Level-Pegging for the Top Three

by Anna Tunnicliffe on 13 Oct 2007 The top three sailors were points-neutral in the US Sailing Olympic Selection Trials for the Laser Radial Class here today. Sarah Lihan had two second place finishes for four points while Paige Railey and I each posted firsts and thirds, also for four points. My five-point winning margin for the series is unchanged with six races remaining.

We raced today in a difficult short chop and 12-15 knot Easterly breeze with some higher gusts that brought misty rain by day’s end. Looking back, I had some first race jitters after a day off from racing. It took me a while to get the boat going and get comfortable.

I had a decent start in the first race and got to the windward mark in third place behind Paige and Sarah. Downwind Sarah capsized and I was able to pass Paige and gain some separation on her. That’s where I pulled a bonehead move and for some reason jibed onto port while she was on the right-of-way starboard tack. She came at me and scored a foul on me, forcing me to do two penalty turns and lose a lot of distance. I managed to pull back some of that territory over the remaining beat and run and was able to pass one boat just before the finish line to log a third place. Paige won while Sarah was second.

I kicked myself for conceding the foul but shook it off and had a great start in the second race, winning the pin end with Sarah right on my hip. By now I’d settled down and my speed was much better. Sarah and I were launched and it became our race as we battled it out over all four legs. Sarah got around the windward mark in first place but I overtook on the run. She came back at me on the next beat and at the weather mark she was just ahead as we tacked in unison, with me on the outside. I attacked and overtook on the reach and then extended on the last run. Sarah finished second. Paige was third.

You can find Laser Radial Results on the web pages of Sail Newport, and every night I will have a report for you. I would like to thank my sponsors Carmeuse and K-Swiss for supporting my campaign for the Olympic Gold. My website is www.annatunnicliffe.com.

Sail hard,