We have been known to invoke “Robert’s rules of order” from time to time on PERSPECTIVE. After all, it’s my boat, so we may as well follow my rules 😉
Today began like yesterday.
- Smoking hot whether
- Similar wind. (Actually slightly more — we opted for the #2)
- Course was essentially the first half of yesterday’s race
- Not a great start
- An excellent first leg to make up ground.
We were just astern of Battlewagon and Perry-Eh at the CCIW spider.
But now we used some learning from the day before. Rather than jibing toward the lake, we did a bear away set of the spinnaker, and sailed a hot angle to position ourselves further inshore than our rivals. Getting there involved some memorable moments as we worked our way to windward of the fleet. First we overtook R-magic (a lovely red-hulled C&C35) on the windward side by sailing a hot angle from leeward, coming in really close to steal their wind and then push beyond them while they were recovering from our wind shadow. We attempted the same thing on Battlewagon, but Chris was on to us and we both sailed higher for a while until I turned downwind.
Then we all fell into a hole, just like yesterday.
But this time, we were just able to hold onto our boat speed and just kept sailing as high an angle as the spinnaker would bear — 60 degrees at some points! (pole all the way forward) Slowly, we eked toward the Burlington shore, while the rest of the fleet wallowed on the rhumb line to Bronte.
There was a moment of crisis, when we lost our wind entirely. We all claim that Bert telepathically communicated to us that we should be patient and persist toward shore. The motion was made, seconded, there was minimal discussion and the motion was carried. We will do nothing drastic, and persist in toward shore. Eventually we could see a darker band of water in close to shore, and cruising sailboats making good speed within it. Our hearts were gladdened (and our electrolytes rebalanced by frozen juice boxes), and then we got our first sniff of the new wind.
Our boat speed began to climb: 0.6 knots…1.1 knots…1.7 knots…2.2 knots, 3.1 knots, 4.8 knots, 6.2 knots!!!!
THE MOTION CARRIED INDEED!
In the new breeze, we were the envy of the fleet, sailing hot and pressing well into shore where we found 10 knots of fresh breeze. A jibe, and a deeper angle in the better air, and we crested the Shell pier well ahead of our fleet, with only one GHYRA racer anywhere nearby. “It’s a Conspiracy”, who started ten minutes before us, had managed to escape the worst of the hole and were sailing a deep line to the finish. We debated whether to sail hot and jibe, or soak down to the line. We opted for the latter and got the gun eight minutes before Battlewagon. Perry-Eh and Tardis were not far behind them.
It’s hard not to count chickens before they hatch, but this feels like a first place finish for us. We’ll find out in a few hours!
Apres sail was lunch under mainsail slowly heading to deeper water, a refreshing swim, coronas with lime (to prevent scurvy), another swim. We were docked and happily driving in air conditioning when the thunderstorm rolled in and gave the world a much needed drink.
More tomorrow!
First place finish confirmed!!!
“It’s a Conspiracy” got us by 8 inches at the finish line! Could have played that one differently for line honours, if only I’d been confident enough to sail dead down wind. Instead, I went for the pin end of the finish line, got under their bad air and while we were recovering from that, they got us by a hands breadth!
Better next time 🙂