Not a great first race

12-15 knots and grey skies with a lumpy sea set the scene for the first race, we (AUS31, AUS13, AUS9) lined up with the lasers/finns/OKs . Well, I lined up after a few swims, I was having major problems tacking but I got to the line sort of on time.

I had good height, and the boat was tracking well but with a championship race I went low to keep out of the others way. I blasted away from the nethercotts UNTIL I tried to tack and then things went bad. I just could not get out of irons and ended up capsizing (interestingly the boat does not turn turtle). I couldn't work out what was going on but got upright and caught AUS13 at the top mark and then took off on the reaches - the boat just blasted off the wind (I even slammed the seat into waves a few times to see if the carriage was ok - thumbs up here) but upwind again my world of hurt was back. I got to the top mark, but was actually concerned that my tacking could see me foul another boat so I pulled out and headed into shore.

On shore I was acid, wondering what I had done wrong in the build..... then I got over it and started analysing:

I had gotten my sidestays shortened as I got my measurements wrong on the stays, so I got them altered BUT I never thought about the forestay. Sure enough my mast was raked forward - a long way.

So the Good news:

• Boat was dry inside despite my swims
• Boat held together
• Boat was really quick downwind

Bad news:

• Plank leaks
• Jib sheeting off the boom didn't work (have now swapped the jib with the vang cleat)
• Boat didn't go to windward or change direction (mast rake should fix this)
• Elastic on tiller didn't work (where the tiller kicks up, will replace with a pin)

So, I'll fix the problems during the week and we'll get out next week for some 2-3 boat tuning.