2024 Optimist Gulf Coast Championship
On a brisk Friday morning, my Dad and I left for Gulfport, Mississippi on our way, to my final USODA regatta. It would be my last USODA regatta, because I would not be participating in Team Trails, despite qualifying.
We arrived at about 1:30 pm, and I immediately hopped on the water with my team for practice. It was relatively light wind during the practice, ranging from 5 to 10 mph, and gusts up to 12 mph. Creating a successful practice to get us ready for the two days of racing to come. The following morning we left from our hotel, and drove about 5 minutes to Gulfport Yacht Club. I then began rigging, and we had a team meeting. The wind would range from 15 to 18 mph, and there were gusts of up to 24 mph, making for a heavy wind day with lots for swells.
In the first race of the day I got off to a good start placing 3rd out of the total 49 boats in the fleet. In the following races I placed 1st, 2nd, and another 1st giving myself second in the overall standings. The following day, lighter wind was present with gusts of 14 mph, and the average wind ranging from 8 to 12 mph. My result for the second day were 4th, two 3rds, and an unfortunate 17th as my last race of the regatta. With these results I was able to secure 2nd out of 49 total sailors, making for a great performance in my last USODA regatta.
