5-1 on Con Cup Day 2

March 25th, 2010 in General.

Another fluky day greeted sailors on he second day of Congressional Cup 2010. The seabreeze didn’t quite fill until about three in the afternoon. On board Team Hardesty we were able to execute our decisions a little better than yesterday and had a little luck on our side that we lacked previously and had a 5-1 record on day three putting us in third overall with a record of 7-4. We still have 7 races left in our second round robin so we look forward to some tough races and good opportunities ahead tomorrow.

Results and media: www.ConCup.com

0 comments.

Olympic Training to Congressional Cup

March 23rd, 2010 in General.

Last week was the first of two physical testing camps at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics and development squad. Some sixty sailors were living in the dorms, hitting the weights and scrambling in and out of pool drills in three and a half days of physical tests, psychological assessments and nutritional seminars. We rubbed elbows with USA Boxing among other teams using he phenomenal facility at 3500 feet above sea level. It was a reaffirmation that the USOC is serious about winning and provides the environment perfect for distraction-free training. As sore as some of us are, I’m excited to get back and improve my test scores.

Straight away after leaving Colorado on Sunday, I flew to California to prep for the 2010 Congressional Cup held annually by the Long Beach YC. This regatta is one of the legendary ones in American sailing. It’s the US’s only World Match Race Tour stop, and will be sailed in identical Catalina 37s. If you want to follow along you can do so at www.ConCup.com. I am calling tactics for Team Hardesty.

1 comment.

13th at Bacardi Cup. Regatta ends with big breeze

March 15th, 2010 in General.

bacardi-2010.jpg 

 Not racing on Friday had the star fleet anxious for two races on Saturday regardless of forecast. Twenty knot westerly breeze filled into Biscayne Bay for the first of two scheduled races. The blast reach out to the race course barely gave us a taste of what we would see in the day’s race. Chris and I set the boat up for big breeze and got our angles sorted out but were quickly nulified by a 20 degree swing to the left right as the gun went off. We flopped onto port tack and essentially fetched the windward mark some 2 miles later. Because of the massive lefty the first reach of the triangle windward leeward course (something I hadn’t seen in the star but apparently not uncommon for windy weather) was a very tight angle. Th second reach was almost dead downwind wreaking havoc on the fleet. Race leaders Peter Bromby and Magnus Liljedahl lost their mast along with four other boats during one of the windiest puffs of the day later on that leg. Chris and I had a nice race going slicing and dicing out way into the top ten but gave away about five boats in a nasty shift sequence at the top of the last beat. We were only able to pick up one on the downwind to finish 14th in the race. Unfortunately the RC decided to send the fleet in after one race probably due to the fact that they had lost 5 safety boats keeping track of the broken boats.

After dropping our Black Flag Chris and I moved up the leaderboard to 13th place overall. Not a bad finish considering the circumstances of out last minute crew mixup and our early starting penalty. Man would we love to have that race back considering how well we were going in the light air.

Full results at www.MiamiSailingWeek.com.

Next on the calendar is a US team training camp in Colorado Springs this coming weekend. I’ll go straight from there to Long Beach to sail the Congressional Cup match race regatta. The schedule refuses to let up, I’m excited for the next challenge.

Thanks to John Payne for the photo. Also many thanks to Sperry Top-Sider, North Sails, Kaenon Polarized, Team McLube and US Sailing Team Alphagraphics for their support.

1 comment.

No Racing on Day 5

March 12th, 2010 in General.

We were postponed ashore today after serious bands of weather moved across much of the eastern us including southern Florida. We had a couple good inches of rain in Miami along with one bolt of lightning but none of the extreme winds they had only a few hundred miles north and west of us. The RC had to be precautious but unfortunately that will demand a backloaded schedule of two races on the final day of racing tomorrow. Races five and six are scheduled for an early start at 1030 tomorrow with no races allowed to start after 1330. Chris and I will be happy to have a throwout take effect tomorrow provided we can have two clean starts and discard our BFD from race 2.

Please check www.CampbellSailing.com for updates tomorrow. Results and info at wWw.miamisailingweek.com

0 comments.

14 in Race 4

March 11th, 2010 in General.

A blustery forecast greeted us today in Miami but didn’t materialize. We tightened our settings anticipating a breezier race but still had good speed as the wind fizzled out as the weather moved across northern Florida. Chris and I broke out to the right hand side after starting near the boat end but ultimately had more breeze on the left over the 2.1 mile beat. We rounded in the mid twenties and watched about 7 boats pull off the course after brig labeled dsq for a black flag starting penalty. At one point down the run we were probably 10th but couldn’t consolidate our efforts ultimately crossing the finish in 14th. Slowly but surely we’re cruising up the scoreboard in 18th before the throwout comes into play tomorrow.

Stay tuned at www.campbellsailing.com

1 comment.

Third in race three + interview

March 10th, 2010 in General.

We finally  got a chance to redeem ourselves from yesterday’s black flag. We started in champagne sailing conditions: 8-12 steady knots, flat water and 75 degrees near the mid-line mark. Chris and I were able to hold in a tough lane for just long enough that we could tack and cross most of the fleet barring about 15 boats. When we finally blasted into clear air on port I realized that we were pointed almost at the mark still a mile distant. A drag race ensued and we were able to put ourselves in third around the mark. Our downwind speed was less than the best but we were able to claw back upwind with great pace and height. After picking the right gate at the second leeward mark we were able to close a 4 length lead to Andy Horton and James Lyne, leebowing them for the final port tack to the finish to take 3rd in the race. I’m excited and I know Chris is excited as well to be on the podium considering this is his 35th consecutive Bacardi Cup! It is certainly a great reward for a 2 hour 15 minute race.

In other news please check out a new interview on USSailing team Alphagraphics’ website. http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Releases/Interview_with_Andrew_Campbell.htm

0 comments.

BFD in race 2 at Bacardi Cup

March 9th, 2010 in General.

Thankfully longtime Star crew Chris Rogers was here this weekend without a skipper so I could have somebody to sail with after Brad decided he would be better spending the week with the doctors. We had two starts today, the second of which went off under the threat of black flag. Usually this means line sag should be taken advantage of. Unfortunately I took a little too much advantage of the sag and was one of about 12 boats called OCS and given a starting penalty and removed at the windward mark. Adding insult to injury, Chris and I capitalized on great speed with our light air jib trading tacks with Peter Bromby and Magnus Liljedahl as we rounded the first mark overlapped with the first place boat. We’ll call it a moral victory? More unfortunately all the SDYC guys including us, Reynolds and Szabo were all on the BFD list. Sounds like a conspiracy theory brewing? We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to redeem ourselves.

2 comments.

Bacardi Cup Day 1

March 8th, 2010 in General.

After a week of great north breeze, the Miami heat showed up again today killing the northerly and making conditions perfect for a light seabreeze. We waited on shore an extra hour and then ghosted out into a 4-6 knot easterly. The sailing was just beautiful all things considered, but a 20 degree lefty in the middle of the first two-mile beat spoiled our day. About ten boats were caught in the black flag starting penalty but even so we rounded well into the 50s after fighting our way back from the right side. We had intended to go right all along so I can’t beat myself up too much. And we had really nice pace around the course so we were able to make up nice gains and have a respectable finish in 20th place.

The real unfortunate part of the day was Brad’s back deteriorating as the day went on. He had spent yesterday rigging while I was racing the 32. But when we got to the boat today his back had tightened up so much that he could barely fit under the boom in tacks. Luckily it wasn’t too windy so he wasn’t over strained but by the end of the day Brad could barely walk without wincing in pain. So as I write we’re sitting at the doctor waiting for an MRI to hopefully confirm that it’s just a temporary problem demanding only rest and not actions more drastic. Meanwhile we’re scouring the boatpark for a replacement crew for the week. We’ll try to keep you updated at CampbellSailing.com.

0 comments.

Miami Grand Prix down Bacardi Cup to go…

March 7th, 2010 in General.

Quickly, thanks to the discussion and comments last week I think it is valuable to have a discussion about the subject raised by Mr. Hayes’ comments regarding professionals in the sport of sailing. I look forward to not only reading his book but having more dialogue with him and others on the subject. To read the article go to www.CampbellSailing.com.

Miami provided a week of fabulous sailing this week starting with a smoking windy southerly on Tuesday and another 18-25 knot westerly for practice on Wedneday. Any time you can sail 17.5 knots in any boat you’re having a good day. Ninkasi and the other Melges 32s were on fire this week off South Beach. The four days of the regatta were equally as spectacular albeit a bit cool with 10-20 knot northerlies holding for the entire weekend until we were coming in he harbor today when the breeze finally started it’s regular swing into the east and southeast. We had an up and down day to finish out series with a 3rd and a throwout today to finish 8th overall in the fleet of 23 boats. We had some potential to move up the board but didn’t catch the right breaks in the final race to make that push. We did however find some ellusivd upwind speed that we haven’t had regularly and combined with good starts quite often found ourselves in the hunt. Our downwind speed lacked this event hurting us in the end, but that will be our focus for the season looking toward the worlds in San Francisco in September.

It’s a quick turnaround for me. First race of the Bacardi Cup starts at 1155 tomorrow inside Biscayne Bay so I’ve moved out of the hotel with the team and onto My crew Brad’s couch for the week. I’m really looking forward to be racing the Star again after just more than a month’s recovery from the Worlds in Rio. Lots of tuning numbers to tune out as we will be racing a different chartered boat here in Miami, but with a new jib and a bit of feel on the helm we should be able to make a splash this week.

More to come from Miami this week at www.CampbellSailing.com and results at www.MiamiSailingWeek.com

0 comments.

“Frankly, pros have no place in the vast majority of sailing…”

March 1st, 2010 in General.

An interesting interview coming from a US Sailing interview with author Nicholas Hayes led off Scuttlebutt today. I’m not sure where Mr. Hayes get’s off with his strong comments in such a public forum. For a sailor trying to promote and grow the sport, it’s a little tough to understand his negativity toward professionalism in sailing. Here are his comments:

US SAILING: Amateurs often compete against professionals… Some believe this is great for the sport. What is your take?

Nicholas Hayes: …I don’t know many amateurs who think it is great. (I know, snarky… but true.)

Seriously, let’s start here: sailing is only a sport when sailors race. It is better defined as time spent on the water with family or friends. Racing is just one format, and it represents about 20% of sailing (in terms of time.)

Secondly, I like to race, and I like to take home a flag when I do… but the majority of sailors know that a race is meaningless except in the friendships that it secures and the memories that it makes. This perspective is shared by 99% of sailors, and applies to 99% of starts. Frankly, pros have no place in the vast majority of sailing as it is done today, and I don’t see that changing much.

I go to lengths in the book to explain how sailing as a profession doesn’t sync well with sailing as a pastime. I’ve come to conclude that if someone is able to convince someone else to finance their fun, so be it… but the progress in technique or skill isn’t worth the costs in the whole. I hope your readers will consider the evidence that I present and decide for themselves.

I’ll concede that I have not read his book, but after reading these paragraphs I’m quite skeptical. Unfortunately his interview response probably hits more people than he thinks who will read only the interview and not consider the evidence in order to decide for themselves. While I understand Mr. Hayes is writing to grow the entire concept of “sailing” from cruising on the lake in your sunfish all the way to the America’s Cup, I’m not sure that his comment “a race is meaningless except in the friendships that it secures and the memories that it makes,” helps to make his point. I regret that Mr. Hayes fails to understand the camaraderie and respect between professionals and amateurs alike at the highest echelons of any sport, including sailing. A match race between two boats of professionals will have the same level of respect for the rules and each other as a match race between two amateur squads. Professionalism and elite amateurism as in the Olympic arena provides a measuring point to which other racing sailors might aspire.

By disconnecting that elite group of sailors from what Mr. Hayes calls “the 99%,” he fails to recognize the path by which elite sailors get to the top. There are very few professional sailors who did not start at a basic level of the sport or even a more casual form of sailing. As sailors improve through the ranks of any aspect of the sport whether it be match, team, fleet, distance, inshore, monohull, multihull, skiff or foil racing they always look to the higher level sailors to learn and practice techniques. Youth sailors look up to professional and Olympic sailors in addition to their parents and peers to show them the way forward in the sport.

I appreciate Mr. Hayes comment that “It’s hard to imagine a grandma, son and grandson all playing soccer together, but it’s easy to find them playing together on a sailboat.” I grew up racing with my parents and my grandparents, but I think my grandmothers would be the first ones to tell you that if I only raced against them until I was 23 years old I might not have been able to represent them at the Olympic Games. More than 1% of sailors recognize the need to compete against the best to become better. Pros make racing better. Pros make sailors better. If a person wants to improve himself or herself, how can you possibly make an argument against that? If they believe that the best way to continue improving in the sport is to enlist help from a professional, it is absurd to tell them they should not. If a sailor wants to improve himself or herself they must turn to someone with more experience and often more skill. At some point when the sailor wants to improve steadily he or she will need to turn to a professional for advice.

Why on earth would Mr. Hayes argue against “progress in technique or skill?” That single sentence is seemingly counter-productive to the entire goal of US Sailing. He says it isn’t worth the costs? What costs does he refer to? Is there some moral problem the Mr. Hayes sees in a professional attitude toward sport or does he simply refer to the dollars handed between individuals in return for advice and instruction? Does he think that his stake as a professional writer takes away from his children’s potential to read and write themselves? Does his position as a professional writer not influence amateur writers in a positive way? 

 This probably underlines my most important rebuttal to Mr. Hayes’ interview response: if professionalism is disconnected from 99% of sailors then it will be to the detriment of sailing. Amateurs need professionals just as much as professionals need amateurs. Adult basketball players from the local YMCA are not hurt by buying a ticket to the Wizards NBA game. In fact they’re probably better off if they were looking to learn something about the game. If an adult wants to hire a coach to improve, then let him. That doesn’t hurt anybody, it only improves the level of sailing. Sailing is one of the best examples of a sport where professionals can compete alongside amateurs on a regular basis. Why not use the opportunity to learn from each other and improve each other? I look forward to reading Mr. Hayes book and gaining an understanding of one perspective on my favorite sport.

Please visit www.CampbellSailing.com for more.

19 comments.

Older » « Newer