ELIMINATION 6 – THINGS STARTING TO COME TOGETHER.
With the wind still strong again, I stuck with the 6.2/90/32 combo. I came out of the first gybe in fourth, but this time I went on the attack. Poor Gonzo was probably just trying to cruise around in third for qualification, but each gybe I would snap inside of him, and each reach he would claw it back. In the end I managed to get ahead of him, but probably he just wanted to stay out of trouble, as we both qualified.
ELIMINATION 6 – QUARTERFINAL 2 –SEMIS GETTING CLOSER.
My second quarterfinal and this time the conditions were much more to my liking. With waves cutting through the course and mixing with the chop it was pretty technical gybing, particularly on the outside. If ever I was going to have an opportunity to get to the semis, it was now.
After a reasonable start I arrived at the first mark in touch with the pack and, following a safe gybe, came out in contention. I dropped down to get the inside line at the outside mark and came out in fourth, with Maciek Rutkowski below and just behind. Maciek had actually been really helpful all week and advising whenever I had questions. However here we were neck and neck and you could see there was no way he was going to let a ‘wave sailor’ beat him. Coming into the third gybe he had the inside line, pushed me up high and left me nothing to do but wait for him to gybe and follow him around. Not only did he get ahead, but he also left so much space at the mark that two others went through too. No chance to make up the ground after that, so I finished sixth, but in this one the semis were definitely within sight.
