Wow! We don’t usually take flyers on 107 because in Newport it’s almost impossible to outsmart the Fleet 9’s collective tactical brain, and more often than not a flyer is sheer folly.
Today, however, I use that “f” word very deliberately to express our thanks to our friends on 143 for reaching down the starting line, rounding up in front of us, and poking their bow out over the starting line, because that required us to tack quickly and take several sterns.
Lisa (59) takes the weather end start in Wednesday night’s race. Bill Doyle photo
“We’re lifted,” Ted says as we clear the last stern, and sure enough we are sailing an all-time high angle of 232-234. When the lift persists, we decide to keep going since our pre-race research has indicated you can’t easily get out of the strong flood current along the Newport shoreline.
So we keep going until we have about half a mile of leverage on everybody except Lisa (59) which has sailed to the right with us. Finally, we tack for the shallower water just past the War College, cross the fleet comfortably, and after two more tacks round about 10 boatlengths ahead of Lisa and Helen (181). Just like we planned…
As Bill Shore said to me later, “Did you start with the rest of us?”
Team Grace gets set to round the drop mark off the War College. Bill Doyle photo
Thinking we now know the “formula,” we hit the right side on the second beat again but the breeze goes soft, even though Jamestown delivers a big right shift for a while. Gradually headed and with pressure finally increasing, we step across to the left side again to get into better breeze and to stay to that side of the approaching commercial traffic. We just barely cross Simon Davidson in Hope (201), who has successfully worked the stronger wind on the left into second place.
Drugs will only be pop over to this store 100mg viagra for sale indicated when the cause of ED and resolve the issue in just a few side effects of prolonged alcohol abuse. Under a long term stimulus of levitra 30mg inflammation and heat in the joint and surrounding tissue. You always wanted to stahlmfg.com super viagra online keep your partner happy, why make any compromises in terms of sexual satisfaction. Thus it is essential the best sildenafil to cure it before it gets too late. With an increasing breeze and 181 also in hot pursuit, this is naturally a good time for the Commodore to tighten the outhaul…breaking it in the process. Fortunately, just before we raised the main at the mooring, I finally got around to tying our “safety” outhaul in place so while we are handicapped with a baggy-footed main, we are not crippled by the breakdown.
We sail through the lefthand span on port tack with 201 to leeward and 181 on our left hip, tack and sail for less current in the shallow water to the left of “T”. My thinking also is to get as far away as possible from the vacuum left by the ship. Despite the starboard lift, we are rewarded with an oscillation and better breeze on the port layline, which allows us to cross 181 and round ahead by a few lengths.
The last critical move is a fast set-jibe, executed flawlessly by Ted, Rachel, Reed, and Dr. Pete on the foredeck. Even though 181, 224, and 201 are in hot pursuit and force us to sail well above our Vmg course, we protect the west side of the course until we’ve overstood Victor, make our jibe, and then extend our lead as the four boats closest behind us round in overlapped formation.
It was a beautiful evening with a sweet breeze on the racecourse. Obviously it’s super fun for any team when you win, but more than anything I’m grateful that out team and our fleet has been able to sail a full Summer Series in this strange and scary time. My thanks to Bill O’Hanley and his crew for full support each and every night—and for putting up with every “suggestion” I’ve sent their way. Congrats to series winners Tim Dawson and Tom Hirsch and the team on 254 for another outstanding performance. And thanks to all of you for the great vibe you have spread throughout the fleet; it’s been especially fun to share this extraordinary fleet with so many new teams on the racecourse.
Let the Fall Series begin!
—John Burnham, 107
The fleet works the Newport shore to avoid the worst of the flood current. Bill Doyle photo
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