QCYC Series 1, Race 4
Again: huge thanks to Pat Whetung and Paul Horne for their help in putting Panache back together again – and better than ever, really. Without their help, we probably wouldn’t have raced this week. The mast went back up only a couple hours before race time. And Jim… I owe you a beer.
After a month of heavy wind, it almost seemed like we weren’t getting ready to race at all this week: there seemed nary a puff of breeze to be found. Quentin, Astra and Frankie came out for this drifter. At least it was warm and sunny.
Actually, once we got close to our start we found a little bit of wind and were moving (according to the recently repaired and fully-operational knot meter) at about 3-4 knots. We had a decent start, right next to Dove. Not quite a jug start, but a good one in clean air.
The course was a nice easy triangle, so it was one close-hauled tack to the first (west) mark. On the way there we had The Shadow just behind and above us most of the way and Dove lurking behind the jib, just ahead an below us. We worked to pinch up as high as we could while still maintaining speed. I wanted to get in front of The Shadow so we’d have a clear path to tack at the mark. About two-thirds of the leg into it, we had accomplished that.
Dove crossed us very closely to head toward the mark and we followed in behind, just a bit higher; I wanted to be able to head a little bit off the wind for speed.
We got to the mark just before a slew of faster big boats from the start behind us were arriving, which was lucky. And the extra distance we’d given up to Dove was made up on the beam reach to the next (north) mark.
We were only four boat lengths behind them heading back to the east mark on a broad reach. But we were definitely closing the gap… Then Abracadabra passed us on the high side about halfway down the leg. Klaus apologized for stealing our wind; I just told him that I was fine with it as long as he also passed Dove on the high side.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have the speed to get there in time before the mark, so he had to cut in front of us (behind Dove) there, which forced us to give back the ground we’d gained on Dove as we had to go wide at the mark to give room for Abra to round.
The next leg back to the west mark would be the last of the night. The light wind was waning.
We were about four boatlengths behind Dove and well ahead of the rest of our fleet, but they seemed to be pulling ever so slightly away from us on the upwind. There were a lot of boats bunched up on that same tack and since we were a little low on the finish line, I made the decision to try to tack out to the middle for cleaner air.
Looking back, I wish we’d just stayed with them.
The tack slowed us down and instead of going almost directly toward the finish line we were sailing perpendicular to it, or maybe a little bit away from it. Probably not the best plan. We were forced to tack back when Messing About was closing on us on starbord.
I thought for sure we’d be able to hit the line, but then Lotus lee-bowed us (tacked right in front, just below us) and we were eating Ken’s bad air and couldn’t hold it.
Nearing the finish line I could see that Gone With the Wind II (who had spent the entire race safely behind us) had gone low, and was parallel to us now. Unfortunately, we still weren’t going to make the line, so again we tacked and again sailed away from it to get a better angle, and also to try to get away from Lotus.
Somehow GwtW2 managed to hit the line right at the boat end while we were still futzing around and sailing in the wrong direction… ugh. And Dove, well I think they finished about 5 minutes ahead of us. In the light air, mistakes can cost a lot because we’re going so slow to begin with.
Oh well… for some reason GwtWII wasn’t scored for the race – maybe he hasn’t provided the club with a copy of his insurance or something. More likely it was just an oversight. Anyway. The lesson here is: always sail towards the finish line.
Like the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. They just wanted it more, kept their eyes on the prize, and dominated 
Go Bruins!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
