Report from Team MAD DOG Racing - Brian Haybittle

The Waimakariri Sailing and Power Boat club and Naval Point Club have a Winner of the Green Fleet Competiton run alongside the NZ Optimist National Championship

The NZ Optimist Nationals where held at Naval Point Club, Lyttleton Harbour, Christchurch, NZ

There was an open fleet of 200 competitors, all ages from 10yrs-15yrs. These were the country's top sailors plus about 30 foreigners including Australia, USA, France, Norway, New Caledonia, Singapore, UAE. They raced for 5 days over Easter in 15 races.

At the same time they held a Green Fleet NZ Optimist Competition for kids who have only sailed for 1-2 years and are competing for the first or second time at this level. Patrick, along with 42 other sailors from all over the country entered. They raced two races a day on Friday, Saturday, Monday and one race on Tuesday. Each race was two laps of triangle shaped course. Start line to top mark, wing mark, bottom mark, top mark, wing mark, bottom mark and up to finish line.

Patrick was eligible to enter as he first sailed an Optimist in July 2007 and proper learn to sail in September. It has been a winter of fun sailing and then a 'Learn to Sail' at Lake Rua Kiwi Sailing School and the Waimakariri Sports and Power Boat Club. This was followed up with Naval Point Club 'Learn to Race' lessons. Christmas had him at various 'Opti Sail' camps. The Canterbury Optimist Dinghy Association had 3 weekends of top coaching (A Top Argentinean Coach then Cantabrian P-Class sailor Riley Dean and Gold Medalist Bruce Kendall). The bit of discussion from Jeff O'Leary on race tactics was the final polish. I always thought Patrick might be interested in sailing when he got up at 1am very night to watch Team New Zealand and Alinghi do battle.

Patrick's plan for most races was to start near the favoured end (usually the committee boat) and in clear air right on the start line on starboard tack. We were seriously impressed when in the first race he led everyone to the top mark by 4 seconds. By the bottom mark he was ahead by 30 seconds. Only to be passed to finish 30 seconds behind in 3rd place. We thought it was cool that he came 3rd in a race at the Nationals and that he led everyone once for at least one lap.... Little did we know what was still to come....

Patrick's next two starts faltered. Race two saw him start 12 seconds late then tack onto port 50 metres after the start. He thought he was ahead of everyone only to find he had to dip 10 starboard tackers. It was then a battle for him amongst fleet. He was 22nd at top mark after multiple tacks, dipping, giving way to traffic and a penalty turn. It was a 720 degree penalty turn as he infringed a boat on starboard with right of way. He also leaned his boat over and nearly capsized while reaching. Pat showed great resolve, didn't give up, bailed his boat and managed to fight back to a respectable 14th position. He also had the start of a cold. That night early to bed.

Race three saw Patrick start 10 seconds from the Start Line and not go 300 metres for boat speed. Again he tacked early and got caught behind the starboard tackers and had to give way. He also tacked under a group of boats and got all their dirty air. Finished 11th. We had our jetboat on the water so Patrick could have a short debrief, rest and food between races. We said to Patrick have faith in your plan. You need to have a better 'transit' (when you line up the pin end bouy with a reference point on land so you can be sure you are on the start line is), start in clear air, after the start, drag race (boat speed) for at least 300 metres and favour the left side of the course, on starboard tack. Well....

Race Four Patrick Crossed the start line a 5-10 seconds late but in wicked clear air with no competitors close to him. As all the coaches he has had have said you need boat speed for at least 300 metres after the start so you are far enough ahead when you tack back on port. He dragged them all off. He crossed them all when on port tack and an headed for the starboard lay line. He rounded the top mark ahead by 10 seconds. He led a group of three boats to the bottom mark for the last Lap. He got there overlapped with Evie Baxter from Queen Charlotte. She had to give him bouy room to go around and Patrick missed the mark by centimetres. He won the fourth race by 10-15 seconds! Yahoo! Fantastic! Such close racing considering it was a 55 minute race!

Wow our little sailor man had won a race. We were so proud and happy. He had sailed to the best of his abilities and he won a race. We thought if that is all he ever does that would be fantastic. A bullet trophy to say he won a race. But still there was more to come.....

After the Lay day and plenty of rest to cure his heavy cold we headed back out.

Race five. Same tactics as previous race. This time he had a blinder start on time and on the money with boat speed. 15 seconds ahead at top mark, 30 seconds ahead at bottom. Led start to finish and won.....

Race six Another great start. 2nd at top mark by a boat length. He kept that position to the bottom mark where he was 4 seconds behind. By the time they got to the top mark again he was 23 seconds ahead where he stayed until the finish. Wow. Three races with three wins. One race to go...

Race seven on the last day. On the overall points table at the start of the day Patrick was sitting in second place, one point behind Evie Baxter and well clear of 3rd place. After 6 races it came down to a two boat race. Whoever placed higher out of the two would be Green Fleet winner. Patrick's pep talk for this race was the same it had been for the whole of this Regatta. Sail 100 percent to the best of your abilities, have fun with your mates, plan your race and race your plan, look forward, when you get distracted think 'Boat Speed' and that the only race you are having is with yourself......

Well Kelly and I never recorded any times in this race. We didn't need too! He boomed off the start. He led to the top mark. No one even came close to him. He hiked hard, kept his boat flat, sailed and bailed, tacked well in the heavier 15 knot breeze, surfed his boat downwind, straight line between marks and all those other hundreds of small things that need to be done instinctively to keep a boat sailing FAST!

He finished in style with a convincing win of about 30 seconds. His young friend Evie finished 9th and it was over.

Our young sailor at the most junior of yachting competitions in this proud sailing nation had won...

There were tears in my eyes at the end of it as there are now writing this.


Brian Haybittle

Patrick's Results from seven races: 3rd, 14th, 11th 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st.