Racing starts tomorrow...

A good practice session on Friday followed by a boat work and rest day today and I feel almost ready. Our fleet will sail together as one fleet instead of the planned two fleet series with the first two days being qualifying for a gold or silver fleet. I changed a few things on the boat today that will be un-test but I feel good about the modifications. Wind looked shifter today on the bay then the previous days I've been up here which could bode well for a kid who grew up on a lake where if someone opened their garage door at the right time you'd get a big wind shift that could win you the race. :)

Laser Heavy Air Slalom

The Laser Heavy Air Slalom from the 70's has been resurrected and now is in it's second year. Conditions for the finals approached some of my memories as a kid of this epic laser sailing event. Growing up laser sailing I was convinced that this was the coolest event in the world and some day I'd try it. Unfortunately it started the day before we arrived and make it up early enough to compete was not in the cards.. The conditions for the finals did noot disappoint. 25 knots and a huge floor tide gave the four finalist a track worthy of the event title. watched this mayhem from the yacht club bar with have windows that literally almost overhang the water. (this was on my watching bucket list for many years too), the single elimination finals had four masters from my age division and one apprentice master. This not a Master only event and featured radial women's olympic gold medalist Anna Tunnicliffe. The champion was determined by who didn't flip to the delight of all the barstool sailors. Peter Slope outlasted all comers to take the title.

St. Francis YC's Webcam

http://207.150.197.186/

There's live coverage on the St. Francis webcam looking out at the "City Front" sailing area. This is almost like having a front row seat to much of the racing action during this week and next. the camera is user controlable by scrolling left and right, up and down and in and out to get the best view. The camera give you about 45 second to be the "controller", then it goes to the next person in line. You can see quite a bit.. but it would probably be hard to find me when I'm actually out racing. Just in case.. my laser sail number is 187366 with the letters USA pasted in the corner. Hopefully I'll be the one out in the lead :-) Peter

239 Entries!

239 entries for the Laser Master Worlds in San Francisco that starts this Sunday. By far not the largest attendance for a LMW .. but it's San Francisco! Laser sailors don't go to the bay to pleasure sail.. most won't even go there to race at all. Sailing on the bay is typically bitterly cold, windy as the north pole with the waves that are big and steep.. Mother nature laughs at a little laser going upwind and tosses it around like a shoe in the dryer. The tides and current rips like a spring river in full runoff.. Why go?? To our group from SouthernCal, it's basically like surfing 30 foot Pipeline in Hawaii or climbing Mount Everest in a snow storm.. It's survival more then racing. Tell me why again? Because you feel like you've won the championship by just surviving the regatta.. surviving the day.. the sail out.. the thrid flip on the last downwind.. those are all victories master laser sailors like to celebrate... over and over again.

Good Practice..

Three great days of laser practicing in Marina del Rey.. We had in some of the best conditions I've ever sailed up here! Winds were a brisk at 14-18knots all three days. Frightening huge waves covered the ocean. My laser (14') seem like a cork in a big bathtub. I mean these were really big waves! Sailing in breaking ocean wave made it extremely challenging for all sailors both upwind and down. Some great surfing brought my boom to the middle of the boat more then once. All in all it was big grins for everyone. Our group consisted of Vann & I out practicing for our LMW.. Terrance, Sumeet, Michael and Sanjai were out getting ready for the Laser Nationals at California Yacht Club that starts on Thursday. Unfortunately the two events overlap and I won't be able to sail the Nationals at my home yacht club. But my boat is all loaded and I'm ready to go! Three more days of work and I'm off! The excitement is building!!!

Good to Go!

I've been cleared by my doctors.. got in some training.. gained 10lbs for the bay.. now it’s time to race again!

I'll be competing in the 2011 Laser Master Worlds in San Francisco hosted by Saint Francis Yacht Club next week for seven days. I’m excited to get back out on the water in my laser in the event we call “The Show”. It was less than a year ago at Hyland Island, UK where I badly fractured my collar bone at the Laser Masters Worlds. Much credit needs to be given to DISC Sports and Spine Center for doing a fantastic job of getting me back out on the water and able to compete at my sport at this high level. Thank you to Dr. Robert Bray, Jr. and Dr. Andrew Bulczynski and the entire DISC team for expertly performing my surgery and overseeing my recovery.

In this recent X-Ray you can see my titanium plate that is still in. More importantly you can see my collar bone is almost one solid color which means the bone has fused together nicely. The plate and all eight screws are tentatively scheduled to come out in October.

Check back here for more updates,

Peter

DROID!

Repair Complete!

Under the expert hands of Dr. Andrew Bulczynski my injury is on the mend. The surgery took 1 hour at our D.I.S.C. facility in Marina del Rey, California. I was also incredibly fortune to also have World renown surgeon, head of D.I.S.C. and good friend Dr. Robert Bray assisting on the operation. I was in good hands to say the least! I had my surgery on September 24 and now a month later I feel like I’m ready to race again! But it’s still only been four weeks out from the surgery and my bones need 6-8 weeks to truly fuse back together.

What I truly walk away from my whole Laser Master Worlds experience in England is how incredible the people are in this unique niche of sailing.. Master Laser Sailing. I had guardian angels all around me in my time of need from start to finish. Lauralee Symes, Bill Symes, Dr. Rob Hobson, his wife Marilyn were all more than my best friends before, during and after this all happened. But it was everyone involed with this regatta from all different countries who stepped up without being asked to help me out. From driving me to the hospital, to fully un-rigging and returning my charter boat, to carrying my bags back and forth… God bless Lauralee and Marilyn packing my bags (I brought a lot of stuff)! My host family, Monica and Trevor treated me like their own family and opened their home to me. My sister Trish and her husband Harvey drove to Hayland Island to get me back to London and on a plane. It was a humbling experience to have so many friends come to my aide. Thank you all.. just don’t try to cross me on port ;-)