Wind: S 6 to 12 kts, gust 14, lulls 4
Current: flood North Hill 18:10
Start: near Horseshoe (start at 1800)
Course: [(s/f-N-lmk)*2]-N
Race Length: 7.1 nm
Crew: Brian, Adam, Dan & RW
The forecast was for a fresh breeze throughout the evening, so the RC posted a Course 6 for North Hill, three laps which was eventually shortened after at two & a half laps.
In the last few seconds prior to the start gun we approached the pin half of the line luffing the jib with Gimlet ahead at the near the pin and Cosmic close aboard to windward. I should have followed Brian’s call to power up but was too cautious and as a result we were pinned close to Gimlet’s starboard hip and an were eventually forced on to a short port tack, then back to a long starboard to Dumplings’ channel. We sailed the north side of the channel where the chop along the shallows the shore of North Dumping slowed us considerably. A short hitch in to close on the buoy positioned us we for the layline & rounding.
Jolly Mon, Cosmic & Gimlet all rounded comfortably well ahead and we elected the west shore of North Dumpling on both downwinds for current mitigation.
I believe our second upwind the best of the three as a short port following the leeward mark positioned us well for the Dumplings, not too close to ND for breeze loss, but in better position for the decision on when to tack onto port for the channel passage, slightly favoring south of mid-channel.
On our final downwind I delayed to long for the last jibe, overstanding for a reach into the mark. Exiting the leeward mark we were forced into an immediate tack by IZZY MAYhem to our lee. A quarter of the way up the course we took a port to avoid the corner, crossing ahead of Merganser but extended too long as the subsequent starboard positioned us too close to North Dumpling for a wind loss/header allowing Merganser to gain. Our port channel passage was similar the previous, slightly favoring the southern side. As we exited the channel in the chop Merganser began to gain considerably, pointing higher to cross our stern to windward.
Merganser was first to tack for the finish line, yet pointing & slow. We tacked and were looking good to cross ahead when the Class 6 boat “Finale” began passing to our leeward forcing us into a tack. Following the short port tack & subsequent starboard, we crossed 13 seconds behind Merganser.