This is my third year competing at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami regatta and it was the best finish I have had yet. I finished 3rd in silver fleet and 43rd out of 70 bats that were entered. The regatta was held a week later this year, from January 28 to February 5. I flew down to Miami three days before the event stated, I was short of training time but it was the only way that I could make it work with school.
The weather was by far the best we have had in Miami in some time. There was hiking breeze every day but one and even in that day there was enough to get some good races off. I was a little rusty having not done that much sailing over the winter because of school. Most of the rust was in the boat handling stuff, my tactics and boat speed felt good. I felt fast upwind. I got to the top mark in good shape a few times during qualifying, getting to the top mark in third in one of the windy races. I was hoping to make gold fleet and was disappointed that I did not make it. After qualifying I was the 3rd boat going into the silver fleet and was able to maintain that till the end of the event. The last day of sailing was the windiest of the regatta, I had a good day coming second in the first race, fifth in the second and second in the last race of the regatta. I was happy with the way I was sailing as the event was coming to an end, the thus teaching me I need more than three days to get back in the boat after some time not sailing full time.
We were staying at a local hotel that had a full kitchen which was great allowing us to cook all of our own meals. It was also within walking distance to the club, meaning that there was no need to drive the truck there every day, which in Miami is a huge plus.
I am now going back to school and will be hitting the gym hard as well as trying to continue to sail as much as possible. After I finish school in the spring I will be back to sailing full time. The one thing that I am finding with not be able to sail all the time is it is really making me get all I can out of the days that I get.
-Kyle
