Whitby Yacht Club was having their Open Regatta. Boats were invited from all nearby clubs to participate, however, there were no other boats who attended. The first two races counted as race 1&2 on series two. The next two races were scored as spare races for races cancelled during the season for lack of wind. This worked well because in previous years we only have 7-8 races out for the Open Regatta. Keen races wanted to improve their points in the series AND overall.
WYC had 17 boat in the four classes. All races were short courses. Four boats in our class.
Chris came out to crew with me. I played hockey with him for several years, and met up with him again last year as he was taking sailing lessons at our sailing school. I had him out of the boat once last year, and once this year. I put Chris on the helm to teach him.
Winds were forecast for 10 knots from the NW with gusts to 16, and diminish as the day went on. We went out with full racing main and #2.
Race 1
Out on the race course there was much more wind than expected. We got out too late to change sails, so we tried the first race and were completely overpowered upwind. At one point we had water coming over the coming and half filling the heeled cockpit. We rounded up several times doing a 360.
Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2014/20140614-1.kmz
We came third across the line and in corrected time. Too much canvas to race effectively. Four and a half minutes behind the Sharks.
Race 2
After the first race, we dropped and roughly rolled the racing main, and put up the old main with a double reef in BOUNCY seas. We were late getting the start line for the start by about 2 minutes.
Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2014/20140614-2.kmz
Boat was manageable, doing well upwind.
We came last across the line and in corrected time. Bad start and slow reaching legs. A full twelve minutes behind the Sharks.
Race 3
After our bad start, we wanted to have a good one in the next race. We started on starboard tack luffing up so we didn't go over over early. We had boats ALL around us. Before the start we had Cheeky Monkey to windward of us, and several Viking 28s and C&C 29s below us. 30 seconds before the start, we were sheeting in to point to the line, and had a Viking 28 squeeze between the other boats and us, hitting us on the port side. Chris naturally reacted and headed up to avoid, but the jib backwinded and we fell off hitting Cheeky Monkey with our bow. There was nothing we could do. The rules of racing say that we had to keep clear of the boats below us, however, the boats coming up below us have to avoid collusion when coming up. They were yelling at us to go up, but we couldn't as we were close hauled. We should have protested getting hit by the Viking, but we were glad to get out other there without any damage to our boat or others.
In the downwind leg we shook out the reefs in the main.
Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2014/20140614-3.kmz
We came third across the line and in corrected time. Bad start, as we didn't cross the line for three minutes. 6 minutes behind the Sharks.
Race 4
Last race, we wanted to have a good start, but stay OUT of the dustup near the committee boat. We went for a mid line start, and crossed right at the gun.
Winds were lightening, so I swapped out the #2 for the #1, and lost some time.
Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2014/20140614-4.kmz
A full 12 minutes behind the Sharks.
It was a fun regatta, and in the four races, we got a flag for 3rd place out of four boats. Chris learned a lot over the course of the day. The Sharks are fast boats, and sailed by skippers and crews that have a lot more experience that me. I am amazed how they always seem to take the shortest route to the windward mark. I can keep up with them upwind with boat speed and pointing, but they are beating me on starts, tactics, knowing when to tack to the get to the mark the fastest. The Sharks also have more sail controls like a wider traveler and jib cunninghams that make adjusting the boat in varying conditions faster and easier.
Trip Odometer: 24.1 miles
Moving Average: 4.1 knots
Moving Time: 05:51:00
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