Finally some real wind racing, it has been a while on the PWA tour where we have sailed on 7.0 sails and smaller but we finally did last week in Fuerte.  But Fuerte wasn't all Fuerte all week as we had some challenging wind conditions to race in as well and these winds are what really hurt me.  The first two rounds in Fuerte were sailed in moderate 7.7 strength winds and I was jumping back and forth with my sail choice from 8.4 to 7.7 and got caught out twice when the wind dropped off at the start and I couldn't catch back up.  So with two bad results straight off the bat it was hard to fight back and stay motivated but I tried and came close a few times.

In the third round the wind finally picked up and I was focused all the way to the final.  In the final I had a great start and narrowly missed out on rounding the first mark in first, after a slight tap on the mark with the end of my boom this threw off my gybe and I came out in second but was able to hold this to the finish.  A step in the right direction to dig myself out of this deep hole.  Unfortunately again in the next round I fell victim to lighter winds and had a second round exit, man this was going to be hard but I was still up for the task.

In the fifth round I narrowly missed out on the finals but was winning the losers final easily until the second mark i had a lapse in concentration and fell just after finishing my gybe.  I just got caught on a funny chop and was a little to far forward and the sail got pulled forward out of my hands.  Another major blow to my chances but not giving up I went right back to the finals in the next round and with another great start I again narrowly missed out on rounding the first mark in first.  Was still in there battling for top three till the third mark when I got taken out hard from the back so I had to settle for 6th.  Still a chance for a top five result but no more mistakes.

Finally last day last two rounds, the first round of the day I was in the semi's but wanting it to bad I went over early and had to settle for a second in the losers final and a 10th for the round.  Not completely out of it but it was finals or nothing for the last round.  But this was short lived as I went to hard again but this time in the second heat it was over early and event over for me.  This left me in a very disappointing 11th place and very frustrated as I had great speed when the wind was up and I was on the right gear but to many wrong choices with gear and two many over earlies cost me a better finish.  I should be happy though as I know my gear was and is going fast I just need to put it together for the full event. 

Now back to Maui for the last Maui Race series the state finals and another good tune up for more of the 2014 race season.  Turkey is the next event and if all events still happen this will only mark the half way point of this year so plenty of racing left.

Aloha
Micah Buzianis