The Gorge- Wind Clinic/District 6 Laser Championship

I just got back from a week of sailing at the Columbia River Gorge.  I arrived last tuesday, sailed wed-fri in the WIND clinic.  Then I sailed in the district 6 laser championships (sat-sun).  All in a laser radial!  I brought my 4.7 laser rig with me as well and shockingly did not use it.  It was pretty windy the first two days of the clinic, but the last day there was a really light easterly.  I learned so much from our three coaches Ben, Bret, and Dingo.  Then I was planning on racing in the WIND regatta, but switched to the District 6 Championship for a greater challenge in my radial.  The first day of the regatta was CRAZY windy with gusts over 30.  It was way too much wind for me to handle in my radial (especially considering I was the lightest sailor in the regatta).  Therefore, I started the first race and tried to stay out but came in during the race when the boat just would not stop capsizing.  The next day (sun) I went back out in my radial after telling my dad, "You have to go big or go home."  It was not a windy as the day before, but was still a lot of wind to handle.  Even though it was extremely difficult to keep the boat flat, death-rolled multiple times, and didn't have the best scores, I kept sailing.  I learned a ton from looking at how other people sailed their boats and trying different techniques I saw them using.  Although I am now covered in bruises, have many cuts, and am extremely sore muscles, I would go back to do it all again in a heartbeat.