Current: ebb 1451 at Ram Island Wind S at 4 to 8 kts Course: s/f-W-s/f, W 190 at 1.6 nm Distance 3.2 nm It was just Brian, Bob and I this week with Seth away at Cape Cod. The RC set up channelward of the old X starting area just west of Groton Long Point, as the wind gods tantalized us with a six to eight knot breeze out of the southeast. At max ebb the odds of any improvement was slim. The RC had second thoughts and changed the original course posting for a two lapper 1.6 nm southeast to W in the mouth of Fisher Island?s West Harbor to a one & half lapper to finish at W.
We got a good start mid-line in clear air, and delayed tacking to favored port till windward of MiniMaxi?s hip. Port took us out just east of North Dumpling where I lost the better part of minute sailing too far into a header prior to tacking. A couple more tacks got us thru the shallow water reef north of Flat Hammock, where we sailed along the edge of the reef for current relief maintaining the righthand side of the course with a half dozen more tacks to the layline. After sailing alongside the reef of Flat Hammock JollyMon crossed the harbor entrance towards Clay Point beyond the middle of the course prior to tacking back to port for the layline. Concerned about the current, I chose not to go that way. In retrospect, if had we continued out on our starboard tack from midway up Flat Hammock to the middle of the course, we may have been able to make W with better wind and a less tacks.
We rounded in clean air just in time avoiding the building traffic from the faster later starting classes, then got pinned high to the right with the benefit of clear air. A jibe to port got us a good lane clear of traffic and took us back through the gap in FH?s reef to within shouting distance of the finish as the wind decreased drastically and the fleet compressed. Jibing a couple of times, we continued to stay left and above the fleet with a final port out to the left and a tight starboard for the pin at the port end of the line clear of all the traffic converging on the finish (shortened to one lap due to the wind or rather lack of). We finished fourth boat for boat correcting to third over Cosmic just a few seconds ahead of us. Link to Chart