Race 5
After the previous Wednesday’s cancellation due to no wind, and this Wednesday’s appearance of light wind, I was shifting nervously on the launch dock and assuring our guest on 36 from the Bay Area, Peter (and potential new Fleet 9 member– Are there any used boats available, anyone?), that we did in fact have breeze in Newport; I was vindicated as the breeze strengthened out of the west for our picture-perfect two-race night.
Race 4 was marked by an all-too-forgettable early start and missed layline at the windward mark (due to the strong outgoing current). After some good wishes from some passers-by we put together what could have been a boat-end-winning start in race 5, until we were given the opportunity to remind someone the windward boat is not entitled to bear down at a time of their choosing. Unfortunately that message to #17 wasn’t received, and we were quickly on a beam reach at the gun to avoid hooking our anchor chock on a shroud. This put us in a bail-for-clear-air situation and surprisingly made us the first to tack off towards Rose Island, we found decent boatspeed, and saw no need to tack since we were within the shadow of Rose Island’s current relief (where we thought race 4′s leaders made the time).
We sailed as far as we could towards Rose without hitting it, and tacked onto what we could only guess to be the layline, with 101 a few boatlengths to leeward, and 201 a short distance behind. Much of the fleet appeared to have taken the left side of the course. This put us first around the mark, with 101 and 217 giving chase. We managed to hold onto the lead, and halfway down the run, with the prospect of a first bullet for the crew of 36, all I could think was how bad the kite appeared to need replacement. I asked the crew if anyone agreed, and got a brutally unequivocal ‘Yes’ from Peter. I should have kept my mouth shut. On later relaying that anecdote to Rob MacMillan of Quantum Sails, I received an equally blunt “and that’s a sales order” (incidentally, that’s the answer to Reed Baer’s bullet blog 3 query as to whether we’d gotten any new rags yet).
Peter did a great job flying the kite, and on the leeward rounding just inside the mouth of the harbor, TJ and Jamie did a great job at bow and pit, with brother John driving and myself on main. We covered to finish, vindicating ourselves from race 4, and Reed’s prediction from that bullet blog.
Charlie Edenbach
#36