Thames Commodores Regatta 2004

September 12th Thames yacht Club - Commodores Regatta (Two race format) Course Race 1: Windward mark 225 degrees, 2.5 nm ?Vixen, 2 laps Distance: 10 nm Wind: average 230 degrees at 8 kts On a beautiful late summer afternoon, Brian, Bobby, George & I sailed our last race of the season. Following an hour?s delay for the wind to fill our class crossed the line at 1205, about two hours into the ebb.

We took a drastic flyer, the sole boat to continue left towards North Hill, opposed to the fleet going west close ashore. Arriving nearly last at the windward mark, we rounded with a short bearaway prior to jibing to port for the remainder of the run. On the second beat we followed suit with the fleet continuing on port to the river, prior to a long starboard for the windward mark, then a jibe-set for the run to the finish.

Race 1:Chart

Course Race 2: NL Dumping Ground ? Finish near Vixen, Distance: 6 nm Wind: average 235 degrees at 7.8 kts

With little time left for the second race, I was ill prepared and we crossed the line forty seconds late. Flopping to port at the first clean lane, we safely cleared the southern edge of Black Ledge, sailing to the far side of the river prior to a long starboard tack for the Dumping Ground.

About .3 nm short of the windward mark witnessing boats ahead set down, we took a short port tack ahead of the stronger current and laid the mark. Rounding with a jibe-set and though the wind favored it, we decided more easting was necessary to compensate for the anticipated flood in the approach to Vixen and the finish. So we threw in a ten-minute starboard jibe prior the final 35-minute port jibe for the finish. In retrospect, we should have rounded in a bearway, and held it five minutes past our final jibe point to port, which would have given us a fresher point of sail the last few minutes into the finish.

I?d like to thank my crew for superb boat handling and a delightful day of sailing. Total number of boats 7 in class, 60 in fleet.

Race 2:Chart

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