CREW

We had a full crew out tonight.

Foredeck - Pam, Kathleen, Nanci

Main sheet and Start Time - Susan

Jib Sheets - Steve & Jay

Tiller- Skipper Ron

WIND & SAIL SELECTION

The wind was light out of the south as forecast. But at 5 to 8 knots it was just on the edge of the light #1 so after dithering as long as we could we finally decided on the light sail and hoped that the wind didn’t build anymore.

COURSE

With the wind out of the south Graham set up a buoys to port windward/leeward course 3x around with the start line tight to the seawall on the city side.

THE RACE

All our competitors were out except Alpha Omega. The wind shifted a bit clockwise after Graham committed to the start line so it was a committee boat favoured line. We lined up close hauled at the committee boat after luffing to kill some time. As we sheeted in and gained speed heading for the line Amelia closed in from the starboard side and tried to sneak across our bow as she was early and was trapped between us and the committee boat. But she wasn’t going to make it and we had to lay off to avoid contact as she passed our bow and hardened on. We holler’d “protest” But both Amelia and Veloce misjudged their start and were called over early and went back to restart.

We carried on starboard tack heading toward Wards Island with both Blue Streak and Abracadabra to leeward. BS tacked first and Abra followed and then we tacked after crossing their transoms. We rounded the windward mark behind BS and Abra with Veloce well behind and Amelia even further back. The downwind leg was a full wing and wing. The wind was staying up hitting 12 knots apparent on the second upwind leg. We followed Abra on port tack to the starboard layline eating some dirt. We rounded the weather mark still third behind the two bigger boats but Veloce had closed a bit.

The race stayed that way for the third lap and we opened up our lead on Veloce on the final buck by again going to the the starboard layline but this time with clear air as they went down the middle with two additional tacks. The wind died a bit on the last leg but we maintained 4 knots to the finish.

RESULTS

The dying wind hurt us again as Blue Streak managed to beat us by only 26 seconds on corrected time. We were 2nd, Veloce 3rd, Kokoro 4th, Abra 5th, and Amelia 6th.

We protested Amelia but they decided to remove themselves from the race rather than contest it.

With 4 of 6 races in this series and one drop race Circe is second with 6 points (three 2nds), behind Blue Streak with her three firsts. Veloce is third with 8 points.

Well sailed Circe Crew!!

Skipper Ron