Ok here is my account of the day...

Went with a 7.8 and a 69 manta and a 34 weedy but should/ could have been on a 7.0... Even a 6.2 and the 62 CA slalom.

As so many have mentioned before, the hr before the start the wind was quite light and consequently a 7.8 was the choice and tested well.
From an hr out the wind slowly built however about 15 mins before the start there was a very brief lull in the wind that convinced me the 7.8 was the go..The other thing stopping me from rigging a 7.0 was the thought of having to run around and organise a fresh set of stickers.

My estimation of the wind on the course was 15 to 22kn but mostly around 18kn...this speed being over the limit for use with a 7.8 and my weight normally.

As usual i managed to jag an awesome start position...mid line and 3rd row back...dohhhh! It’s never going to be a fast start when you’re waiting for dozens of sailors to clear the way.

Eventually i hit the water as i spied sails accelerating off in the distance- several hundred meters out to sea...oh well here goes the slog- which results when a hundred sailors launch at the same time immediately upwind of you...this would be an experience i would enjoy watching the elite try and negotiate!

After what seemed like minutes i managed to get planning (think this was around where the reef was)
After the vacuum of the start the sensation of planning with some steam was a relief and so i settled in to trying to reel in as many sailors as possible.

It wasn’t long before i realised that i was in for a serious work out with my biggest gear! By the time i had travelled half way to the first boat i was seriously considering pulling out!! The sea was growing and the manta was starting to fly off the tops of the swells, this was when i realised i probably should of done some practise sailing open ocean as it was my first sail in open ocean since my last effort in 2007.

When i got to the first boat i decided to keep going as i felt the board/fin combo was working ok, and it was mainly the sail size that was the problem this could be remedied by locking out the arms.

I Made all the gybes and crashed twice (into a water start position) getting air off the tops of swells on the way out. i did have trouble finding the right bit of water to gybe in and consequently went wide on most of the boats allowing several sailors in at a time. Had one hairy moment sailing on starboard and discovering a reef break about fifty meters in front of me and some sailors wallowing in the white water, managed to gybe and thread my way through the sets...this was fun! Some nice speeds are to be had if you can link up the troughs of the swells!
The last run to the last boat was a highlight running down wind through the swells awesome stuff!!!. Went wide on the last boat (allowing sailors in again)this was a piss off until i realised where the gate was and watched the same sailors run into the back of the reef break forcing some to gybe or run square to escape it and find the gate.

I Hit the beach a couple of meters behind Tom Radis who managed to stumble in the wash, setting up a sprint up the beach to the finish with my younger legs just getting the edge on Tom!! Sorry mate!!

So that was that, i was stoked to finish and really enjoyed the challenge of sailing the wrong gear in difficult conditions...it made me realise i don’t often sail out of my comfort zone.

The worst part of the event for me was discovering that i was officially listed as finishing in 76th!!!! I originally guessed somewhere between 35 and 40 as i had noticed some of the sailors in front and behind me. Tom was eventually credited with 37th which would confirm my guess! Wtf!!

How the f**k can they stuff that up???????? Yeah i know..I lost my ankle bracelet (but so did others!!)
(did the organisers seriously think all of these gadgets would make it to the finish???)

i had 3 officials!!! Greet me (and Tom) at the finish tent where they took my details down!!!
Oh well s**t happens
Well done to all that started and congratulations to all that finished.

Bertie said...

i came down with tonsillitis on thursday.
Sailed like crap in the waves on Thursday and Friday.
Started smashing bulk antibiotics on Friday morning.
Didnt sail marathon. Felt too crook. Maybe next year will be my year.
Pitty coz my biggest kit would have been perfect for the conditions.

A KID'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE LANCELIN OCEAN CLASSIC. by Vienna
(This is an extract from my daughter's diary - with permission)

We set off to Ledge Point - that was where the Lancelin Ocean Classic was starting. We saw a few people we knew - James was just going to rig up. He said he thought he was the most disorganised person there. Alex was sick and looked quite cheesed off. The last two years he wanted to compete but he had a broken leg, so he'd been looking forward to it this year but didn't feel up to it.
Once all the sailors were lined up on the shore with their gear they were ready to start. It was quite a spectacular sight, especially once they took off.
There were 200+ sailors so it was a really big event. So big in fact, that on the main road back to Lancelin they had police directing traffic! There was a HUGE line of cars coming from Ledge Point. It was lots of fun seeing all the cars.
It was so windy that the first sailor was there only about 25 minutes after the start.
Alex was watching and he looked quite envious when the sailors passed the line.
When the last person finished they had the announcements for the wave sailing and the Ocean Classic.
After dinner we all went to the Lancelin Ocean Classic After Party.
It was at the tavern so they were mostly adults. Then about 9 o'clock they had the fireworks. They were incredible. (lots of description of fireworks here)
That was one of the best nights of my life.

Some sage advice there Dip916, but I think the main issue this year was the increase in wind strength shortly before the start.

I had entered the LOC twice previously and not finished due to light winds, so this year I was determined to not be undercooked. I think a lot of other sailors were of a similar mindset.

My preferred kit was my Futura 111 + 7.5, which is very manageble in 18-20K and I would've had a ball on this combo. Alas Hughie's sleight of hand had a lot of crew struggling with too much sail/board/fin.

I reckon the organisers could have postponed the start by 30 minutes so we had time to rerig for the changed conditions, but I understand that with heli's buzzing around etc there is pressure to stick to the script.