F18 Arg Nats 2017: Krevisky & Lopez Segura 1st

All images Jorge Cousillas / El Ojo Nautico from Friday 24. – Great competitive championships, with high talented crews with latest DS sails, plus other top sailors with standard mainsails. It was a light to medium winds regatta, starting always with 5knots and ending in good double trap 10-12knots for the last race of each day.
In short the event confirmed our thoughts on Decksweeper sails once more. You still need to race the course properly and train hard to win, aside your equipment selection.

Agustín Krevisky & Billy Lopez Segura had a great regatta and managed to overcome some diff in speed while double trap vs the DS sails teams, but also had an edge in lighter stuff, where aside any equipment devel, they are lng time specialists.

In short with lighter winds Deckweeper sails have no perf edge whatsoever from what we’ve seen here, all 3 teams though were using them for the first time, and more hours will bring better trimming for that specific light winds conditions.

It was a close fight for the title, Salerno & Grimaldi had an excellent event and had chances too (Phantom / Std SI Mainsail) .  Volker-Mehl led first race today but lost chances with a final 5th, plus a pin start in the last race that left them last with a penalty, mnaged to climb to 5th , it was not enough. Cruz & Mariano did a great effort learning how to sail no boom DS for the first time. These top notch guys finished 6th at Denmark Worlds 2017, 2nd at St Barth  but racing home they hade tough competition as the local crews performance is part / one of the reasons of their level at international regattas.

In double trap, the scenario was clear, DS provided a noticeable advantage and the gap with others was quite clear. Still when unstable 2 trap conds were served standard mainsails teams could get a bullet as Agustin & Billy did in the last race. Course management was key within the 9 races completed.

In the end the simple fact of getting a new DS mainsail wont bring you a Nationals title, top sailors with standard mainsails will hunt you down.

I see further developments too for Deckweeper sails, as my personal experience showed that we could point better with my helm’s Phantom in light winds, even matching top Infusions angles & speed which is much to say. Aside that, the recut DS didn’t saved us from my friend first regatta in the F18 as helm, or my lack of training as a crew, although I got quite better last races..

Like St Barth 2 weeks ago, the F18 sailors sent a clear message to those wanting to ban devels inside the box rule, no need to. Decksweeper handling is even simpler in my own experience, tacks in front mast are quite smooth no hassle, and gybes with crickets at hand for a 1mt foot DS is also quite easy. I really liked to crew on a DS sail conf.

Top 5 , full results here