CREW
We had a whole boat load of people.
Foredeck - Pam, Audrey, Kathleen, & Jake
Mainsheet & timing - Susan
Jib winches - Steve and Jay
Steering - Skipper Ron
THE RACE
Lots of wind so we went with the #2. The wind was out of the SW and the course was buoys to port, windward/leeward, 4X around. All the usual suspects were out. We went for a pin end start and were slightly early so ducked under Veloce's stern and hardened on on her port quarter but bore away enough that we could tack on to port ducking her transom for clear air. Alpha Omega was over early and had to restart. We went to the starboard tack lay line and thought we tacked with lots to spare but got headed into the mark and had to add two more tacks to lay it. Got to the weather mark behind Blue Streak, Abracadabra, and close behind Veloce. Closed on Veloce on the down wind leg and rounded just behind her onto the 2nd upwind leg. We split off on to starboard tack towards the Island to clear our air. Veloce stayed on port. We tacked back onto port before the lay line and crossed comfortably ahead of Veloce and stayed ahead for the remainder of the race.
We had one anxious moment when just after rounding the final leeward mark we had to crash tack to avoid Panache coming out of nowhere on starboard. Jake's legs slipped through the leeward life lines at the forward shroud and got wrapped in the new jib sheet as it was being cranked in, squeezing his leg between the lifeline and the jib sheet. We let the sheet go sufficiently for Jake to extricate himself and get his wounds to windward to heal.
The Circe Crew performed magnificently again with great foredeck work on the pole and skirting (often simultaneously), Susan on the main in gusty conditions, and Steve and Jay on winches. You guys are amazing!
RESULTS
Circe finished second, 23 seconds behind BS on corrected time. Veloce was 3rd, Alpha Omega 4th, Abra 5th, Amelia 6th, and Kokoro 6th. With three races completed in Series 2 and one drop race Circe is in 4th with 6 points but only one point behind Veloce and Alpha Omega who are tied for second with 5 points. BS has 2. So, its not over yet, by any means.
Skipper Ron