Wow I am still over the moon, sitting in Tokyo airport lounge still letting it all sink in.  The best part of it all is that I get to go directly home to Maui while it is still fresh in mind and body and share it with all of my family and the whole MauiSails family as well!!!  It was a long and tough week in Korea, starting off very shaky for me with a very shady forecast for the entire event.  But I didn't let this rattle me and I just went about my business, stayed on track did what I had to do and when the racing days came ground through them knowing what was needed the whole time.

Registration day started off very calm but quickly turned into a bit of a circus.  With not much wind forecasted for the entire event, day one and two looked like the event could be over so the hope was to get as many rounds in as permitted.  Unfortunately the first round didn't get under way until later in the afternoon of registration day but with solid winds coming through it looked like we might get one round done.  However after only three heats there was an intermission for a fun race.  I was a bit confused to say the least to see that we would stop valid racing with good winds to do a fun race, but it was in the schedule and the local dignitaries were on hand so regardless of what the forecast looked like the fun race was on.  Thankfully I had gotten my first heat out of the way, barely making it through after an absolutely horrible start nearly stopping on the line thinking my competitors were clearly over early.  I did sneak back in and came back to the beach and sat in my chair to watch the fun race.  Very glad that I was sitting in my chair because it took nearly half an hour to get the race started and it quickly turned into a slog fest as the wind went to nearly zero just after the leaders rounded the first mark.  JP team mate Pieter Bijl hung in there though and out smarted the leaders around the last mark and managed to spin his way across the line to take first place.  That marked the end of day one and who knew what would come in tricky Korea.

Day two started very slowly with wind coming up later in the afternoon, it did come up very strong and very fast and we managed to get through the first round with very few cancellations.  But as quickly as it came it went away as well.  It did stay up long enough for me to get out on my 7.6 TR8 and 66 JP SLVIII.  In my second heat I again managed to just sneak into another qualifying spot after a poor start, but hey only need to be in the top four in this round to really matter.  It was tough to get a good start because it seemed even gustier at the start line this year than in years past so you really had to time it well and try to get on the puff.  In my first semi I managed to not do this again and after a poor start and a gamble which turned into a collision at the first mark I fought back hard but only could manage a fifth.  So it was off to the losers final for me, I was pretty disappointed at this point because I saw that Korea could be a one round repeat of Italy.  So I went to the losers final with lots to fight for.

In the losers I did manage a better start and was third round the first mark and felt like I should easily hold this to the finish line.  But at the third mark a funny wake and a slip on my board and I was suddenly sitting on my board where I should have been standing.  I did make a quick recovery but had stopped planning at that point and lost two spots, really not the start I wanted, but early days in Korea and anything could happen still.  That was the end of the first round and over in the winners final Bora Kozanoglu was taking honors his second ever finals win, very stoked for him great sailor and good guy.  With fading light and wind we jumped straight into the second round but after only three heats the wind was gone as was the sun and the day, now to the waiting game.

The next two days were spent hanging out in the hotel rooms and stirring around the beach as the wind would tease for a little bit and then glass off again.  The wind generally comes from the right at Jinha Beach and usually arrives late in the afternoon and into the evening.  This was the forecast but the strength was too light to really threaten any time on the water in real racing conditions.  We did manage a few planning runs but never really came close to starting any races.  It was nice to have a day or two to relax but you start to become a bit anxious if you sit around too much so running, stretching and watching the NBA playoffs online kept me occupied. 

By day five the wind was supposed to switch around to a side onshore from the left, more of a storm direction and as shown in the past very gusty and unpredictable.  All day the wind stayed away and just when all hope was lost and the day about to be canned the wind came in and was surprisingly good, so back out on the water it was.  It came up quick and strong enough that I was able to get out on my 7.6 TR8 and my 66 JP Slalom VIII.  It didn't last long and we only managed to finish up to heat 14 which was my semi final heat.  I had cruised through the first two heats up to this point, letting Fred Morin nip me on the line in the first heat and taking the second heat followed closely by JP team mate Pieter Bijl.  That was the end of day five though as the light was nearly gone as was the temperature which had plummeted with the sun.  With the same direction forecasted for the next two days I wouldn't have given it much chance to blow but blow it did.

The earliest skippers meeting in the history of the Korean event was called on day six for 8:30am, it seemed like a bit of a stretch to expect wind at this time of the day in Korea but it turned out to be a great call on the part of Juan Antonio the race director.  It was still a little light but by 9am it was up and we were straight into it, by the start of my semi I was again on my 7.6 TR8 and my 66 JP Slalom VIII full power.  I continued right where I left off winning the heat and enjoyed JP Team mate Pieter Bijl  coming along to the final with me.  I had a great start in the final but couldn't hold it down the first leg as I had the low position on the line and the guys up wind got the better angle, I did manage a great gybe at the first mark though and came out in third.  I held this to the end just behind Bjoern and Ben and followed closely by Pieter in fourth.  This was a little more like it, a bit of a turn around from round one and a start of something.......

A quick break and right into the third round of the event, with the winds holding steady I stayed with my 7.6 and 66 as it was feeling very comfortable and fast!!!  After a cruise through my first heat I was taking it a bit easier in the next rounds making sure to get a good start but not go over early, only the top four matter and this is where I would place myself till it came finals time.  In the final I was feeling good and was at good speed on the way to the line when hard from below Antoine came up and sailed right into me slowing me down just slightly and I guess speeding him up just slightly causing him to go over early along with Gonzalo.  In the restart I had a good start at the pin and arrived even with Ben at the first mark, he managed a better gybe than me and came out in front.  From there I just held my place wanting to pocket another solid result looking at the bigger picture. 

It was getting late in the afternoon and after some waiting around during the third round we went straight into round four to try and get it in before the day ended.  The wind was still solid and I stayed with my 7.8 and 66 combo feeling even more comfortable with its performance.  The early heats went much the same as round three, my semi was a bit more tense with a poor start I had some serious battling to come back and hold onto my fourth place finish but again it was just what I had to do, make it to the final and keep pocketing consistent results.  Another below average start and I was again caught playing catch up but this time in the final.  I did all I could and crossed in fifth after a close battle with Julien who had caught something on his fin and allowed Antoine to pass him and I nearly caught him at the line.  I would have liked to do a little bit more but as the day was called off, finally after ten long hours at the beach in the wetsuit and very cold temps I had crawled my way up to second and well within reach of first with only one day left. 

The forecast for this final day in Korea was for much of the same as day six but rumors were a bit lighter breeze and slightly more onshore.  With another early skippers meeting called the forecast was looking right on at 8:30am.  It looked like we would be straight into round five at 9am, on a little bigger gear maybe but on the water for sure.  However once the crew got on the water the wind dropped and it was back to a waiting game, one more round or not was the big question.  Tensions high on the beach with scores so close between the top eight it could be anyones day but would it even happen.   Finally the wind steadied up enough to race, it was lighter than the previous day so I decided to go for my 8.4 TR8 and my 78 JP Slalom VIII.  This set up was previously unproven on the race course up to this point, I did manage that 3/4's of a reach in Italy where it felt very fast till it detonated on some unknown object but I was confident.  It proved to be a winner as I cruised to victory in my first and second heats, it was now up to one more semi final to see if I would have a shot at the victory here in Korea.  After a poor start it looked like I may miss out on the last final in Korea, but thanks to a very large error in navigation by the Frenchman Questel who went to the wrong mark I held my course and snuck into fourth to secure a place in the final along with Maui Sails Team mate Taty Frans but without my main competitors, Questel, Albeau and Vandersteen.  So it was now up to me, I wanted to finish off with a bullet but I knew that pushing it that hard may result in an over early which I knew would definitely not help my cause.  The first start of the last final saw my Maui Sails team mate Taty almost run away with it, he surely would have but he was just slightly too early.  In the restart I had a good start and battled with Ludo to the first mark and he just nipped me, I didn't want to take to many chance because I knew a top finish would move me into the event lead.  So I held it to the last mark and then I put the hammer down, wanting that bullet in the last round I was gaining on him but couldn't quite get him.  I didn't really know it was over as I thought maybe we had time for one more round but when I got back to the beach Gonzalo was there to greet me and congratulate me on the victory.  I asked if it was really over and he said it was and I gave him a great big yell and a big hug, I was so stoked I had actually pulled it off!!!!!

Once back on the beach I just wanted to check with the race director to make sure it was official and once I got that official word I went to a phone and called my wife Laura and my kids Lance, K.C. and Dakotah who were all screaming and celebrating, K.C. was so happy she fell off the couch but thankfully just laughed it off. I then immediately called Phil to let him know the awesome news.  He was watching on line but he hadn't heard the news as it hadn't been made official online yet and he nearly broke my ear drum screaming into the phone.  I think this is by far the best victory of my career, it comes at such a special time in my life and my career.  I get to go home straight away and share in the celebration with my family and especially get to share it with my new MauiSails team, the only thing that will be missing will be Martin and Werner and the rest of my JP family. 

I have to give respect to Antoine Questel who had the best result of his career, even though he did make a huge mistake at the end he still sailed very well and will certainly be up there more in the future.  Also congrats to Ross who finally made his way back to the podium with very consistent sailing and a very strong last two rounds, great to see him up there as well.  Looks like it is going to be a very interesting year this year, with Costa Brava up in just about four weeks time I will have plenty of time to go home recharge those batteries and put in some more hard work on and off the water on myself and my gear!!!

Aloha
Micah Buzianis
www.micahbuzianis.com

Photos by PWA/Carter