This past weekend we participated in the Semiahmoo Regatta, a 2 day event featuring a 20+ mile distance race and 2 short W/L races.
Day 1 was the distance race and 5 of our crew for Van Isle were out on the boat plus 2 fill ins so we were pretty pumped for a good race. The course is pre determined, it is a square so you are guaranteed a wide variety of sailing conditions.
The start line was placed and we were in the second sequence. We tried to run the line on Starboard but just couldn't so opted for a port start.....hoping no one would dip start on Starboard and ruin our plans. Well as it turns out we nailed the start and led the parade of boats to the first turning mark just off White Rock Pier......close behind us SilverWing - C&C 115, Avalanche - Express 37, Joy - J 36, and Karina - Arcona 37 and fellow competitor for the Van Isle 360 this year and others.
Once around we started the long 7 mile beat. The question was do we go into shore for tide relief and the hope for a shore "lift" or go out and search for the forcasted freshening breeze.
Well we went out and after about 10 minutes, though we had 2 others following us, thought we better compress with the others soon. So when we did we quickly found out that the beach was the place to be as both SilverWing and Avalanche were ahead of us. We were holding our own against the Joy and Karina though so we new it was tactics not boat speed that cost us.
Well after about 45 minutes and few more bad decisions, we were about 1 mile off the next turning mark.....when the bottom fell out on us. After watching boats make continuous gains going in, we decided to try it ourselves, albeit in a dying breeze. Just then those behind us were heading out.....did they know something we didnt'.....appparently yes as within 20 minutes the breeze went southerly and those on the left - further out, were able to fetch the mark in a nice 8-10 knot breeze while we struggled up wind in 4-5 knots to get into it.......net result, we rounded 8th of 9 boats:(
So with the now building breeze we hardened up for the one tack beat to the Pt Bob bell buoy and managed to pick off Whirling Dirvish - our sistership, and Joy, that pesky J36.
We turned the corner and launched the circus tent and hunted Karina down.
This 6 mile run was great practice for our new polars to sail downwind and they didn't dissapoint. We were slightly faster than Karina managing to get along side of her and at one point pass her but then the breeze oscillated to the west and she got her lead back. We did a quick jibe and held those charging from behind off and set ourselves up for good starboard tack to the mark, with those in front approaching on port.
We managed to get inside of Karina and Kaos at the mark but needed to jibe and we didn't execute as well as we wanted and both squirted by us. Now we had a 120 TWD run to the red nun and this is where we really shine. We were sailing lower but faster than our competitors just a few boat lenghts ahead and they were worried we would try to roll them to weather....as it turned out we just sailed faster and slid by to leeward and never saw them again on the 4 mile run to the finish. We now were just a few minutes behind the Express and the 115.......
We nailed our angles on the remainder of the run and made up all the distance we had given away on the beat, and finished knowing we had a 2nd at worst, not knowing where the 1d35 had finished.
Well as it turns out, we won the race by 4 minutes on corrected time over Karina.......with SilverWing getting 3rd!
Now on to Day 2........more to follow!
No comments:
Post a Comment