CREW
Fore Deck - Kathleen & Pam
Main Sail - Nobody - more on that later
Jib Sheets - Chris, in a special reunion appearance, and Steve
Tiller - Ron
Nansi is still working, Susan was studying, Jay was holidaying, Trevor and Adam were swimming, and Audrey was recuperating from dental work. .
THE RACE
The forecast was all over the place but mostly warning of a possibility of rain and the likelihood of very light wind with the occasional 10 knot spike. It was blowing at about 5 knots from the south around 4 and abruptly at 5:30 switched to the east at 10 to 15 knots. Graham had difficulty setting a course as the wind continued to clock to the north. He set one course as a buoys to starboard triangle only to abandon that and reset a new course further to the west as a buoys to port triangle. This change caused some confusion later on.
We delayed committing to a jib until the last possible moment as the wind was up to 20 knots at times and down to 10 at other times. We finally decided to go with the heavy #1 as it looked like lighter winds were becoming more prevalent. Having made that call Skipper Ron decided to allocate Pam to fore deck to help Kathleen skirt and he would try to deal with the main on his own - a fatal mistake.
We got a pretty good start at the middle of the line with everyone to weather with clear air and the wind had swung enough to make our end favorable. But even though Skipper Ron intellectual knew it was course 8 with buoys to port he still had it in his head that the first mark was the buoys to starboard mark. But we tacked over onto port after everyone to leeward had tacked over and then my more observant crew pointed out the correct mark it was clear we had over stood it a wee tad. But no great harm as we bore off slightly to it and would have possibly rounded inside Amelia when we got hit by a substantial gust. With no one available to let off the main Skipper Ron could not stop Circe from rounding up to the WRONG side of the mark. We then had to tack and gybe back onto port tack to round it correctly. By this time the wind was piping and Chris's welcome back was having to haul in the heavy #1 from a gybe to close hauled back up wind. No mean feat!
But even with that we were still in the race. The second leg had also turned into a buck as the wind shifted to the north. Veloce just crossed in front of us on starboard and Amelia was not far away either. So we rounded the second mark right behind Veloce and beside Amelia. The third leg was a broad starboard reach oscillating to a dead run. Behind us to the north east a massive death like black sky had materialized. We were pulling ahead of Amelia and closing on Veloce when we noticed Abracadabra and Blue Streak ahead as well as many other boats furling their jibs and motoring towards the club. Then we saw the race committee flying the abandon race flag. It turned out that Graham had detected a lightening strike very close by at the mouth of the Don and called the race.
We just managed to get into the mooring when the rain began to fall and Pam and Kathleen stuffed the jib below through the fore hatch and the crew scrambled below for cover as it began to pour buckets and the wind to howl so that we were healing at the mooring. It was even hailing at one point. See separate email for images and video.
The rain let up sufficiently to beat a retreat to the main club then it hit again with more torrential rain and winds clocked on the club odometer at 50 knots.
It was a dramatic evening for Chris's return but not much of a race.
So there will be only 2 more races left in this series and only one drop race.
Skipper Ron