North Sails and Etchells experts Alex Curtiss and Eric Doyle dive into an in-depth talk on sail trim.

Also view Episode 1

The conclusion of the Etchells Midwinters West this weekend means only one more regatta in the Etchells West Coast Spring Series... and the top overall positions are a close call. Jim Cunningham on Lifted earned a first place win this weekend after staying consistently in the top three for the previous two races in the Series. However, Cunningham and his crew are unable to sail in the final event, the Orca Bowl, leaving the battle between Chris Busch's Elizabeth and Tom Carruthers' Louise for the overall Series winners.

On a perfect day for racing in San Diego, multiple champions were crowned at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series stop, with the ORC winner taking the big prize.

The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series San Diego finished just as it started—with brilliant sunshine and a building sea breeze, conditions that local sailors expect this time of year. The ideal racing conditions also allowed the race committees of San Diego and Coronado yacht clubs to complete a full set of races over the three-day regatta.

For Eduardo Saenz and his teammates on Nimbus, the three-race final day gave them an opportunity to put up a few more top finishes and win their regatta by a considerable 12-point margin over Jeff Janov’s Minor Threat. For Saenz and his teammates from Mexico City, Mexico, the key was working the wind shifts and, of course, staying out of trouble.

Second Wind may be just the perfect name possible for the La Dow family Etchells. Back in his heyday at San Diego YC, father Andy was a standout sailor, particularly in the local Etchells fleet, and always a top finisher in the big fleets of years past, including three class wins in the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in San Diego. While dad was excelling in the elegant and cranky keelboat, his two sons, Jake and Will, were doing the same in the Sabots, and then 420s and onward to college where they too had standout careers.

Distance ocean races come in all different shapes and sizes. There’s a point where it goes from an event you can grit your teeth and battle through, to a length of time on the boat where you need to establish a flow for the on/off watch periods and cycle of racing day and night. The average time on the course in this year’s Puerto Vallarta Race was 5 days, 2 hours, which needs that flow to succeed.

Stan Fleming, J/125 Nereid, shared why the race to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico needs a different mentality than shorter races.

“What you’re trying to do is get to an equilibrium…a balance between performance and self care. Once you get into that equilibrium, you can sail as long as you want. In this race, at San Cedros on about the third day, for the evening then night watches, I got to do exactly the same thing regardless, and I lost that conventional vision of time. That’s kind of a good feeling when offshore. The Cabo Race is barely enough time to get in that flow. But this race was really a long distance race… you have to get into that equilibrium. That’s where experience is key, being able to manage yourself.”

If Friday’s summary word-of-the race was “angles”, Saturday’s words are “VMC or Velocity Made on Course.” Watching the Thursday Class 6 boats beat their way out of San Diego Bay in a southerly wind was a tough way to start a distance race. At 0800 Roll Call Saturday, they were generally passing San Carlos/Turtle Bay. By contrast, the Friday Class 5, 4, and 3 boats got a nice westerly breeze that built through the evening and allowed them to fast reach directly toward the finish 1050nm away. Their 0800 boat positions are less than 100nm astern, about parallel to Guadalupe Island. Watching the YB Tracker, you can see the dramatic difference in course choices. By 0400 or 0500, the Friday boats started to gybe back toward the Baja coast and stay closer to the rhumbline, the most direct course to the finish.