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The planets are finally aligned...

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/02/2008 : 08:00:48

Labourday weekend was a blast. Our interclub racing association put on 4 races between sunup on Saturday and sundown on Monday, and we entered Iris in all of them. Knowing that this was one of the biggest racing weekends on the lake, and that the fleet would be full we didn't expect much in the way of results, but we had heard that the parties were really good this weekend, so I was determined not to miss anything.

Race 1 was a standard windward-leeward race that is best not mentioned. Our start was sloppy, we sailed where the wind wasn't, and we just couldn't get things working right on the boat at all. Couldn't point, couldn't find the right lines. We finished 5th out of the 7 boats entered, and I was starting ot wonder if I had wasted my crew's time in entering us.

After Race 1, we sailed around a bit waiting for race 2 to start. This race would be a distance race, as shown in the [url="http://www.byc.on.ca/communication/pdf/racing/2008%20LSIS%206%20and%207.pdf"]Race Instructions[/url]. We would sail the full course, around the shoal and then back up to Hawkestone marina.

I had decided to sail where the wind WAS this time, and found a nice empty area on the bottom of the line. For some reason our timer didn't start, and we watched the committee boats raising and lowering flags, but never got the stopwatch going. With under a minute to the start we running down the line, well away from the rest of the fleet, and I was starting to get fidgety. Just as we were going ot turn away from the line to execute spin and burn some time, the horn went, and we put the tiller over the other way, crossing the line ahead of the fleet.

A Shore breeze was building, and being so far down the line, we took advantage of it, while the rest of the fleet out near the middle of the bay weren't able to sail in the same wind.

Better than halfway down the bay we were still well ahead of the rest of the white sail fleet, and catching the spin fleet. Eventually the leaders in the white sail fleet caught up to us, but by then we had caught 2 spinnaker boats.

Rounding the point at the top of the bay, we headed for Long Shoal. Here my crew was amazing. Constantly trimming in and out, calling the puffs, and telling me where the wind was. We reached all the way down to the shoal, and held our position in a pack of about 4 or 5 boats. "Newfie Screach" (who generally gives me headaches), "I am Canadian" (Who gives me even more headaches), and "Lady Phoenix" (who we have offered beer to and taken beers from in past races) were with us as well as a Beneteau First 325 named "Belle Du Jour" who wasn't in our class.

Newfie, Canadian, and Phoenix were our main concerns, and we kept with them all the way to the shoal. At the mark, all of us tried to round at the same time, but we got the inside position. At the mark, Newfie Tacked over right on our nose, and we followed suit in order to cover him. Belle tacked after us, but went inside on a faster point of sail, dangerously close to the shoal.

By doing that, he was able to gain inside position at the next mark (the other end of the shoal), but we went "outside-in" so that although we started our tack under him, we came out on top, and were again able to blanket him. Behind us Newfie and Canadian were duking it out and generally falling behind us.

All the way from Long Shoal to Hawkestone we kept pace with Belle, while Phoenix was just ahead of us. Having the faster boat to use as a pacehorse was a great bonus. I figured that as long as I was keeping up with her, our finish would be OK. And I knew that Phoenix would have a penalty based on PHRF.

Close to the finish, the wind died out again, but along the shore, I could see cat's paws. We sailed off our intended course and Mike worked like a champ. Between the trees, a breeze would blow, but under their cover the wind was very light. He constantly trimmed while I hopped from breeze to breeze, now broad reaching, now beam reaching, now close hauled, now reaching...

When we crossed the finish line, Newfie and Canadian were well behind us. Belle and Phoenix were a little ahead of us. I had no idea where the rest of our PHRF High fleet was, but we both knew we had had a helluva race.

Here are the results...
[url="http://www.byc.on.ca/results/2008/lsis/whitehi07.html"]Race 7 Results[/url]

The next day, with only my 11 year old daughter for crew, Iris went on to take 3rd in a short triangle race, and the last race was cancelled, but this was one of the best Labour Day weekends I can remember having in a very long time!

The planets have finally aligned - I have 2 flags to show for it!

"Iris"
1984 FK/SR #4040
http://frosthaus.blogspot.com/

Take a minute to register your boat with the association!!
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/owner_questionnaire.htm

Edited by - Prospector on 09/02/2008 08:06:36

SailCO26
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 09/02/2008 : 09:55:14

Congrats!

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.