Hi everyone,
As some may know, i've travelled to Tavira, Portugal to compete in the ISAF Youth Worlds on the RSX. This is a thread where I put up some info and let everyone know a bit about it!
This is the start of our 3rd day of training, so far its only been really light and hot, still waiting for the seabreeze we were promised to fill through and give us some planing conditions! 2 more days until we are given our regatta equipment and 4 days until racing starts!! There is plenty of tide out off the coast so that will add an interesting element to the racing! Its also bloody hot, big change from Hobart at this time of year!!
Ill attempt to put up another update before racing starts and ill share a link for results and what not. Stay tuned!
Cheers,
Jock Calvert.
I went to Portugal many moons ago in June and it was dead calm every day. Didn't think they ever got sea breezes over there going by my little travels there. Anyway hope it all kicks in for you and all the best in the comp
Update #2We got our equipment today! Everything is supplied brand new by Neil Pryde for the regatta so it was like christmas unwrapping and setting up a brand new kit! Only problem was we were put in this massive tent thing and it was hotter inside than outside - and it was already cooking outside!! All the windsurfers had sweat running everywhere and some people we all running over each others stuff as some 60 boys and girls tried to do all their rigging at once! Once we got on the water though we were let down by the seabreeze again, and had another light day. My session was cut short however. I headed out and went up-wind for 5-10 minutes, only tacking once and doing some light pumps. But after i turned downwind and gybed a few times my batten 6 (out of 7, 2nd from bottom and cammed) broke!! So back to the shore i went, only getting 15 minutes in. Good news is they gave me another batten free of charge. Everything else felt awesome, so hopefully during tomorrows practice race i can do some more fine-tuning ready for the day after and race 1!
Had our first day of racing yesterday, started well with a 10 and a 16, didnt have a great 3rd race with a 24. Still feeling stoked, ready for another day!! Results here
www.worldsailingywc.org/results/2014_tavira_portugal.php
Check this out.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Queensland/ISAF-Youth-World-Championships-Tavira-2014/
Select to expand quote[b]sSails said..[/b]Good work Jock, were following you mate.
Indeed you have Jock! We're checking daily for updates!
Enjoy the experience mate - you're living a dream most of us have had once or three times in our lives!
Looks like they had a few more races today Well done Jock this is going to be such great experience and heaps of fun
Sorry for the long time since ive checked in, but with 350 youth sailors in the same hotel all trying to use the internet its been pretty slow! We just finished day 4 so ill do a small wrap up.
Day 2 was marginal conditions, about 8-10 knots and i really struggled for speed upwind. Its been exposed as a real weakness and ill have lots of work to do!! Couldnt get any good results, all in the high 20's. Didnt get off the water until 9:45pm either, so it was a super long day!!!
Day 3 we didnt get any racing in because of there was very little wind.
Day 4, similar to day 2 with the conditions, 8-10 knots so another day at the pack of the pack. Had learnt some important lessons though and performed better, even though the results dont show it!!
Ill put up an image from the first day waiting for the first race! My excitement got the better of me!
Today marked the start of my next big adventure, but a bit closer to home this time - Melbourne! I've been here for a week already for some training with the Australian coach Max Wojcik. Its been an awesome week and I made lots of valuable steps forward in terms of technique and speed. We had conditions ranging from 4 - 40 knots (not even joking, we were out in 40 knots on 9.5m sails with 220L boards with a 66cm fin) so we were able to cover lots of different conditions and learn in all of them.
Today though, was the start of Sail Melbourne - which is part of the olympic sailing world cup. We have 7 entries for this event, 3 from Australia (myself, Sam Treharne, and another tassie boy Hugh Jones, who hasn't really ever sailed the RSX, but is here just for some fun), 3 from Russia (all are ranked inside the top 40 in the world) and 1 from Lithuania (also with a low ranking). The level is really high, and that was represented in todays racing. We had conditions that started as 8-10 knots for the first race, but built through to the third race to be roughly 12-14 knots. We raced two laps around a windward-leeward course.
The first race started at 12, and the fleet got off to a really even start, with me and one of the Russian sailors pulling slighty ahead of the pack. We were both caught up and pushed back down a bit. It was very physical sailing, lots of pumping onto the plane and staying there, although it was a slightly different kind of planing as we had our centreboards down upwind - its called railing. I ended up 5th in this race, after losing the lead pack on the 1st downwind.
The second race was started equally well, everyone showing good speed and power. At this stage, the wind was starting to shift right a bit with the seabreeze as it continued to set in, and I made a massive gain by taking early and getting some extra pressure. I managed to cross the fleet and lead the race, and Hugh got as high as 3rd by using the same tactic. I held the lead up to the first top mark, but lost it on the downwind. I was relegated back to 4th, and stayed there for the remainder of the race.
The third race threw up an interesting decision - try and plane only off the fin, going faster but at a greater angle to the wind, or keep the centreboard down and continue to go close to the wind. It ended up being faster to go off the centreboard, and those who tried to go off the fin (myself included) ended up having bad starts and being put on the back foot. I was able to recover however by immediately putting my centreboard down and tacking off to the right hand side of the course. I was again able to get a great gust and a favourable shift, which put me back in contention for the lead. I was able to sail fast enough to take it, but ended up rounding the top mark second. The downwind yet again proved to be my downfall, and I was put back into 5th place and forced to stay there, although I almost stole 4th right at the finish line.
The Bic Techno 293 class, where there are 3 entries (including my little brother angus), also had some good racing. Angus managed to get three 2nd places, and is still easily within touching distance of the leader.
In conclusion, its been an awesome first day, with the sun shining, the wind blowing and the racing really tight. A very good showing by 3 tassie racers! Tomorrow we start later, so hopefully the seabreeze will have set in and we can have some full planing races. We still have for more four more days with three races, and then one final double points medal race to finish with, so there is plenty more racing to come! Ill do my best to keep the thread updated with what happens each day. Until then, the results can be found at these websites;
RSX men: --------->http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/results/index.phprgtaid=17240&evntid=32961&view=fleetevent#results__17240
Bic Techno 293: ----> sailingresults.net/sa/results/overall.aspx?ID=59.43
Great to read your report Jock, well done to all of you guys representing TAS! Good luck!
Select to expand quoteSteve Charles said..
keep the reports comin Jock. Go team Tas, good luck and well done guys
Come of Steve you tight ass bastard Fergus should be over there
Select to expand quotehouston said..Steve Charles said..
keep the reports comin Jock. Go team Tas, good luck and well done guys
Come of Steve you tight ass bastard Fergus should be over there Yes I am. He should have, could have gone and nearly did. The only reason he didnt go is he hasnt actually completed a race yet. Wont be long
Select to expand quoteJockyC said..
Its been an awesome week and I made lots of valuable steps forward in terms of technique and speed. We had conditions ranging from 4 - 40 knots (not even joking, we were out in 40 knots on 9.5m sails with 220L boards with a 66cm fin) so we were able to cover lots of different conditions and learn in all of them.
Using gear at extreme limits makes you understand how it handles and is a great method to improve board control. 9.5 in 40 knots is pretty out there though- I had a 6.6 in 30 plus knots on the raceboard a few weeks back and that was at the limit of my ability. 
Keep the reports coming.
Clarence
Day 2 - We had planing conditions today! Was 15ish knots, with some good gusts but also big lulls. The racing was still tight in the top 5 though, some different people showed their skills and came to the front, but I was still just at the back of the pack, I got 5,5,4.
The first race I got beaten off the start line, didnt quite have my pumping dialed in and had to tack away, losing lots of ground. It left me behind, and my lack of speed downwind speed meant I couldnt get back in to the race.
The second race was slightly more windy, and my speed was improving as it built. I had another bad start though, and the situation was similar to the first race but I was much closer.
The third race was even windier, and I felt much more comfortable and much faster. I tried a different tactic off the start, starting on port tack and dipping the fleet to head out to some better wind on the right hand side of the course. This meant I had clear air the whole way, and it payed off massively. I almost took the lead in this race, but ended up crossing in 3rd when the fleet came back together. I was overtaken by the top mark and was in 4th, but I was able to hold it until the end. Was super happy with this race, really learnt my lessons from the first two races and improved.
Angus managed to get three wins and has taken the lead in the techno class (Could have been fergus, cmon steve 
)
Light wind forecast for tomorrow, will be interesting to see how that throws things up.
Day 3 - super light wind! We were postponed on shore for an hour, and then sent on the water only to be postponed for another hour. When we did get enough wind to race, it was light, flukey and there was lots of tide.
The first race was tough, I had a decent start but was left behind by the europeans, who showed just how fit you need to be if you wanna reach the top! They pumped for the whole 35 minute race, not stopping for more than 30 seconds at a time! I tried my best and worked as hard as I could, but it was 5th for me.
We had some more wind for the next race, it was almost railing conditions (8ish knots) The second race started badly, I didn't have a great start and had to tack away. It got worse though, because when I tacked back onto starboard and hooked in, i noticed that the screw that holds my harness lines together had fallen off and was sitting on my board. I managed to grab it before it washed away and was able to fix it for the 3rd race, but I still had to do the whole of the 2nd race without one of my harness lines. It was seriously taxing for my body and my speed was rubbish. I was a very very distant 5th in this one, but was still able to take my perseverance away as a positive (I did finish the race).
The third race was about 10 knots, to easily railing conditions and almost planing conditions for the upwind, definitely planing downwind. I had a great start in this one from the pin end on starboard, and I tacked early to go towards better breeze. This payed off and I was in 2nd. I held that place up to the top mark, but I was 5th by the end of the downwind. Again, my fitness and technique for the light planing downwind was way off where it needed to be, but some feedback from the coach will hopefully have that on the mend. On the second lap I clawed my way back to 3rd, but rounded the top mark in 4th. On the downwind I fended off one of the Russian competitors, but on the final reach to the finish in a do or die, maximum effort drag race to the finish he managed to pass me and get the wind by about 30cm. I was still seriously happy with this race though, as I fought all the way to end and was in it until the end.
Im completely buggered now, and looking forward to some rest. Forecast for tomorrow is 20-25 knots, which makes me very happy because I am fast in that much wind. I'd love to get a top 3 finish, but ill be happy to be in amongst the racing and learning as much as I have the last few days!
Agree with Alan and All - brilliant work Jock!
Glad Hugh and Sam are there too.
Your reports are great reading, inspiring, thanks.
Good luck for tomorrow.
