Crew: Brian, Seth, Bob & RW
Winds: WSW at 6 to 16 kts, (avg 11.5kts, max gust 17)
Current: flood - North Hill 1845
Start time: 1800, 00:45 left of ebb
Start/Finish: between GLP & Horseshoe
Course: s/f-I-s/f, Distance: 3.4 nm
Shrouds: +2, +4, & +3
Finally, some decent sailing weather in time for Wednesday Night “Summer Series”! Having finished the Spring Series in third, we are racing the second half with a rating penalty of –10 and Watercolors & Cosmic with a –30 & -20 respectively.
The morning forecast was for light air out of the northeast, but by mid-afternoon Groton had just the opposite, a nice breeze out of the southwest. We left the dock a bit early (1715), giving us plenty of time to assess the conditions and the start line. The RC set a drop-mark 1.2 nm out, a bit to starboard of Seaflower at 255 degrees. It was a one-lapper as the mid-season party was to follow. After a few heads to wind and to the mark, we found starboard & the boat end of the line favored ever so slightly. Running the line on port short of the gun, we let Cosmic & Breakin’ Wind pass then tacked to lead Watercolors & Sans Souci for a comfortable midline start at speed in 12 kts of wind.
Off the line and to our lee, Cosmic began to pull away slightly with Breakin’ Wind trailing. Sans Souci, starting near the RC was first to tack. And as Watercolors slowly passed to starboard, we tacked soon as we were assured clearing their stern. Once on port the sailing was much smoother (more parallel with the waves) and our boat speed picked up some. Eventually, both Watercolors and Cosmic passed offshore to windward. We tacked short of the layline as I wished not to call it that far out and sailed a bit looser, leech about 3” off the spreader to punch through the waves. Watercolors tacked, probably thinking they could lay it but could not, yet Cosmic tacking shortly thereafter was successful and led Watercolors around the mark.
Our two extra tacks (compared to Cosmic) and overstanding slightly (more than necessary) set us up for a good fast rounding and set. We stayed on starboard initially as I felt the offshore route more in favor current wise, as did Cosmic and Watercolors.
About a third of the way down the run we jibed to port as had Cosmic and Watercolors much further down the course. It appeared they both overstood the finish a bit.
We corrected to 1st place (for the first time this season) and also finished first disregarding the Spring penalties.
Link to chart