go through.

With some well-timed and vicious sculling and pumping I made it through on the first try.  Others weren’t so lucky and had to make a couple attempts, get a tow, or one unlucky sailor made it through only to be pushed back into the bridge where he went back under it tipped over while trying to be towed out.  The 2nd bridge was a little easier, but still a struggle to get under.

RESULTS

In NJ this weekend sailing the Laser District 10 Championship at Manasquan River Yacht Club.  Prior to sailing here all I had hear about the place is that the channel was really narrow and the current runs really strongly.

The ride out to the course was pretty interesting.  Not only is was the current taking us out, but there is a bridge to go under and a railroad bridge that closed just before we got to it, so we had to circle and not be swept into it by the current.  We made it out to the channel where the wind was blowing 15+ on the ocean with small white caps and a bit of a swell coming out of the south.

The first race got underway in quite a bit of wind.  I made a mistake while repairing my bailer that kept me from being able to open it.  So in the sloppy waves my cockpit filled up with water.  I got around the course, but just never really had it figured out and was deep.

By the second race the wind had mostly died out to just a few knots.  I won the boat and got a righty just after the start allowing me to just punch out by 1/4 way up the beat.  I led until the last 1/4 of the last leg where Mike Russom finally reeled me in and picked a few better shifts at the finish of the shortened course leaving me with a 2.

The 3rd and 4th races were also sailed after waiting for the wind to settle.  Both light-air affairs.  The only highlight was banging the left corner so hard to hook into more pressure that I was able to reach into the mark passing 5 boats.  Why there were so many boats to pass was given my finish position is another story.

I’m currently in 11th and with a couple good races tomorrow I should be able to move up a few spots.

RESULTS