72th Annual Island Race - Ram Island Yacht Club
Crew: Brian, Josh & RW
Winds: NW, W, SW, NW 9 kts, 4 to 14, peak gust 16
Current: ebb - 1012 North Hill, 1037 Race Point, 1022 Napatree
Start time: 1020
Start/Finish: Groton Long Point / Ram Island
Course: counter-clockwise Fishers Island; did not include Stonington Gong
Distance: approximately 14.5 nm
With the opportunity for numerous wind checks prior to the start, we rigged for setting the reacher on starboard jibe sometime following the start. With only three boats in our class we had plenty of room on the start line.
Trailing Checkered Demon & Jolly Mon across the line, we worked up windward of Jolly Mon’s starboard stern to a point we felt conditions warranted hoisting the reacher, allowing us to maintain our interval, till they set theirs about a third of the way to race point. We may have gone offshore farther than any time in the past
We did our normal routine up Lords Pass, ducking well in between buoys hanging tight on C7 up to C9 before crossing. Once north of Latimers we should have favored the left side of course rather than be concerned about current avoidance, instead tacked back to starboard (in spite of the current) on the port headers for greater pressure on the left side of the course to the finish. As the closer to the Connecticut we got the flukier the wind.
Link to chart
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