Crew: Brian, Seth, Bob & RW
Winds:  avg 320 @ 8 kts, peak 12, low 4 kts
Weather:  Clear, Temp 71 F; Baro 29.82
Current: ebb - flood to begin at 1810 Ram Island, 1835 North Hill
Start/Finish: offshore of GLP Starting Area
Course: s/f–DM–s/f; Distance: 320 at 1.5 nm, shortened to 1 1/2 laps, 4.1 nm total
Shrouds: +2,+3,+2

Again, I thought I’d run down the line from the pin, then tack onto starboard into a hole.  With a big port-header, we would have been much better off leading the fleet from the RC, to start on starboard with speed, as they were bunched at the boat.  Also, I was late discovering, starboard to be slightly, though predominately favored.  The wind may have been much steadier offshore to the left. It was very eradicate and gusty in the middle of the course and to the right nearer shore.

We held our own n the downwind, jibing shortly after the set, for clear air the whole run.

On our upwinds, we would have faired better favoring the left side (as did Breakin’ Wind on both beats & Sans Souci on the second) of the course with only an occasional, tack to the right.   We tried to cover Cosmic through the middle, but they did a much better job staying phase  for a 1^st well deserved first place.

3rd w/ Spring Penalties
4th w/o Spring Penalties

Link to chart

Sunday - 08/22/10
Crew: Brian, Seth, Bob & RW
Winds: ESE 13 kts, gusts high teens
Weather: Overcast, mist/drizzle, occasional showers, Temp 69 F
Current: ebb - North Hill 0955, 1020 Race Point
Start time: 1040
Start/Finish: Groton Long Point / Ram Island
Course: counter-clockwise Fishers Island; Distance: approximately 14.5 nm
Shrouds: +4,+5,+4; #1 Heavy Genoa

While motoring out in the rain, we monitored over the VHF, the RC’s announcement of Course 2 for the PHRF fleet. In assessing the conditions, we pointed the bow numerous times at Race Point to find the TWA averaging between 130 & 140 degrees on port, substantiating our hunch for starting with the spinnaker ‘reacher’ and an offshore course to Race Point.

We had an excellent start near the committee boat with most of the fleet down at the pin. Checkered Demon nearer the boat was over early and peeled around the front for a re-start. As we headed out for a point roughly halfway between North Hill & Seaflower, it seemed the faster spinnaker classes (that had started earlier now approaching or abeam NH) were slowed by the current flowing north along Fishers west shore.  As I had my back to the island, concentrating on steering, I could not see what was going on with the rest of the boats in our class. Seth said Abrabesque put their chute up shortly after the start, then the rest of the class begining with Plain Vanilla started popping theirs in the vicinity of North Hill, though they may not have benefited as much from the wind that close to shore

I’m not sure about all these points, yet one or more may be right as we stayed with the pack all the way to Race Point.
Rationale for the offshore course:
·         Avoid the north bound current along the shore
·         Possibly more pressure offshore
·         Appreciate the favorable ebb sooner

We doused and hoisted the genoa short of Race Point as ahead a couple boats were pushing out against the current prior to the round.  We wished to continue out for better current and far enough to weather Wilderness Point, yet the chop was severe so we tacked, requiring a subsequent tack as we neared WP, which took us out far enough to lay Lords’.

Nearing the western tip of the island, we pulled in the flattening reef as Brian went below to change spinnakers, and shook it out when he came back up on the rail. On a near reach in 12 to 14 kts of wind we were kicking along near hull speed, occasionally breaking six knots. The wx-helm was tiring even with the crew scooted back.

Beam reaching up Lord’s, we set the chute at the top (C7) and hung tight on to C9 prior to the crossing. Ahead, we could see that many had reached up towards the CT shore for current relief. I considered it too far out of the way. With the wind, now in the mid-teens, we took a more direct course- north of Latimers, a short port jibe south of Eel Grass, back to starboard to near the finish with a final port for the crossing. 

Saturday - 08/14/10
Crew: Brian, Seth, Bob & RW
Winds: SE, avg 4.2 kts, peak 6.5 kts
Weather: Clear, Temp 85 F
Current: flood – 0832 Ram Island
Start time: 1059, finish 1500
Start/Finish: just SE of Stonington Harbor
Course: s/f–G3-N-I–R-s/f; Distance: 11.2 nm
Shrouds: Base

Crossing line (in 3 kts of wind) next to the RC boat at the gun uncontested, with most of the class down near the pin, I later realized (if not less current there) their course to windward took them into the shelter of the breakwater sooner than ours.    We were neck and neck with Salud to the breakwater, where they abeam our windward pulled ahead.

Sailing as close to the tip of the breakwater as we dared, we barely made the gong (G3) kissing it with the stern corner. A late set resulted due to our obligatory 360.  Fortunately, the penalty turn was on course downwind.   Having to do it upwind against the current, would have cost us dearly.

After the set, we realized the reacher was more appropriate.  Brian rigged it and we hoisted it “outside” on clearing Eel Grass Reef.  An 'inside' hoist and 'peel' is the correct way, though 'outside' worked. The reacher was much easier to sail to. The switch this late in the game precluded reaching through the ‘Clumps’ to Fishers Island as most of the fleet ahead had.    As a result, we benefited from the favorable current mid-sound and through the Dumplings more than the others.   

Nearing North Hill, we witnessed Salud completing a 360 penalty turn, finding out later, they had hit the buoy in the jibe from port to starboard.  We were able to jibe around the mark and hold the spinnaker well past the Dumplings nearly coming abeam and passing “Irish Lady”.   There (at 1310) we lost any chance of a reasonable finish, as the wind dropped down to 3 kts & less for the next five minutes or more.  Before we knew it, Irish Lady pulled away to round Intrepid 15 minutes ahead of us.  

Had we forsaken the effort of maintaining the range on Intrepid against the current, bore-off instead, we may have stayed with Irish Lady for the remainder with a respectable finish.  As it was they finished 14 minutes ahead of us.  The near reach from Intrepid, past Ram to the finish against the current in a meager four knot breeze was long and slow.

Link to chart a
Link to chart b