08/15/12
Wind: East at 4 kts, Baro 29.84" Temp 74F
Avg Wind: 096 at 4.2 kts
Start: GLP western side
Current: flood RI-1614, NH 1649
Course: s/f-I-N-s/f
Race Length: 3.6 nm
Brian, Seth & RW
Again, just three of us last night, though a different mix. We had a good start in very light air, against a cooking flood, so chose to go deep into Mumford Cove. On the tack back out to the Point, we may have had a bit of back-eddy assisting. Following a series of tacks at Groton Long Point for current avoidance, the final tack back in around GLP#22 may have hurt us, as the current was really ripping there.
Following Intrepid, it was slow going till picking up the current through the Dumplings. Our set at North Hill was smooth. The best air of the evening lay between the NH and N. Dumpling, then it continued to drop towards the finish.
We pulled off a second behind Jolly Mon, boat for boat with Cosmic five minutes to our rear. There were four DNF’s in our class alone.
A storm approached on our way in, making the motor back to Spicer’s and putting the boat to bed very wet
Actual GON Wx
16:56 E 75 68 79% 29.86 1011.2 Fair CLR
17:56 SE 5 75 67 76% 29.85 1010.7 Fair CLR
18:56 Calm 74 68 82% 29.83 1010.2 A Few Clouds FEW050
19:56 W12G30 1.25v 69 65 87% 29.87 1011.5 Heavy Rain Fog/Mist BKN016 OVC041
Link to chart
link to results
Greg's Comments:
Wild Horses Loses Balance, Slips on Black Ice
Written by Greg Gilmartin
The sky was fifty shades of grey. There were storms to the south, storms to the north and slashes of lightening on two horizons. A raging flood tide proved stronger than the collective will of 39 Mudhead race boats. And the band played on.
The flooding current and the light air combination had 70% of the fleet diving to the north to hug the Groton Long Point shore before trying to squirt out to the close but, oh so far Intrepid Rock serving as the windward mark. It seem the starting line was in a hole, but a few yards to the east there was enough breeze to get everyone moving, slowly, inexorably in the somewhat right direction.
Oh, there were a few who heard the siren song of darker deeper water, hoping for breeze in the middle and to the right, in the teeth of the current. Hmmm, turns out disappointment was the name of that tune.
The Class Five start proved exciting as Balance and Wild Horses looked for the same hole in the water causing a brief conversation, some tricky maneuvering and thoughts of red flags flying. But the boys remained civil and they ghosted eastward, Balance in control to weather of Wild Horses. Meanwhile, Black Ice was over early, smartly dipped to clear themselves and ended up to leeward and ahead and eventually taking the gun over Balance and Wild Horses. And Don Quixote with an impressive showing to win the Class on summer corrected.
The key seemed to get to Intrepid first, ride the flood west to North Hill Bell and then reach for the finish. But, there was more to it.
Eclipse and Looney Tunes did the North Dumpling dipsey-do, taking the momentary push on the west side, while many boats strayed east. They both made up some distance and swapped positions with their competition to win their classes. Eclipse got to the finish first in a rush of 15 boats all arriving within a couple of minutes of each other.
Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet fought the elements on the water until a few loud crashes and really, really bright flashes brought things to a close, sending no less than a dozen to shelter. A different night, many different tales and only 3 weeks to get it right.