Despite the gloom and doom weather forecast we were
fortunate that the rain split and went around the lake, leaving us to deal with
only a few sprinkles. And winds were
from the east again, but today they were much steadier than for the last
races.
Race 1 Course:
BABDB Wind: E 2-5
The six competitors got off to a relatively good start. The slight southerly component of the wind
angle favored a starboard tack start, and would all day. Rama
ran the line and turned up right at the gun to win the start with Zcat close behind and quickly tacking to
port. That apparently did not work as hoped, and Zcat tacked back to find Bogy
had pulled ahead. Rendezvous graciously spotted everyone else a few boat lengths by
starting last.
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| Bunched up at the start with Rama running the line and ready to pounce |
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| Bogy enjoying a bit of a lead over Zcat early in race 1 |
Approaching the top mark Rendezvous
had made up her starting deficit.
She and No Lizard were almost
dead even heading for the mark. Rama was behind but making very good speed. Rendezvous
rounded first. No Lizard could not fetch and had to throw in a couple of extra
tacks. That helped Rama catch back up.
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| No Lizard cruising just to leeward of Rendezvous. Rama turned out to be closer than she looks. |
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| No Lizard and Rama begin to chase Rendezvous downwind |
Meanwhile
Bogy and
Zcat were duking it out on the upwind
leg.
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| Bogy and Zcat head south. They make a lovely couple. |
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Communion’s new North 150 made the rest of us look drab.
|
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Rendezvous’ favorite view while racing. Too bad we didn’t actually win. But it still makes a good photo.
|
Again
Rendezvous led
the pack to the top mark.
This time she
held a wider wind angle downwind, opting for boat speed over shorter distance.
On the last downwind leg
No
Lizard flew a few acres of nylon, while
Rama
looked for some apparent wind.
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| No Lizard popped her chute again and accelerated. Here she comes… |
Fortunately for Rendezvous
there were a few windshifts that collapsed No Lizard’s chute, allowing Rendezvous to finish first. No Lizard
finished second and easily corrected over us to win first place. Rama
finished third but Zcat corrected
over her to take away third place. Had
she been just six seconds faster, or Rendezvous
six seconds slower Zcat would have
taken second place. Those six seconds
will be important later…
Race 2 Course: BAB Wind: E 1-5
With the radar showing rain approaching this course was set
short – a simple up and back. Another
fairly tight start, but still a few gave up too much time. Rendezvous
and Rama ended up on the right side
of the course on port tack heading for the top mark. As Rama
was closing the gap on Rendezvous we
wondered aloud how a boat that is “supposed” to be slower (at least that’s what
the ratings say) could be right next to us and sailing faster. We checked and re-checked sail trim, but she
kept gaining.
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| Rama in good form, making everyone nervous |
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| The fleet works their way upwind as the wind lightens |
Rama easily rolled over Rendezvous on the
outside as they approached the mark, and turned in clear ahead, rounding a few
feet ahead. She then chose a wide gybe to
the south looking for both real and apparent wind. Rendezvous
chose to go wide to the north looking for the same apparent wind.
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The view from Rendezvous of No Lizard gaining and Rama making good progress with her southern route
|
No Lizard headed
right down the middle and proceeded to pop the chute. Well, it didn’t really pop. It just kinda filled out and pulled gently. But it was pulling better that Rendezvous mostly limp sails, letting No Lizard make up time and distance on
both Rendezvous and Rama.
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Zcat works her magic as she leads Communion and Bogy toward the finish
|
As the wind lightened No
Lizard kept gaining. Rendezvous headed up to increase speed and
exert her leeward rights, but alas crossed in front of No Lizard. So Rendezvous just headed straight for the
finish line. Rama had gybed onto starboard from her southerly position and sailed
a fairly high wind angle toward the finish.
This gave her relatively good speed as she crossed behind Rendezvous and headed straight for No Lizard,
who was on port.
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| Rama has some fun at No Lizard’s expense as they finish race 2 |
No Lizard’s chute
collapsed and she had to gybe since she did not have sufficient speed to avoid Rama.
Rendezvous somehow finished first
with No Lizard and Rama finishing right behind and
overlapped.
No Lizard and Rama both easily corrected over Rendezvous. But to no avail. The sneaky Zcat had been steadily working her way to the finish, and corrected
over all three of them to nab first place.
Race 3 Course:
BDBDB Wind: E 3-7
I don’t know how the wind knows, but it does. It always seems to be the best BETWEEN
races. It had strengthened, but by the
time we started the third race it was back down a bit, though still the best of
the day. A short up and back twice course
was set for the last race.
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| Communion (hull visible under Zcat's boom), Zcat and Rendezvous get great starts in race 3, with No Lizard close behind |
Again the fleet split between taking the right or left side
approach for first upwind leg.
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| Rama seems to always be fast. Here she is coming off the start and chomping at Rendezvous heels…. Again. |
The shorter course kept the boats grouped a little closer,
especially on the downwind legs. The
less-fickle-than-last-race-day winds made trimming and steering so much easier
today.
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| Rendezvous leads the fleet to the first mark. |
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| The first of two downwind leg parades. |
I believe everyone had the same question – how deep or high do I
sail to get the best downwind VMG? Rendezvous tried winging it dead
downwind, sailing so deep that the jib almost collapses, and sailing so high
that we were on an apparent beam reach.
It was a good day to experiment.
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| Rounding the bottom mark, Rendezvous leads No Lizard, Rama and Zcat |
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| Bogy and Communion ride the shifts to the north side of the course on leg two |
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| Rendezvous and Rama on opposite laylines begin converging for the last windward mark rounding of the day |
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| Zcat makes it look easy. |
Again Rendezvous finished
first. And again she did not hold on. After corrections it was ZCAT, then No Lizard, Rendezvous,
Rama, Bogy, Communion. For the day Zcat had a third, first, first - for a total of six points. No Lizard
had a first, second, second - for a total of 5.5 points, making No Lizard the winner for the day. Congrats Joyce and Ron for a well sailed regatta.
Remember those six seconds that separated Zcat and Rendezvous in race 1? Those six
seconds would have given Zcat the
victory for the day. Its not over 'till its over. So it pays to race
hard every second of every race, and never give up time on the start.
Thanks to Carey Jones for contributing a few pics she took from the north launching ramp.
Photo of the day
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| No Lizard looking good |
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