Wind: E at 3 to 7
Avg Wind: 095 at 4.3 kts, Baro 29.89" Temp 72 F
Current: ebb 1715 NH
Start: offshore of usual "West of GLP"
Course: s-I-Lmk-I/f
Race Length: 3.3 nm
Crew: Brian, Seth & RW
It had been a low ceiling and foggy day for the most part, though the visibility picked up to 5 miles or more the last hour prior to race time. The RC setup a bit farther offshore than usual to align Intrepid Rock upwind. The race starting five minutes or so later with no guns caused a bit of confusion amongst our crew and did not get positioned as we as I’d liked. Three wind checks showed a slight favor to port. At the horn, we trailed Cosmic & Merganser off the line to the right. Jolly Mon & Breaking Wind fared much better going left toward Groton Long Point. Still trailing and falling into Merganser’s lee, we tacked to starboard about the same time as Cosmic and shortly thereafter Mergnser. Sailing abeam Cosmic, we pulled ahead of Merganser and began making some time on Cosmic as Jolly Mon & Breaking Wind crossed well ahead on port. Had there been more wind near GLP, or did they benefit from more current?
Continuing on starboard, we noticed Jolly Mon & Breaking Wind stalling west of the mark ostensibly on the starboard layline (maybe a wind-hole?). So we stretched on starboard as to come in nearly on the port layline for a tight rounding and quick set. We had a good downwind, passing Cosmic (they went too far north out of the way), and catching Breaking Wind at the mark and passing to windward of them back out. Though, they almost caught as at the finish.