Crew: Seth, Bob & RW
Spinnaker Class
Winds: SW at 10 kts
Weather: clear, Baro: 29.94, 78 F
Current: flood - 0925,ebb - 1446 North Hill
Start/Finish: GLP Starting Area
Course: s/f–DM–L-DM-s/f
WMK Bearing 235 at 1.5, Course Dist: 9.0 nm
Shrouds: +1,+3,+2
This is the second year for this event, Sails Up 4 Cancer, and the entries are still on small side. There were only three classes, Non-spinnaker, Spinnaker & Ensign. I was not able to make the skippers' meeting Saturday night, and the RC did not have the race instructions nor scratch sheet available. So we had to piece together the race particulars.
A few minutes prior to the start, they did start handing out the RI's, sans SS's.
We started near the committee boat windward of the big boats, though had to tack to port for clear air anyhow. I thought the beat to the windward mark went fairly well. We positioned ourselves starboard layline just long enough for Bob and Seth to set up for the launch.
With a good set, we were off for the 3.9 mile run to Ram Island. As we approached North Hill, we noticed the Ensign fleet (which has started 5 minutes later) making good gains from the rear. Crossing West Harbor, the Ensign leaders drew abeam. Following the jibe near Clay Point, we were able to stay nearly abeam of ithe Ensign leadere nto the leeward mark.
Bonanza, Night Wind, Teamwork & Friendly Spirit rounded ahead. Friendly Spirit had problems hoisting their genoa and we nearly had contact. Their problems caused them to bear off, and we were able to cross their stern and pull away.
Though, not able catch the three leading Ensigns, we managed to stay ahead of Friendly Spirit to the finish.
Our poor showing, sixth place in class is puzzling. It's almost as if we were towing some seaweed or something on the long downwind.
Trim was good, crew work was good.
• Had we traversed North Hill closer to shore, we may have avoided some of the adverse current.
• On the (second) beat back to North Hill, we had a bad header on the starboard hitch up to the port layline for the rounding.
• These two alone should not have been enough to have set us back so far. Either, we had a much diminished breeze on the haul between the windward mark and North Hill or we had hooked some terrific seaweed.