A few weeks ago, we competed in the 29er World Championships at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in Long Beach. The conditions were all over the place. We got everything from 20+ knots and large chop to days with only 3-5 knots and flat water.
During the Worlds, we had 3 days of qualifiers and 3 days of final races. In the qualifiers, we got one windy day where it got a little too much for us being the youngest and most likely the lightest team out there, so we had to head in early. The next two days, fortunately for us, were lighter with the wind not exceeding 10 knots. In those two days of lighter winds, we excelled and got a couple of top 20 finishes. With that we worked our way into the Silver fleet, which to us was a huge accomplishment.
In the Finals, we had a little of everything. The first day was windy and wavy. The next day, the Race Committee decided to sail Silver and Bronze inside of the breakwater. Sailing inside the breakwater was so much nicer than the outside course because it was so much flatter so we were able to deal with the windier conditions a little better. On the third day, we had some lighter conditions on the outside course, so we did little better and by the end of the day we were winning the last race. Unfortunately, due to an emergency on the course, they had to abandon the race before we got to finish. Everyone was ok, so that’s what mattered more.
All in all, we had a lot of fun and learned a lot. We met a lot of kids from all over the world who we will most likely see at other 29er regattas.
We were honored to represent the San Diego Yacht Club at a big event like the World Championships. Thank you to the SDYC Board and the Comp Fund for supporting us.