C2, 2012

Tonight was definitely an exercise in frustration for our boat from start to finish.  Weather wise we could not have asked for better conditions with a beautiful 8 knots of breeze out of the North.  There must have been a problem with the usual RC boat as they were no where to be seen at the normal start time.  Just as we were  getting ready to find a way to start ourselves the RC came rolling in on the backup sailboat version on the committee boat.  They anchored up to something on the line and we took our sites and marked the start line.  What the fleet didn't know was that the RC boat must have let out about 100 feet of rode and would drift considerably South prior to the gun.  Everyone lined up fighting aggressively for the boat end of the line and a general recall was sounded putting us in the back of the start sequence.  It was painful to see all that beautiful breeze going to waste as we sail back and forth waiting for another start.  Start number two was almost a carbon copy of the first and was the only time I have ever seen a second general recall at the KYC.  The third start was played a little more conservatively with fewer boats crowding the committee boat end and most opting for a midline start.  We were right on the line but in a bad spot being squeezed between two boat on either side of us.  Fortunately we had room to tack over to the shore and did so, finding much better pressure in the process.  At on time we were sailing a much further route towards the upwind D mark but because of the pressure we managed to sail around most of the fleet.  There were quite a few big shifts tonight and the advantage was obvious to always try to be on the lifted tack heading for the shoreline pressure whenever possible.  The rest of the course took us back to ACAF.  We manage to settle into third place slowly reeling in GR and J on the downwinds but due to some let's say, unremarkable corners, we could not continue building on those gains on the uphill.  We crossed the line 3rd with a considerable lead over the next boat and will just have to hope that the corrected time does not push us further back in the rankings.