The wind gods made up for the slick-as-glass conditions on Oct 24th that resulted in cancelled races. We had steady 8 - 12 knot ENE winds the entire day, with a few gusts up around 15. Plus, the rain dissipated just in time, making for delightful racing conditions.
Ron Nash was single-handing No Lizard (again). Bob and Julie Rhodey aboard Matsya got a little help from George Boger who decided to crew with them rather than take his own boat out. The Zeiler boys were on Zcat. And I had our sailmaker Dave Sample with me aboard Rendezvous.
The windward/leeward course was set as I-A-I-A-I, up and back twice. The legs were short, but with what the wind gave us that was about the only way to get a good course orientation that required us to make decisions about when and where to tack and gybe. The wind direction was steady enough that we used the same course for all three races.
Unfortunately I do not have a race narrative. With the fresh breeze and the intensity of the racing I did not have time to make notes. And I know better that to rely upon my memory. The boats were closely packed on the starting line, and maneuvering at close quarters and at full speed. One of eth challenges was to be able to shift gears to maintain control in the gusts while still having enough power in the lulls. Suffice it to say that the racing was exhilarating.
With Dave Sample's considerable help, Rendezvous captured three first place finishes. That man certainly knows how to make a boat move. The hard part for the skipper is that sometimes the correct thing to do goes against what your gut tells you is right.
Looking at the results, I am certain that in race #1 Ron Nash can identify at least a dozen instances in the first race where he gave up more than one second. One measly second is all that separated his third place finish from the Rhodey's well-sailed second place finish. Congrats Bob, Julie and George for a heck of a race. Team Zeiler should thank the Rhodeys. That second place that Matsya earned pushed No Lizard to third place overall, and Zcat second overall. Not too bad for using the "beater" sails.
The racing was close. Notice that only one point separates second from third, and third from fourth. Most of all it was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to improve boat handling skills.
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