After two months restriction there was great anticipation for a limited re-opening of the Racing Season. Albeit at short notice and with limits on crew size (for physical distancing). The anticipation was heightened by a series You Tube videos of single-handed pick-up races in the bay during May in great wind and weather. (The 5/13 Race is here, the 5/20 is here, and 5/27 is here).
The day was warm and sunny and the wind all afternoon was as forecast, 5 – 8 kts, gusting 12, from the NNW. Fourteen boats (12 Tbirds) were excited to get racing.
The CB headed out to set marks for the W/L course and once outside the breakwater discovered the wind had unpredictably dropped below 3 kts and was now from the SE. The Leeward Mark was set in the nearest wind-shadow and the CB headed a mile towards Marrowstone Island and set the Windward Mark. Just after it was set a strong tongue of wind carrying a sailboat at its tip entered the bay from the NE. The boat was sailing well with her sails set for a NW wind. After a short wait to make sure the wind-line continued to move past the course area, the mark just set was deemed Leeward and the CB chased upwind to the first mark to check the W/L alignment with the new wind. The Windward mark was relocated by a short distance then the S/F line set about halfway towards L. Because the wind was building past 10 kts., the crews were all shorthanded and a few of lesser experience, the line was set longer than normal and with the Pin end favored. This gave additional room for maneuvering before the start and reduced barging.
For the first race the wind maintained direction and boats were well spread along the line. One boat was recalled and returned promptly. The gusts were increasing, the right side of the course was popular but the boats came together at the windward mark, and with a couple of exceptions were still fairly close together at the finish. Time for the two miles was around 30 mins. Towards the end of the first race, several wind gusts of 22+kts were measured at the CB and this was hard on shorthanded crews. Not all were interested in a second race and, later, no boats begged for a third.
The second race was pretty much a repeat of the first if a little faster and harder work.
The results show consistent performance within the fleet (based on only two samples) and called for the RC to re-review the tie breaking rules.
The 505 is owed a big apology by the RC as there were no records of her finishes. Can anyone provide that information?
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