TEAM STRAMMER/BROWN

All,

Racing on Day 4 started off slow with a DNF (did not finish) in the first race due to a break down. On the first run of the race, we found ourselves really slow on starboard gybe, and after a quick inspection, we found that our cap shroud, the wire that holds the top of the mast, had come out of the spreader tip and our new kite was stuck on it. After a few gybes to try and free the kite, we managed to get it down, although we ripped a foot long section of the leech. From here it took us 30 minutes to flip the boat over to put the cap back in the spreader, and re-rig a new spinnaker on the water–no easy task. We were generously assisted by Fred and Cathy Strammer, and Trevor Parekh, which helped to expedite the process. Two more races that day yielded a 16-8 with us solidly in 16th overall. An interesting mark rounding in the third race was caught from the helicopter. You can check it out here.

The last day of the RMOCR concluded with South winds around 12-16mph, which, from this direction, can generate huge chop. There were several large shifts throughout the day, which we found ourselves on the correct side but, overall, we were stuck towards the back of the fleet. We finished the regatta with a 14-9-18 to maintain our 16th place finish. You can check out results at the RMOCR site.

We are a bit disappointed about our finish here in Miami, but we know it is a long road to Rio. We set ourselves up for a difficult event when our new boat arrived late and we were still trying to figuring out our container logistics for Europe–good thing we did this early because our boat ships out tomorrow… 2 weeks earlier than expected! However,  this event allowed us an opportunity to understand how each of us perform during a regatta, which is invaluable information. Over the next two months, we will take particular care to work out the kinks from our first event so that we can continue to develop our skills over in Europe–the panacea for our dearth of 49er race experience.

On Sunday, we met with the coaches and staff of the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics and were pleased to learn of several opportunities in which they could support us over the next year. In addition to helping us out with shipping logistics, we will also have opportunities for coaching. Thank you US Sailing!

Furthermore, we have gained the support of the Southport Sailing Foundation (Cleverpig) who will provide financial support as we make our way to Europe this spring. Check our their website at www.cleverpig.org.

Today is the last day of packing before we put our new boat on the container bound for England. We will see her again in late March when we pick her up and begin the World Cup Tour throughout six countries in Europe.

We would like to thank Hedgeye, the Southport Sailing Foundation, and our friends and family for their support continued support on Our Road To Rio!