Day two at Key West Race Week saw variable winds and light breeze. The J-70 class is very tight and with no one team dominating it is anyones game. A storm system came in and disrupted the racecourse with forty degree wind shifts hampering the race committees efforts to set up a fair course.
On USA 32 we had a decent start in the first race and played the shifts well. Our boat speed we great upwind and it was easy for us to hold a lane which helped in the choppy light conditions. We rounded in the top 5 but lost a few places downwind after getting on the wrong side of a big shift. It was trying times and we were happy to finish 14th.
The second race we had a great start at the mid boat and tacked onto port immediately. This was crucial as the boats that did this punched out in the lead. We It ended up being back and forth but our upwind speed and downwind tactics (lessons learned from the first race) helped keep us in the mix. An exciting finish saw us nip in for a great second place finish! This put us in fourth overall and third best boat of the day.
Erik Shampain: "I am very happy with todays performance. We worked hard on boat speed during practice and have been very happy with our overall speed. Consistency is king and we hope to have similar results throughout the week."
Greg Koski: "We payed attention to what was going on out on the course before and during the race. Great communication and sticking with a game plan was critical. We adjust the fine tune really well and are doing the little things that make us that much faster."
Doug Mclean: "That was one of the toughest days of sailing and without the good communication and working the boat we would have suffered."
Keith Magnussen: "It was a tough day on the water and finding the puffs was essential to moving forward in the fleet. We talked ourselves through the tough spots and are figuring out the teamwork. Our boat speed is great and I hope we continue the good sailing."
