Our 2018 sailing season got off to an auspicious - if not chilly - start with a beautiful shakedown sail out into the lake on Mother's Day, and the first Wednesday night race with a full crew. While Circe finished 2nd, there's still lots more sailing to come in the summer ahead. (And there will be summer, right?!)
All this, plus delicious treats from Steve to kick off the year - thanks Steve!!
CREW
Fore Deck - Pam, Kathleen, Nansi
Main Sheet & Countdown- Susan
Jib Sheets - Steve & Jay
Tiller - Skipper Ron
A full turnout for the first race! Despite uncertainties about transportation to the club the entire crew managed to get to Circe in time for the race. We picked up Jay on the American side off the 5:30 ferry which proved that could also be an option in the future.
SAIL SELECTION
Skipper Ron's wind forecast for the evening was 3 knots gusting to 3 knots so we made the early decision at the mooring to rig the light sheets and the light #1 while waiting for crew to arrive. There were a few anxious moments in the bay before the start when the wind piped up to 7 and 8 knots but we chose to stay with the light sail which turned out to be the right call.
THE RACE
It looked like all our Division 1 competition and more were out for this first race. In addition to the usual suspects Blue Streak, Abracadabra, Amelia, Alpha Omega, Veloce, and Kokaro, our new Member, Ben Angus in his C&C 34, decided to try his hand at sailboat racing.
The posted course was a marks to starboard triangle, 3 times around. But it was a squashed looking triangle with a long 2nd leg reach. In the uncertain wind we decided not to stray far from the start line.
It appeared to be a Committee boat end favoured line in a softening breeze so tacked onto starboard near the mark end of the line to be first boat in the line of starboard tackers running the line. We had BS on our starboard quarter and headed up with them at the gun. Except for Blue Streak the rest of the fleet were out of sight well behind. We carried on starboard with Blue Streak working her way a bit more to weather but not getting away on boat speed. We both tacked at the lay line and rounded the weather mark about 5 or 6 boat lengths behind BS with Abra 3 or 4 boat lengths behind us and Alpha behind her. Abra caught us by the gybe mark but was outside GWTW, & ourselves so rounded behind. We rounded the 3rd mark with Abra right on our tail and us sailing into the backwind of Morning Star as we gained on her. We tacked away to clear our air but in doing so Abra got ahead and Alpha gained a bit. At the weather mark BS had opened up her lead and Abra was about 2 lengths ahead. Alpha was still about 5 or 6 lengths back. The race committee announced a shorten course for everyone except our Division. We held onto Abra nicely the whole leg and pulled further away from Alpha. We rounded the gybe mark in that order as the wind continued to lessen. Shortly after the mark Abra abruptly headed down possibly to avoid the wind shadow of Bandoleer but stopped dead. We managed to sail through Bandoleer's wind shadow and got ahead of Abra. The Race Committee at that point decided to shorten the race for our Division as well. We finished in that order but were down to a 2 knot boat speed by the end.
THE RESULTS
Because of our sailing in that dying breeze longer than Blue Streak they managed to save their time on us. They beat us by 7:40 on elapsed time and 2:52 on corrected. They also just pinched us out for the jug. Alpha got the 3rd, Abra the 4th, Amelia (with her new main) the 5th, Kokoro the 6th, and Veloce 7th. A good start to the season.
And I forgot to mention it was COLD out there. Everyone was well chilled by the time we got in.
Skipper Ron