US Nationals Final day report.

US Nationals Final Day.

2 course races, finishing the slalom and Freestyle today.

Race 11.
We started in light breeze  again around noon, so I took my 11m. I got off the line clean and above most of the fleet near the boat. Headed to shore to avoid the flood tide and get the lifts from Chrissy Field. I tacked about 200 feet from shore, but could have gone a little further. Paulo was just below me and got some lifts coming up to the mark on port tack, so he rounded in first, Schurmann got around second after getting a lift on port and I rounded close behind in third. Downwind the places remained but Paulo and Schurmann were well clear of me at this point. Both of them headed out on port tack into the flood tide, so I decided to tack across back to shore and get some ebb tide which was still moving as the tide changes here in San Francisco Bay. I didn?t see those guys until I was getting close to the upwind bouy again and realized I had catch right back up again. Paulo rounded just in front of Schurmann, with myself about 50 yards back.

Downwind was easy, we just headed out the middle of the bay in the flat water and cruised downwind to the bottom mark. Paulo rounded well clear then Schurmann and myself slowly getting closer.  This time both Paulo and Schurmann tacked across early to head inshore, I decided to stay on Port tack for a bit longer to set myself up for only one more tack to the finish. I went out to the flood line, then tacked across onto Starboard. Paulo crossed well ahead, however I could see Schurmann was close. He crossed in front of me, but I knew he wasn?t going to lay the finish and would have tack again. This was my plan. I went in shore, found my layline and banged over to Port. I had a nice lift and good line to the pin end of the line, but it was going to close. Schurmann was now heading to the finish on Starboard tack. I got to the pin end and rounded up into the wind to get second place by a few feet.

Race 12
Same strategy, start near the boat using the flood tide to my advantage, hit the shore and lift up to the top mark. It worked to perfection again and rounded ahead of Schurmann and Seth Besse was in third. Paulo decided not to race this one. I took my 10m in this race and was a little underpowered on the downwind leg. Schurmann got through me at the bottom mark, so I rounded in second. It only took a few minutes to get upwind of Schurmann and put my pointing and board speed to work. I could see Schurmann being lifted upwind and realized he had his 11m, which helped him downwind, but now he was having to work very hard upwind. Probably would have been best to head inshore, but I wanted to cover Schurmann and the rest of the fleet.  By half way up the leg I was 100 yards upwind of Schurmann and still lifting, in fact flying on my 10m TR6.

I couldn?t see the upwind mark because we were so far outside, but realized I had to tack across. I tacked blind and was over laying the mark by a ways, but Schurmann went even further than me, so it was all ok.

I rounded a few minutes ahead and cruised downwind and upwind to the finish. Great to win the final race.

Slalom
We were seeded into 4 groups with the top guys in the black fleet,   Peiter Bijl, Schurmann, myself, Metayer, Besse, Jean, David Wells, Xavier Ferlet, Macrae Wylde and Chris Radkowski.
The wind was up and the course was ready to go. First heat I started at the pin and rounded in first, but got passed by Pieter right after the bouy. The wind was light on the inside and blowing pretty good on the outside, so it was difficult no matter what sail size you took. Peiter won the first heat, me second, Schurmann third.

Heat 2. I started at the boat on my 7.6, rounded the first bouy in fourth, Metayer was first, Schurmann second, Peiter third. That was the final placings for heat two.

Heat 3. Everyone was now pushing the starts. I started clean just above the pin with Schurmann very close to the line, but had a clear start. He rounded first, Peiter second, myself in third. Well two people were overearly and Pieter and Xavier Ferlet was the culprits. So Schurmann won the heat, I was second, Metayer third.

Heat 4. Started again at the pin, Schurmann below me. No way I would have been as close to the line as him, it was very very close and there were no drops in this slalom scoring, at this point in time I had the overall title in the back of my mind and didn?t want any screw ups. Pieter Bijl was carrying his overearly score of 10 points, so I decided to make sure I got away clean, but not push the line. I had a good start, rounded the first bouy in third behind Pieter and Schurmann. That was the way we finished.

Ingrid Larouche won the womens slalom using a pursuit 6.0. She dominated with 5 bullets. Jordan Reid easily won the Juniors using a TR5, winning five of the six heats.

Slalom final results.
Schurmann
Phil
Metayer.

Very good 5 days of racing and very satisfied with my performance, both for my sails, TR6?s and my old trusty Starboard 158.

Phil McGain
Overall US National Champion.
North American Formula Class Champion (as first American is awarded the title).
Grand Masters formula class Champion.
Long Distance Champion.

Ingrid Larouche- Womens Slalom Champion

Jordan Reid- Junior Slalom Champion