Tovi, the USA team leader, attended the medical tent to ask what they would prescribe for treatment. The morning of day three racing Dane got a nice little over the counter nasal spray and he's since been enjoying that and pumping himself full of fluids and herbal remedies any good hippie would recognize, and any good lab technician could care less about. The other good news early in the day was that although it was raining hard, it was relatively warm, cracking 60 degrees, and the forecast for day was for light winds. Due to the light air the sailors were held at the dock for roughly 45 minutes before the first Northwesterly established itself, which actually pushed out the rain for a bit. As the sailors launched and we spectators made the mile long trek to the seawall to perch and watch, a solid 15 knot NW wind kicked in, the clouds rolled back in, the clear air turned to a cold, driving drizzle, and racing had begun. So much for the good news nursing a sick competitor.
As for the racing, more of the same. Drastic shifts, unpredictable. Early on DQ looked smart, then not so smart, then smart again, rounding the leeward mark in 5th place. The roller coaster continued and unfortunately some immaturity crept into the brother dynamic and the post race analysis is indecision cost them on the second weather leg to the extent they recorded their worst race to date. Somehow, again, coachless on the water, they re-group. If there is anything team DQ show, it's resiliency.
The second race of the day was much more entertaining because now it's a four boat battle. FRA, ESP, ARG, and USA seemingly are in a constant flow of exchanging positions throughout each race. ARG seems to be most consistently sailing from in front, and have never really been deeper than 7th or 8th position at any time. A good trait. The other three have all had to battle back from deep at different times, unfortunately DQ are doing the most battling back. We joked yesterday that maybe the boys should just start each race at the weather mark in 15th place and see if they can still contend for a podium. Not advised, but definitely a joke not too far from reality. Anyhow, race two of the day was another crawl back from the depths as the first weather mark they rounded with FRA somewhere very close to double digits, tough to tell as the entire fleet was very compressed. Both FRA and DQ picked three good shifts downwind to round in 7th and 5th respectively. Upwind both again played things very smart in a bit windier leg in DQ's weak spot around 15-17 knots. FRA and DQ at the top mark in 6th and 5th, close on the heels of ESP, but ARG had extended and looked invulnerable in first.
More smart sailing by FRA and USA, three shifts later they are now in 3rd and 2nd, with DQ extending a touch with a seemingly safe lead on FRA, but making things very interesting as DQ have closed within a boat length of ARG. One jibe remained to the finish. ARG and USA on port, FRA split to the right on starboard. ARG jibes and inexplicably DQ continue three more boat lengths, jibe, FRA jibes and all three approach the finish, ARG to the leeward end, DQ the weather end and FRA the leeward... bang, bang, bang, ARG, USA, FRA. Done. ESP 5th. OMG. And, the two other players that are very fast, but have had a few rough races are definitely in the game... Great Britain with a very solid day three, and Germany who sailed very well on the first two days, but faltered on day three.
Dane's cold and DQ's brotherly love, all need a good rest day, then back to racing on Wednesday.
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