Last day of prep ~ First leg to Doha in light wind…
It was a long day of heat, briefings and boat to-do lists getting checked off, as we prepared for tomorrow’s start of the first leg to Doha – Sailing Arabia The Tour! The weather looks light. Thank you to PredictWind – a fantastic weather routing program developed by Jon Bilger – for being a supporter of the women’s team over here in the Persian Gulf, and giving us access to this important tool. Weather information about what the wind is going to do, helps us make tough decisions when positioning ourselves against our competitors. Such positioning can allow a boat to sling-shot ahead or fall behind, by not catching the favorable puff/cloud. With our light forecast, it’s looking like mostly a spinnaker run. Depending on how light it is during the night, we may finish at an earlier mark than the finish line in Doha, and motor the rest of the way. This allows us to get to the harbor in time for other official commitments, prepare for the next leg, and race the in-port races.
Sailing in light wind takes patience, feel, tremendous concentration and experience. Although the Omani girls have sailed in a fair amount of light wind, they are still learning the nuances of what that means to do it successfully. Moving like a ghost on the boat so as not to disturb the speed, minor adjustments in the sail trim and where to position their body, is not second nature, so this will be difficult for them. Light air skills are hard to teach because the differences and benefits are so minute it is harder to measure, but pays off slowly but surely. However, the wind will be enough for the sails to fill, and keep us moving on a pleasant trip.
It is the beginning of what will be an incredibly busy two weeks! It will be an interesting journey, as the girls still have a long way to go. It will be a good test, as with 50% of them on the boat, they are going to be sailing the boat. They will have to perform, even if it means doing something for the first time, and under pressure.
Sailing Arabia The Tour: February 10-25 – 15 days, 4 countries, 8 ports of call and 760 nautical miles – and we’re again making history, as SATT’s first and only Women’s Sailing Team! Follow along with us!
~Katie
