We had classic summer conditions for the final night of the Summer Series – warm seabreeze, a flood tide, and plenty of cold beer. The Race Committee set up a huge course, twice around, which allowed the fleet to spread out and stretch it’s legs. I often question the fleet’s propensity to race north of the bridge and conduct only a single race, but last night it seemed to make sense. I suspect that had we finished deeper in the fleet (as often happens), we would have begged for two races, once around, so that we could have a chance to improve on the night.
As for the racing, our pre-race discussion revolved mostly around the fading flood tide and whether we should approach Can 13 from the right or left. We chose the left, and tacked up the passage in the middle of the pack leading up the left side. We converged with the middle and right groups at the top mark, rounding right ahead of 36 and 222, with 17 and 107 rounding a strong 1-2. The first run was a long starboard pole, can’t recall if we ever gybed but I do remember the fleet charging hard to leeward of us and taking gains on the leaders on the right. Going into the bottom right gate we knew we needed a flawless rounding, so we “started things early” and managed to round with the kite half down, jib half up, and spin pole swimming along side. It was all grins though, and we had the boat settled and going fast within a few boatlengths, beers in hand.
The second beat was much like the first, except that we noticed 217 hit the right side hard and look good doing it. They looked lighter, but their breeze was right and they appeared free of any residual flood in the channel. We converged at the top and rounded, in order, 107, 108, 217, with 17 and 59 close behind. The second run was much like the first, except that we noticed 59 charge hard early down the left side of the run, and then start to fade as we approached the leeward gates. Combing these observations (217 on the beat, and 59 on the run), we decided to head up the right side on the final beat and rounded the left gate, splitting with 107 and 217. That proved to be a great move, as we looked good early and even better further up the beat, eventually taking the gun.
Congratulations to Summer Series winner Jamie Hilton and his team on 217, to Andy Segal and his team on 101 and to Charlie, Kurt, John and company on 36 for rounding out the top 3. Shields Fleet 9 is a competitive fleet with a deep bench, and putting it all together (crew, sails, and cold beer) on a consistent basis is a great accomplishment. Thanks again to our top-notch Race Committee for giving us yet another great night and Series on the water.
My thanks to Chuck Norris, Phoebe Patterson, and Alex Hood the crew last night, and to Tommy Burnham, Pete “Pirate” Henderson, Sean Horrigan and Rob MacMillan for being part of 108’s Summer Series team. And to my wife Alyssa, for letting me go sailing when she’d rather be.
-Jeff Gladchun, Coffee Grinder 108