By day three of Bellingham Race Week, the romance of sailboat racing starts to feel a little… well, sore. Every muscle is complaining, my knees sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies every time I climb on or off the boat, and even my fingertips are tender. But here’s the kicker: our sailing today? Absolutely dialed in.
We raced four times, and in every race we finished third or better. OK fine, we mostly finished third. But it felt fantastic. Our boat handling was clean, our communication was sharp, and our results were consistent. The weather couldn’t have been better either—10 to 15 knots of steady breeze all day long, with just enough shifts to keep it interesting.
Best of all? My starts were chef’s kiss. After a rough day yesterday, I finally got my timing and positioning right. We hit the line powered up, in phase, and ahead of the fleet in almost every race. Not to brag (okay, maybe just a little), but it felt amazing. Maybe all that flailing yesterday was just practice for the magic today.
The crew really stepped it up too. We found a new maneuver at the leeward mark that tightened up our rounding and shaved precious seconds off each leg. That kind of on-the-fly improvement is one of the things I love most about a week like this. After five days of intense sailing, everything sharpens. By the time I’m back at Shilshole, I feel like a monster—confident, tuned in, and doing things that felt tricky just a week ago.
Sure, this week hasn’t been without its challenges. Getting our cars towed and dealing with mounting physical exhaustion wasn’t exactly in the game plan. But we’re rolling with it. The vibe on the boat is good, the learning is real, and our performance is trending up.
Bring on day four.
Blur Racing 
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