Wind: WSW Average 11.5 kts, gust 16
Current: ebb North Hill 1425
Start: west of GLP 24
Course 4, s/f-WMK-s/f, 1.1 at 255
Race Length: 4.3 nm
Crew: Adam, Brian, Dan & RW
We had a descent start near the committee boat slightly ahead of Jolly Mon with Merganser to our lee, though JM had a bit more speed on at the gun. Eventually as Jolly Mon began stretching out to windward of us, we took a port tack to get out of their exhaust.
Instead of a short port tack for clear air we chose to continue for a while. Shortly thereafter Jolly Mon tacked to cover us, and after extending a good bit Cosmic tacked to cover JM. Our rounding & hoist was smooth with a jibe to port a couple of minutes later.
Cosmic & Jolly Mon rounded the leeward mark well ahead and continued out on port. Our windward douse was smooth a little short of the mark, with a good roundup to port in a lot of traffic, so we chose for a short starboard for clear air but again continued out on the clearing tack rather than return to our previous tack.
Cosmic & Jolly Mon extended far enough on port to weather west of Seaflower on a long starboard to the windward mark. We benefited somewhat in the current lee on the east side of Seaflower and had a good set at the rounding of the mark, with a jibe to port sooner this time. I don’t believe we could have done anything significantly different either downwind; maybe jibed sooner to port on the first.
Left side favored on the first upwind, though the right appeared favored on the second evidently from the performance of the leaders. On the downwind, we failed to discuss our strategy for the next upwind. We should be much more hesitant about continuing on the clearing tack without very good cause.