Rio 2016 - Kiwi Sonar crew going all out in the big breeze for final

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 17 Sep 2016 The New Zealand Sonar keelboat crew of Rick Dodson, Andrew May and Chris Sharp have it all before them in the final race of the Paralympics in Guanbara Bay, tomorrow.

They are one of a group of five boats who are contesting the remaining two medals after the Australian crew won the Gold medal in a topsy-turvy day in Rio de Janeiro.

With three races left to sail in the regatta and with a very close points situation, the New Zealand crew started well in the southerly breeze which average about 12kts.

“The first race was good. We got away to a good start and had a good first beat, and were holding onto first or second place, at the top mark. When we got to the top mark it went “whooff”! We just parked in a 3kt tide that was against us. We went from first or second down to third to last,' said skipper Rick Dodson.

“It was quite frustrating!'

“We just didn’t see it coming. We couldn’t do anything.'

The tracker shows the Kiwi crew holding second or third place, in the close racing and then just stopping dead at the offset mark while the rest of the fleet piled through.

The main beneficiary was the crack Australian crew who went from close to the back of the fleet to be in second place just after rounding the offset mark and went on to win the Gold Medal.

“The fleet just went past us and that was the end of it,” he added.

“In the second race we got a good start and got into third and fourth spot fighting with the Germans in 12kts of air.

“We are running downwind quite well. We had a debrief with Russell Coutts, Joe Allen, Mattie Mason and Tom Dodson, when we were training back in Auckland. We talked to them about it. Most people let their rigs go forward downwind. They suggested that we pull the rig back and keep them very tight. The difference was really quite significantly faster. We keep it taught and stable up until about 12kts – 15kts.

“Above that we let it forward. We are going fast downwind.”

“With the Sonars the keels aren’t very deep, and the boat is quite wide, so you have to sail it flat the whole time. As flat as you can upwind,” he added.

With the regatta coming to an end, Dodson reflected on the whole Paralympic experience, which is quite a contrast to to other regattas in which he has competed and won, including two America's Cup a One Ton Cup and an Admirals Cup as well as OK Dinghy Worlds and Olympic Finn campaigns.

“This Paralympics has been great – you meet all the people in the athletes village. We get to meet a lot of Gold medallists. Sure they are disabled often in a small way – missing half a limb or something like that. But they all have a good, good outlook on life.'

'They are very competitive, but they don’t get anal about the whole thing. It is all good fun, and they are all nice people.'

'I have really enjoyed being around them. You do joke a little bit about life!'

'It has been really good for us. All the people in the Auckland sailing community have really got behind us. Initially it was (David) Barnes and me. But everyone has been helping us so much from the Mike Clark, Neville Crichton and Michael Fay – who have all put their hands in their pockets. But they and others have also opened doors for us which has been very good and a great help.

The Australian crew won the Gold Medal in the Sonar with a race to spare. The second Gold medal of the day for the Australian sailing team.

'We have been training with the Australians in the build up, and I went over to them today after winning the Gold medal, and they said “Well it is actually you guys that have won it for us,” Dodson said wryly.

'We went over to Sydney twice and spent three days each time training with them, and we were going quite well against them.'

'When we went back again we were on top of them.

'They are heavier than us, an in the Rio breeze it has usually been 15 kts. We had 18kts one day, and the crew are all hiking as hard as we can. There hasn’t been much of the 8-10kts stuff – always a good breeze. With the Australians being heavy, they like a good breeze.

“They have been in the boat a lot longer than we have. But that is the way it is.'

“The racing is very competitive and very close – there is no-one dragging the chain, except maybe for a couple.

'Tomorrow we are all on the Sugarloaf course. We race for an hour starting at noon, then the SKUD’s race for an hour and then the 2.4’s race for an hour – all on the same Sugarloaf course. We all have just one race.

“It would be nicer if we were on the Naval (outer) course, but the Sugarloaf is closer to the beach for the spectators.

“The forecast is for 20kts – it’s going to blow hard. The whole fleet race together and it’s single points.

'We had a chat with Brownie (Andrew Brown, coach) and Andrew May. We’ve just got to go for it. Work out what is the best side and just go for it.

'We have to get some points between us and the Americans (currently 6pts ahead in second place). '