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Donzo WNR - 06/06/18

Wind: S 3 to 8 kts, gust 10
GON Baro & Temp:  29.94” & 70F
Current: ebb North Hill 17:10 
Start/Finish: near Horseshoe (start at 1805)
Course 4: s/f-NH-lmk/finish (shortened to one lap); 
Race Length: 2.75 nm
Crew: Brian, Adam, Josh & RW

Early on, our strategy favored the right-side of the course, verified in the pre-start wind check. We had a good start running down the line by ourselves in a light breeze less than4-knots to harden up at the gun safely short of the pin and lead the class off the line.  Once settled down and up to speed, we switched to port tack safely crossing the class.  Shortly thereafter, Cosmic & Jolly Mon followed suit, eventually passing us to leeward. Merganser was the only other boat of our class to join the port tack parade, slowly gain on us as well, though they had to tack off as they closed on our stern. In studying the chart, we may have benefited from a very short tack towards the middle at about 1817. Though the air was so light, a tack may not have been wise. .

The air began to freshen farther offshore and we extended a good bit after Cosmic & Jolly Mon crossed us. But the pressure softened closer to the mark in ebbing current, requiring a short port to round the bell for a smooth hoist & set. Shortly after nearing North Dumpling for our maximum SOG of the night we took a long jibe to port to ride the greatest pressure of the evening. Returning to starboard, the race now shortened to one lap, we crossed behind Cosmic & Jolly Mon close enough to correct to first.

Link to Chart
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Donzo WNR - 05/30/18

Wind: SE 3 to 6 kts
GON Baro & Temp:  30.13” & 64 to 63F
Current: flood Ram Island 18:50
Start/Finish: near Horseshoe
Course 4: s/f-wmk-lmk-wmk-s/f; 0.8 nm at 100,
Race Length: 3.25 nm
Crew: Brian, Dan, Josh & RW

After a so-so start on port in clean air about a quarter a way down the line with the rest of the class down towards the pin, we moved out on port as planned, the only ones to do so.  For some reason, most of the class headed towards for Groton Long Point (I assume with the thought of current avoidance that the flood was further along?).   Nearing what we felt was the southern wind boundary, we took a hitch towards the middle. There was some discussion we may have ventured too far south at this point, yet the chart shows this was our best SOG of the night, which correlates to the greater depth of the channel & and a lingering ebb farther from the Connecticut shore.  The closer we got to the mark the lighter the wind became along with evidence of flood.   

Following the rounding, we worked our way towards GLP for a current boost, there to gain on Merganser farther offshore in the last of the ebb.  Reluctant to head offshore, we delayed too long & overstood for the jibe and now a reach (yet we faired well relative to our competition nose to in the current) to the leeward mark where we had a smooth leeward douse & hardened up on port for an upwind similar to the first. 

For the final downwind we took a port jibe soon after the rounding more offshore for what appeared more to be wind towards the middle and now some helpful current. We followed Cosmic (getting the gun), Jolly Mon & Merganser across the line, though close enough to correct over all three. 

Link to chart1
Link to chart2
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Donzo WNR - 05/23/18

Wind: average 260 at 11; 9 to 12 kts, gust 14 & 16
Current: ebb North Hill 18:55
Start/Finish: near Horseshoe
Course: 1.1 nm at 260, s/f-DM-LMK-DM-s/f
Race Length: 4.1 nm
Crew: Adam, Brian, Josh & RW

We ran down the line at the start trailing San Souci, to cross just short of the pin at the gun (as Sans Souci ran out of line) and continued out on starboard, then took a port hitch towards the middle half way up the course.  We switched back to starboard when Jolly Mon overtook us to windward, crossed behind Gimlet, then comfortably north of Seaflower took a final port for the layline to trail Gimlet & Jolly Mon around the mark with a good set.   (Our first starboard upwind was approximately 210 but 15+ degrees higher & somewhat stronger near the top of the course.)

We covered Jolly Mon on starboard jibe then slightly inside them on a port to the leeward rounding.  Jolly Mon and Gimlet continued out on port from the bottom of the course while I chose starboard soon as we were cleaned up for a tack. (Starboard was now twenty degrees higher than the first upwind, and the wind showed no sign of dying.)

Rounding the top mark, with the wind now clocked 20 degrees from the first upwind to 230, we took a port all the way to the finish, possibly benefiting from a ebb beginning along the shore. The wind had picked up some to what felt like 14 and an occasional 16.  We salvaged our time on Jolly Mon with the more direct course as they sailed a course similar to the first lap.  Gimlet got the gun, Barbara’s first but Jolly Mon corrected over them for second.

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Back to G'bury

On Monday, September 14th, I disassembled all but the lowering of the mast. On Tuesday, Brian met me at the dock around 1400 and we finished up, then floated the boat onto the trailer and SeTherin was in the backyard on Mark Drive by 1830 hours.   

This was the first time we pulled the boat up the ramp from the water with the Murano, and it lacks the umph of the old '95 Ford Explorer :)

Looking forward to the new season...

So I get this Christmas present- a small net-like red sock, similar to what ~ candies may come in, accompanied by three cards, Merry Christmas, Happy Father's Day & Happy Birthday, each signed by all the family. Inside the sock are 20 scrabble pieces with which I'm to solve a phrase telling me what the Christmas present is.  I'm making no progress when in exasperation DJ hints "a place where you spend lot of time in the summer".  Ahâ, Spicer's!

That cinched it- "a slip at Spicers Marina" Quite a surprise. Slip #7, my lucky number.

I will miss the rowing exercise, but the convenience will be wonderful along with the water & electricity.