The crew for last week consisted of Audrey and Pam on the foredeck, Susan on main, and Nansi and Steve on the winches. Kathleen was at a cottage, Trevor sailing his RS 400, and Chris decided again not to make the commute. Life was made infinitely easier for Skipper Ron when Steve taped the appropriate crew cheat sheets to the deck. "Get it Up/ Get it Down" for the foredeck and "Get it in/ Let it Out" at the back end (see photo). Nansi decided that she was definitely more comfortable with in/out and less so with up/down so opted for the back of the boat.
Before the start it was blowing about 8 knots out of the west, just on the edge of the light #1 wind strength, so we delayed the call as long as we could. But it seemed to be a dying breeze so we gambled on the light #1 with light sheets and put it up about 20 minutes before our start. The wind also shifted to the south after the line was set so it became heavily pin end favoured. Most of the fleet opted for a starboard tack start near the pin end of the line except Blue Streak, who gambled on a port tack start at the pin. It was a disaster. Abra caught them on Starboard, but had to tack away on Port to avoid collision, then got caught themselves by starboard boats,so had to tack back, then got rafted up with 2 or 3 boats. At was a real schmozzal. This all happened in front of us so we and Veloche just tacked away on to port and avoided the whole mess.
The wind held nicely up the beat at between 5 and 8 knots and the light #1 carried us well. We pulled ahead of Veloche who fell into a hole and we rounded the weather mark at the same time as Abra. It was wing and wing in a dying breeze back toward the start area. But they shortened the course for us to once around. They sent the Stars and Sharks and some other divisions around a second time but not us. So we actually got in before most other boats and had time to enjoy some of Steve's fabulous Scotch flavoured rum in the cockpit after the race (see the other photo).
We crossed the line just behind Abra and well ahead of Veloche. and Blue Streak withdrew so we finish 1st. But it required BS to withdraw due to the starting line schmozzal to beat her. But we thought we might even have had her on corrected time if she had not withdrawn.
So who's on for this week to beat Blue Streak on corrected time? Audrey has already said "yes". Who else is on board?
Skipper Ron