SYSCO Spring Series Race 3

Wind was up to 11 knots.  We did not extend the head sail all the way during wait for the starts.  But the wind abated slightly to 9 knots by the race.  The committee boat set the start and finish marks very wide.  The wind favored the committee boat.  The wind also had a southerly element at the starting line that made going upstream a port tack affair.   The course was start-1-2-3-finish, W.  

Most of the boats in our class like to start on starboard tack.  But all that would do would take us across the river.  We decided to start on a port tack near the committee boat.  Blew Streak agreed.  We were the only boats to start that way.  Unfortunately we were a few seconds early and had to go back behind the finish line after the start.  The track shows our loop at the start. 

On our way to the windward mark we had a close encounter with Wildheart.  We passed a few feet behind her crossing our path as we were on port.  I heard the skipper exclaim something about the encounter as we passed.   The next time we crossed paths we were in front of her.  After restarting we were still third around the windward mark.  This time we set the pole to starboard, a rarity in these races.  We headed for the second mark.  

We rounded the second mark second and headed for the finish mark.  Since we had set the pole to starboard, we thought we might be able to do a reach.   When we did round the mark we were delighted we did not have to change a thing.  Wildheart had to reset her pole as she had set it to port right after the windward mark. 

We followed Blew Streak around the finish mark.  We gained a little bit on Blew Streak and Wildheart gained on us till at the mark Blew Streak was inside us and Wildheart was outside us.  We all took our poles down at the mark.  We rounded the mark and set a port tack to gain angle on the finish mark.  Blew Streak and us were close on port tack.  He tacked and a couple of boat lengths later we tacked to starboard.  

Somehow, we managed to inch out Blew Streak at the finish by a second.  Not bad for being over the start line at the beginning and having to go back to restart.


 

 

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