Wednesday Night Racing – June 26, 2013

Wednesday Night Racing – June 26, 2013

Return to 2013 Race Calendar

Flat calm greeted the racers as race time approached. The adventure seekers packed it in right away but the determined waited and a small breathe of wind was enough for the shortest of races to be called. We were off on a twice around loop of the Club Five Knot Marker and the new start-line pin mark. The start was hotly contested with Imp doing a timed run to the pin end while Kaitoa nailed a mid line start. Kay D was right on Kaitoa’s hip and was able to tack off into clear air heading for Walter spit. The breeze was along the spit and the lay line to the mark became critical. Imp, in the lead just under stood the mark and had to do two more tacks letting Kaitoa slip through on the inside. Kay D over-stood slightly allowing Sprite, who tack on the lay line exactly, to close. On the run Imp regained the lead and Sprite rolled over Kay D, again calling the gybing lines to perfection. The second beat to the Five Knot Mark saw the wind going light and changing directions completely. Kay D closed with Sprite then dropped back, finally running in to the mark. Kaitoa, already around and hoisting spinnaker suddenly found herself head to wind, spinnaker back filled and Juniors hard at work. Sprite rounded on her transom and started working to windward, seeing Imp heading towards Goat Island and seemingly good wind. Kay D rounded shortly after and found herself lifted over Sprites stern as wind fought to fill in from both sides. Kaitoa and Kay D played the Saltspring side/ centre of the harbour while Imp, now beating, and Sprite played the Goat Island side. Several times the Goat side seemed to die but then in a cruel twist of fate the wind did come from that side, high up and dropping in the middle. This gift gave the Kay D the strongest breathe first and at a hotter angle, allowing her to both roll over Kaitoa and scoot out from under Sprite into second place. Imp had worked out such a lead by this point she took line honours, the other three finished in a group just seconds apart. They used the last of the wind to cross leaving Albatro and Wildfire zephyr  hunting to get home. No matter as such a peaceful evening on the water is to be savoured.

Martin Herbert
aboard the Kay D

Official Results (courtesy Philippe Erdmer – ‘Kaitoa’)

Course: See Above

Scoring with SISC Club ratings:

Scoring with PHRF ratings: