Nationals Day 1

Thursday dawned with rain and a small amount of wind.  We had 6-8 when they sent us out at 10 for an 11 start. Very streaky wind, with lots of ups and downs and some small puffs.  I had a decent start and did exactly what I wanted by playing the right middle and hitting the west side of the bluff for a nice lift to the mark.  I was in 15th or so. I picked up a few downwind and stayed there until most of the way up the last windward. I lost about 5 boats in the last 1/4 of the leg to finish 16th. 
Race 2 was a disaster basically from 1/2 way up the first windward to the finish.  I had another decent start, though not as good as the first race.  I felt good until I had an awful tack. I got way out of faze and hit many holes. I found my self in the last 8 boats at the mark. Try as I might I never got much higher in that, though I picked up a few in the last leeward rounding and on the upwind to finish 34th.  In for lunch we went.  The there of the morning was to stay warm with the low temps and rain.  I was warm but the wetsuit I have is too small for me and my back was hurting before the first start. I got rid of it at lunch and immediately felt better.
The last race looked like more of the same. The wind started to pick up right before the start.  I was at the midline and had speed right at the start, though I was probably a boat length low. I went left as far as I felt comfortable and then played the shifts the rest of the way. At one point the boat just slowed down for an unknown reason. I tacked twice, once to avoid a port starboard and the other to clear wind, and this seemed to clear my speed issue.  I rounded 15th or so. I gybed  early to catch a nice puff and picked up a few boats playing the shifts. At this point the wind picked up more and had some west in it.  The next leg was mostly a drag race to mark, though the last 10th of the leg had some tackes. I moved up two boats. At this point I was at the bottom of the top pack. I picked up a few on the last upwind to finish 11th. It was one heck of a ride and much work to keep the boat stick side up, which many people didn't do. 
I am currently in 19th.going into day two.   The forecast is for sun, low 50s as a high with wind  at 10 around the first start and dying as the day goes on. The direction is going to be similar so I expect it to be just as shifty as today.