2012 Internationals at McCrae

[tonyquoll]

The world's top 50 Paper Tigers set to race this Easter, at McCrae Yacht Club.

Registration Thursday, then racing Friday-Monday.

Results will be posted at: http://www.clubops.org/RegattaMicroSites/PT/PTInternationalsSeriesResults.aspx

There might be updates at the VicPTCA Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/6251883876/

Anything could happen!

[tonyquoll]

Interview with 2012 International Paper Tiger Champion, Dave Shaw.

By Tony Hastings

TH: My experience was, that it was very difficult to get the right balance between power and pointing when trying to get upwind through all the chop. What was your approach to sail trim?

DS: I already have a pretty rough idea of what the settings are going to be initially, so from practice I know that the down is number is number 4, your outhaul is number 3, and your traveler is down to X rivet, then you’re going, it’s going to be in the right place.

Sail shape pretty much, it’s down to form then I think, and all I try do is get the hull at the right height, and just try and steer through the waves, and just get to where I want to get to on the course.

The waves, you just measure each one as they come really. Trying to get your head out of the boat and look where you want to go is I reckon the thing. The depth of the sail; the foot’s off a little bit, I try to get a little power to get through the waves. I try to get quite a bit of twist to get the head to flip off a little bit, and yeah, just trying to get it in the groove as best as I can. Then once it’s in the groove, then just head where you want to go.

TH: Yes. That’d be the next logical question; how the hell did you know which way to go? You have to factor in wind shifts, and pressure, and tide, and then what other boats are doing.

DS: Basically I looked where Bryan Anderson was going, and tried to stay between him and the mark. But other than that, the breeze was pretty oscillating so if you got a knock, you could go into it a wee way and then tack, and you would be on a lift.

And, 9 times out of 10, left seemed to pay.

TH: Oh. Yeah?

DS: It just seemed to be best to head left. A couple of times in the last race the right paid, but I was lucky enough to figure that out in the last race and go right. Generally trying to work to the left, and stick between Bryan and the top mark.

TH: (laughs) Good work.

DS: Or whoever else was pushing me, you know?

TH: Yeah. All right, thanks very much.

DS: No worries mate, thankyou.