ELIMINATION 4 – FINALLY IT GOES RIGHT.
Another light-ish wind race for 7.8/105/36. My start tactic was now to position myself upwind of the pack that always fights it out at the pin. That way I could keep them in my sights but be free from their dirty air. This time it worked beautifully, as they were having a real scrap down the bottom. I arrived at the first mark in third and following a decent gybe I was looking good. Round the outside gybe and I was still in 3rd, and there didn’t seem too many people around me either. Suddenly I realised that I had quite a lead over fifth place and the qualification was now mine to lose. Coming into the third gybe, all I was thinking was “don’t crash don’t crash”, which is obviously the worst thing to think. Sure enough, as I come out the gybe, the rail catches and I get pulled round the front, back foot in the air. I just manage to hold on, choosing to slam the brakes on rather than risk falling. I lose third place instantly, but I am still fourth and, following some frantic pumping and a final wobbly gybe I cross the line in fourth. The spectators were probably wondering why I was fist pumping for fourth, but goal number 1 was in the bag.
ELIMINATION 4 – QUARTERFINAL 1.
With a night to sleep on it, I woke up ready for the quarterfinal fight. Could I make it through this and into the semis, thus
guaranteeing at least a losers final spot? With the wind a bit stronger, I opted for 7.0/105/36. I can’t really claim I was ever in much of a qualifying position, but I was in touch with the pack and in fifth place until the final gybe. Cyril Moussilmani stopped dead in front of me, meaning I had to slam the breaks on and watch as two people shot by. But still, with that result, there was hope that the semi final was in reach.
ELIMINATION 5 – SO CLOSE.
Finally the strong winds of Fuerte were starting to kick in. I always figured the rougher it got, the more chance I had. Our sails are so easy to use and gybe with that it would really be an advantage. I took the 6.2/90/32 and after a decent first gybe I was in a position to attack third place. However, instead of trying to move forward I focused on defending fourth, with young Jordy Vonk right on my tail. It went nicely to plan all the way until the final mark where, once again, Cyril Moussilmani stopped dead in front of me. Jordy ducked low with a great gybe and had just enough to get ahead of me, leaving me devastated in fifth. I vowed after that to always fight for third, because you never know what’s going to happen…
