MRMSA Wed Night Summer Series - Race 3

Date: 07/23/2003 Log Entry: Race
Distance: 6.0 Weather: Clearing, Wind: SW 12-16, G 18 kts. Current: ebb 1925 at Ram Island
Course: s/f-N-I-N-I(s/f) with port roundings Crew: Brian-foredeck, Bobby -mid, Seth -aft, RW -helm

MRMSA Wed Night Summer Series - Race 3

Last night we made up for a bit of a dry spell. With the startline adjacent to Intrepid Rock, the course was 1.45 miles windward to North Hill, back downwind to Intrepid, then once more around for a total distance of 5.8 nm. In the pre-start maneuvers, I noticed Hotspur running their #2 genoa. With a choice of only the #1 & #3 jibs, we have run our genoa up to 20 kts with only three of us, and should have no problem with four us aboard. We had a great start mid-line in 12 to 14 kts of wind with Jolly Mon right on our stern. Shortly after they passed to leeward we tacked concerned about their leebow position. In a series of two tacks we set up on a long port hitch through the middle of the Dumplings, making greater than 5.5 knots over the bottom, current in our favor. Nearing the Dumplings, we saw MiniMaxi about to cross ahead do a quick spin to leeward, and continue back downwind towards Mystic on port. Maybe they broke a starboard shroud or something.

Our first tack found us short of the layline rounding in 14 kts of wind. Once on the layline, a smooth bearaway set got us off on the run. Then the pole momentarily jumped off the mast, which Brian quickly reset. Halfway down the run, we ended up with a bad wrap on the spinnaker in the jibe to port for the mark. Quickly lowering the halyard allowed Brian to untwist it, and we were back up and flying in no time. Approaching Intrepid, we hoisted the genoa and gathered the spinnaker to windward for a smooth fast rounding. Blue Light dropped out following their rounding of Intrepid on the first lap, due to problems on the douse. Talking with them later… Tim said they were having problems pointing in the high wind.

We hung on port for a good while prior to a long starboard tack, where the guys did their best to flake the spinnaker (run the tapes) from the rail.

With port favored again between the Dumplings, I delayed too long for once on port found we had to sail a bit free to clear the rocks north of South Dumpling. Approaching the layline found us five boat lengths abeam and to leeward of Crystal Slipper (class 3). We tacked on the layline with CS right behind coming on like a freight train. Rather than have them roll us on the rounding, we kept high giving them room inside. On the second windward leg we laid the mark in only three tacks versus the six on the first leg.

The spinnaker went up without a hitch, and with the wind backed a bit, we made the entire run on the starboard jibe. In 14 -16 kts wind, and occasional gusts to 18 we worked in downwind, with Bob pumping the sheet on the waves to bursts of 7 kts boatspeed. We crossed the line fifth boat for boat, correcting to 1st, with a two minute margin, and 7th overall in the fleet of 47 to finish & 52 starters.

Yach Type Skipper PHRF ET CT Class Fleet

SeTherin Catalina 22 Magner 273 80.21 63.35 1 7

CosmicDebris Kiwi 22 Fesenmeyer 216 77.05 65.38 2 20

Hotspur Devlin 24 Devlin 173 73.90 66.44 3 27

Jolly Mon C&C30 Redwing Loveday/Porter 164 73.97 67.34 4 34

Sassy Lassie Newport 28 Burnham 172 77.82 70.06 5 41

Good Goose P Triton Richardson 253 100.78 81.58 6 46

BlueLite Cal 25 Giulini 225 DNF DNF 9 53