Key West Race Week started off with a cool 8-11 kts of wind and shifty conditions. We got out very early to have a chance to see the racecourse and get our rig tune dialed in. It seemed like the wind was getting lighter so we came off the rig two steps.
The first race was interesting with some good shifts to take advantage of. The leeward gate was a bit busy with the Melges 24 fleet arriving at the same time. We finished a respectable 16th and re grouped for the second race.
Flojito Y Cooperando had a massive lead and took race one with their new Ullman main. They played the shifts really well upwind and had great speed.
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| Flojito Y Cooperando |
Second race of the day started in light conditions and we were happy to get off the line in a good lane. We hammered out left looking for more pressure and not only did we find more pressure but we found a great shift to tack on. The left side boats won the leg and the small pack were now locked in a tight battle. After an unfortunate foul at the weather mark we did a 720 and proceeded to get back in the game with good downwind speed. On the final upwind leg it was back and forth with the leaders. We stuck to the left side again and rounded out the race with a fourth place. This left us sitting in 8th place after day one.
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| USA 32 Approaching the Windward Mark |
Erik Shampain: "Our crew work was good and the communication allowed us to analyze the racecourse in concise manner. I felt we worked through the tough spots and our good speed kept us in it when things were not going our way."
Greg Koski: "We stayed focused and worked excellent as a team as we found the wind shifts in very shifty conditions. We stuck to our game plan and this was a big benefit within the racing."
Keith Magnussen: "The racing was really close with many lead changes. It was important to stay focused and positive as the wind shifts were tough. We did well changing gears and are happy with boat speed. Looking forward to more tough racing through the week."
Results
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| Keith Magnussen Pre Race |
