We caught up with Tim Russell for some feedback on weekend three after he and his team on Ne*Ne won the 2020 Covid Series by a respectable points margin.

1. What did you think of our sailing conditions for the last weekend of the Covid Series (October 17-18)?

The weather for the weekend was by far the best yet! Maybe the best ever? Shorts and t-shirts (although Sunday it was a long sleeve t shirt). The flood kept the seas quiet.  I think we only took water on the deck on the close reach home after the finish. The balmy conditions behind Angel Island quickly dried them off.

2. Did any particular strategy pay off for you in prevailing over the other top boats?

With the scheduled 18 races with no throw outs we thought the winning strategy was to be conservative and not to take any flyers. We started near the favored end but never at it.  

3. Did your team try anything new to help your speed or point or boat handling – something you would share with others in the fleet?

We listened to Jeff [Thorpe] at the debriefs and studied the pictures of our set up. We concentrated on making sure our upwind settings matched the wind conditions. Sailing with a softer rig than normal seemed to help our boat speed in the lighter conditions.

4. How did you like the series as a whole? Any final comments?

Series was awesome! We experienced varying conditions from the first weekend to the last. With Jeff’s help, I thought the fleet as a whole got much faster. The series wasn’t decided until the last Sunday. Up to then, any of the top three boats could have taken it. We learned a lot about boat set up, especially in the lighter breeze. I liked how everybody got better and we were all pushing each other as we improved.

Thanks, Tim, and congratulations Ne Ne!

For full results, click here.