The 2023 Youth Champs was an incredible experience. An amazing fleet of ILCA 6's with the best of the best youth sailors competing. The regatta was held in the Rhode Island at the Roger Williams College. The venue was a mostly enclosed body of water that had a mouth to the ocean.
The first and second days of the event were incredibly tiring. Gusting 25+ with an average wind velocity of 18. Boat speed was the name of the game; favoring heavier air I finished all top 12s in the big breeze. The courses were fairly short and boat speed was all that mattered. The wind would build and port tack was favored so the left tended to come in. During the downwinds, it was critical to keep the boat constantly planing and steering at steep angles to avoid running into waves. Keeping it simple and sailing fast was the recipe for success.
On the third and fourth day I struggled in recognizing some of the oscillations and kept trying to make the left side of the course work when it wasn't all that favored. The wind velocity was lighter and shifts tended to make our break one's race. Boat speed downwind was important, and keeping clear air downwind was only achieved by defending the edges downwind. My results were in the 20s and high teens. Even though the day wasn't great, I learned to notice patterns and not sticking to something that doesn't work.
Overall, the regatta was a great experience and I was able to learn more about the ILCA 6 class and the Roger Williams sailing venue. I hope I can utilize this opportunity to improve my sailing for future events. I thank the San Diego Yacht Club for their support to be able to have such significant sailing experiences.