The Japanese could only watch as the Spanish flew by, winning by 15 seconds in a display of athleticism and skill that I hope never occurs elsewhere in recreational sailing.Īs impressive as it was, and I give my full respect to the sailors for learning how to sail the boats within the rules, but they’ve lost my advocacy. No other team was close, allowing the Spaniards to show the world they are the rocking kings. Japan rounded the final upwind mark in the lead, ahead of the Spanish team by seven seconds, with one remaining downwind leg to the finish. I understand this to be a recent class development, and as simple as it sounds to rock like mad, it’s hard to do well, which was well illustrated in the Medal Race of 2020 World Cup Series Miami. Yes, they still gybe on shifts, but boat speed is king, and the activity in the boat is manic.

Offwind sailing is now a rock-fest, with full rolling of the boat back and forth to increase propulsion. However, what’s going on downwind now has put me over the edge.

A bridge too far wow