D3, 2013

After a whirl wind July it was great to be back in our own backyard for a Wednesday night yacht race. Despite the temperatures well above 30 degrees we didn't see the usual crazy thermal winds but instead enjoyed 5 to 10 knots out of the North with steady pressure and direction. The course was CDADBC and off we went. I really wanted the right side of the course and risked a barging approach to get it. J luffed us up hard below the committee boat and we had to wait for them to sail past before we could put the bow down and squeeze between the M244 and the committee boat but we managed to pull it off. We flipped right away and sailed the short distance before tacking back onto the starboard layline. We rounded 3rd behind J and GR. downwind we could not quite get into the grove with speed and Blur managed to pass us to Port sailing with the other two in slightly better pressure closer to the Eastern shore. We rounded A mark 4th and managed a great beat back to D mark. It was a great drag race on the beat with J just on our right beam for about 10 minutes. I managed to foot for a while till we got the bow out and then work back up just managing to beat them to the D mark with us just behind GR. we hung with GR all the way back down to A must had to settle rounding just on their transom. Beating back to finish at C was a great leg. The boat was pulling strong and we sailed starboard tack all the way till we had to tack to finish close to the pin. GR was off our right so we had to throw in a quick tack and duck before finishing. We finished first 4 seconds ahead of GR but they corrected out a solid 15 seconds ahead and just behind J. An awesome night for some around the can action.

M