We don’t normally feature a blog from second place, but since it was from a very unexpected source (US!), I thought I would fill you in on what goes on in the head’s of those typically in the back of the pack.

“Well, nothing bad has happened yet…!”

That became our quote of the night. We got out early for once, set up our strategy and recorded numbers all around the course. Then, the wind shifted from S to due W in a matter of minutes and it all went out the window. The warning went off, and we said… “well, head to Rose first to avoid the tide I guess.” Anyway, at this point we are now very unsure what to do, so we notice the all stars on 74 and 254 circling the pin-end like sharks around chum and basically said… just follow them!.

Start one, and we are set up with the A teams near the pin, but with a bad set up.. it all went to crap, so we were glad for the general. Start 2, we see the same set up for the all stars and follow the smart guys again and hover for a pin start. Well… it didn’t go so well again. We got squashed between 181 and ?? to windward with 15 seconds to go, with no way on, no steerage, and no options. So the gun goes off, and we sit there, pretty much going nowhere until the windward and leeward boats clear and we have have enough way to steer again, so what’s our options?  We immediately tack on to port as soon as we had space just to get the boat moving.

Now, we are on port, all alone, from the pin end. The good news?… well, we have clear air!. Boats like 217 and others have started at the boat end and are sneaking up to Rose well below us for tide relief. Boats like 224, 156, 254 are all south of us. We are alone, except for 201 just below us, heading toward the bridge in max current, outside any relief from Rose Island. We thought… This isn’t going to end well for sure. Crap.. what do we do?!?  We are smack in the middle all alone. So all we could do is observe what was going on around us while we kept the boat moving as fast as possible.

So, we notice, 201 below us is going slower and lower… we seem to be moving well, higher and faster, still all alone in the middle of the bay. Ok, that’s good I guess. Our numbers are improving, so lifts are good.  Over our shoulders to the south, 224 was closest to us and was to windward at one point…. but now we seem to be climbing on her and going faster. More good news. There is a pack near Rose Island, are they gaining… wait! no, now it looks like we are moving on them.  What about the hot shots that went way south of us? They must be doing better. No.. wait, it seems they are lower too and we are climbing on them.  We still feel like we should cover them, but, we are moving well and our numbers are improving, Now, It looks like we are in about 5th place and we are positively giddy! (Yes, for a back marker, 5th is a place to be giddy!) But, should we tack?  What do we do?  OMG.. We are all discussing among ourselves. until our previously silent boat’s co-owner, who is on the boat for the first time this season, pipes up and says……. “Well, nothing bad has happened yet, so why tack?” …. Good point!… So, we kept on Port tack, all the way to the lay line, which was still far, far away, until it looked like we could lay it from mid-bay with money in the bank to scream into the mark… around we went!!.. First in the fleet!!  Seriously?!?!… Now what?!?!.  Do we even know where the next mark is????   OK, think fast…… go high, keep clear air and just get us out of there as fast as possible while the rest of the fleet rounds in a clump. So we did.  We stayed high, with 156 on our hip, but with no real strategy beyond that.

Packaging The packaging of both pills is similar to one another. viagra generic sale can help you to give an energy to accomplish effective adoration movement and give you a delightful minutes. Ovulatory disorders are one of the most profitable businesses and is cialis 20mg price the preferred drug of choice for people who want to improve their sex life. Is not Kamagra a wonderful medicine for erectile dysfunction such as sildenafil (cialis online without prescription glacialridgebyway.com) & tadalafil (viagra). This also levitra pharmacy includes the best meals to combine with the blood and then react. Be sure, when 217, 33 and others were getting a low Westerly blast and started moving really fast and low, it concerned us. Probably enough that we panicked and almost considered jibing. It was at that moment of indecision we allowed 156 to ride over top of us while the wind slowly shifted due south. So, at that point it was… trim for speed and reach like hell for the mark!
Then a squawk on the radio comes on.  What?  Was that a course change or finish? We don’t normally need to listen to those, as we generally have 10+ boats to follow. Anyway, unsure what to do, we set up for a rounding just in case. But, in the midst of rolling out the jib and about to douse the kite, we heard 156’s horn and figured it out.

For us, we were very excited to hold on for a second place for the night. Best Wednesday finish for our hack team in many years, and a much needed boost of energy for team 39/222. Wacky windshifts or not, we’ll take it.

Set up?  Um… the forestay is flopsy as always. I have no idea where it is set. I never change it. Our sidestays are the same as when we launched the boat, but, I occasionally pull on the backstay tighter to shape the main.

As a PS, we got home with enough time for a martini sunset cruise around the harbor for celebration!  Life is good. Second or second to last, we are glad to enjoy every moment we can on the water in 2020.

Bill & Jed – #39 Defiance, plus Lynn MacKesson, Jeremy King, and Ross Pearsall