The wind was light at around 5 knots at the start and it started raining hard. I had a good start on time about three boat lengths down the line from the boat end. We were being sent north to a radar target north of Retsil. I took a long starboard tack toward Bremerton. "Tantalus" and "Tantrum II" were to weather and pointing high and seemed to be getting a lift toward the right. I kept my speed up and pulled ahead some. My plan was to get far enough to the north to pick up the ebb flowing out of Port Washington Narrows. Sure enough, before I could tack and lay the mark, I detected on the GPS that the current was setting me right toward the mark. I soon was set to weather of "Tantalus" and "Tantrum II". As we neared the mark, the smell of the Retsil sewer plant became noticeable indicating a new breeze coming from that direction. I tacked twice to stay to the right side of the mark and in a lightening wind rounded the mark first where the committee boat shortened the race. Several boats went north of the mark and had quite a struggle to get up current to the mark.
I was first in class and first overall for the night. "Falcon" finished close behind me for first in class 2 and 2nd overall. Another fine evening although it rained hard the entire night. I collected my six packs of sodas(I don't drink beer) for the three races so far and headed home. The dark, rain and fog made it fun getting home. I was back to the dock at 2134 and home by 2206.
Since I left my "luck" home tonight, how do I explain my success? Maybe it was the symbiotic relationship between me and the boat where we are on the same path of going fast through the water...... Nah!!!
Light winds after the start. Left to right: Tantrum II, Tantalus and Swan.
Falcon off Annapolis. Retsil is toward the left.
3 comments:
You can't leave luck at home Dan, luck finds you, whether you want it or not.
-Gerry
So you are saying that my plan worked because I was lucky? I like to think my plan worked because I did my homework, implemented it and then modified the plan as I observed conditions changing.
Anyway, the boat and I came to a great understanding this summer and we are working together nicely. The boat seems really happy with the new mast tune and the deliveries without autopilot has given me a lighter touch on the helm and that seems to make the boat happy too. Maybe it really is a symbiotic relationship!
Oh, I will take luck anytime I can. But I guess have not felt like luck was a factor this summer.
Now in April at the Poulsbo race, luck was a factor. Bad luck that blew the jib over the side and broke the foil so we could not fly a jib upwind. Actually we should not have let the sail blow over the side, so maybe bad luck was not a factor either.
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