Crazy day of sailing

Yesterday was a crazy day for racing. Spring winds were anything but steady. Forecasts were all over the board. 5-10kts generally from the South. In reality this turns out to be accurate IF you averaged the entire day. However we saw 5-12 and up to 50 degree shifts occurring about every 2 – 6 minutes. (You can go a long way off course waiting for the next shift, trust me.) Or you can tack for the next shift and get faced so bad you have to return to the previous tack.
After losing out big time on the second beat we realized we had to step it up a notch to catch back up to the two leaders, Dynamo Humm and Air Express. (Who had just passed us.) But adding salt to the wound we couldn’t seem to break away from the next two boats just behind. So we tried to heat it up down wind and gybe back on the next shift, should happen before we get 2/3rds down the leg.  Well…we got the shift but now it is soft.  So the last upwind gets really iffy.  I am still kicking myself for letting Dynamo and Air get away from me on the last upwind.  They are now sailing in a different ocean.

Anyway, Air picked off Dynamo to win. We caught back up with Red Stripe and barely crossed them at the finish, but we lost Blue Bayou2, who truly blew by us out of the left hand corner.  John loves left corners and mostly does well with them.  John S. and his pick up crew John McG. were a little short handed but still managed to beat our newest member of the fleet Off Call with David, Louis and Baba (pronounced bay-bay, may be spelled that way too, who knows).  Adding insult to injury the RC informed Off Call they were also over early!  Ouch.  But, they had a great start and good seats on the first beat.

Spring Fling Regatta this weekend! Come on out and enjoy!