Salsa Update #3

Sunday, July 19

Day one of racing has just concluded. Team Salsa was 12th over the finish line, there was only one race scheduled today. Tommorow and Tuesday will be two a day. The conditions remain the same, 20-25 knots of breeze lots of waves and tide. The race course is windward-leeward 2.5 laps, aprox. 8 miles or 1.5 hours. There are 64 competitors from 25 countries. Racing is very close, there are a lot if very good sailors competing.

Team Salsa got off the starting line well after two general recalls, we had control of our situation and unfortunately chose to go to what turned out to be the unfavored side of the race course. We were the third boat back from the left side of the first leg unfortunately 30 boats from the favored right side beat us to the first turning mark. We steadily worked our way back twords the lead pack, although every boat is a challenge to pass. Down wind legs are full of wave riding, as much as a J24 can ride a wave, and we still seem to go pretty fast down wind. Up wind legs are lumpy and wet. Today was generally satisfiying, highlights include a great start! improved upwind speed, the ability to "come back" in a tough fleet, down wind speed and boat handling, and mostly just going sailboat racing. Rich has done an excellent job with the jib, Wiss has been solid under hard conditions on the bow, PJ has kept us in the right place, with the exceptions of the first leg which was a group decision, Jens has Salsa going pretty fast and Jock is jumping in all over the place, when ever neccesary. So that's about it, the results are as follows, although preliminary, as I can hear the jury deliberating next door, there are two boats that finished in front of us involved in protests, we'll keep our fingures crossed. RESULTS: 1.Argentinian Crew, 2.V. Brun*, 3.T. Hutchinson, 4.C. Larson, 5.Whittemore, 6.C. Snow, 7.Zaleski, 8.Kaan*, 9. Goepfrich, 10.Gonzalez, 11.Charon, 12. TEAM SALSA, other RI boats, MOOKIE, J. Miles DNS-dropped out with a broken rudder. By the way there was plenty of stuff breaking out ther today, big stuff like rudders and booms. So far Salsa at age 19 is in tact. "*" indicate boats with protests pending. Results will actually be posted on the St Francis Yacht Club web site at www.STFYC.com. The Salsa Update has recently been picked up by the J24-class web site and we will be distributing advertising rates soon, reserve your space early it's going fast! More to follow....TEAM SALSA.