Wednesday Night Racing – July 24, 2013

Wednesday Night Racing – July 24, 2013

Return to 2013 Race Calendar

After two weeks of great winds this return to fickle winds that die out leaving the fleet bobbing seemed a cruel joke. Still, some excitement was to be had. Tigger J put on a very impressive demonstration of spinnaker… well, not handling exactly… I am not sure what it was but it did include some moments of spinnaker chasing with a dash of spinnaker halyard length testing. In their defence they did sort it out and were one of only two boats to finish. On the Flying Fifteen front there was a complete split tactically off the start that was won by Sprite only to be foiled by a gust hunting flyer that brought Kay D to Ganges Shoal mark in the lead. Both Fifteens were sporting new crew which made the crazy wind shifts on the spinnaker reach from Welbury to the Sisters a trial by fire. As neither was able to finish the race a tie was a suitable outcome.

On nights like these when the wind is not good in the harbour, your writer thinks it would be better to start at Ganges Shoal and finish there and reduce the frustration of trying to get back to the club in dying wind. Perhaps the fleet should invest in a small marker that one boat could take out and set for the start and the last boat could pick up at the end of the race. That way, Ole, who sailed a good race in Caliente, could enjoy beating the whole fleet instead of just picking on the harried crew of Tigger J.

All that aside, it was a wonderful night to be on the water. I had a lovely ghost home at .7 knots chatting with the friend that I had finally got on my boat and seeing how beautiful it is in our part of the world, fresh, through his eye. Truly we are blessed.

Martin Herbert
aboard the Kay D

Official Results (courtesy Philippe Erdmer – ‘Kaitoa’)

Course: See Above

Scoring with SISC Club ratings:

Scoring with PHRF ratings: