Port Orchard Yacht Club Invitational-WSSA #5

Saturdays race was the Port Orchard Yacht Club's Invitational race. It is the 5th race of the West Sound Sailing Association (WSSA) series of 7 races. This race started at Port Orchard Yacht Club and sailed north to a temporary turning mark at Battle Point and return to POYC. The distance is 16.4 NM.

The winds were forecast to be light from the SW, switching to the NW later at night with a possibility of rain during the day. At the start, the winds were light SE and the sky was sunny.

We had a great start ahead of our class and stayed right. Dulcinea(J105) jibed west and Tantrum II(Schock35) fell behind us. We sailed past Pt Herron and then headed west along the East Bremerton shore to escape the flooding current. Near Enetai Creek, the winds shifted ahead toward the NE and we changed to the jib and close reached along the shore with Dulcinea just ahead. The rest of the fleet did not get the shift and fell behind.

As we neared Illahee, the wind came aft enough to reset the spinnaker. We stayed close to Dulcinea and rounded just behind them. The wind was up to 7 knots by this time. The course became a beat for us and we started getting distance ahead of Dulcinea. At University Point, the wind became more SE and the beat became one long tack parallel to the shore.

As we sailed into the main channel near Bremerton, the wind came farther NE and we could see spinnakers coming downwind toward us. We managed to gain some on Dulcinea and then set the spinnaker. We were on the front of the new wind and would overrun ad the spinnaker would collapse and the windex would swing in circles. Finally near the finish we had to change to the jib as the wind started coming more SE. Dulcinea finished 34 seconds ahead of us after taking a great circle route around us to the west. The wind filled in stronger from the NE and some of the smaller boats of Division 2 saved their time on us.

It was still a great day and our crew of Jim, Ron and Cindy did a great job.

Preliminary reports have us in 2nd in Class and 4th overall with Division 2 boats Emerald Lady(Catalina 27) and Falcon(Cal9.1) saving their time on both Dulcinea and us.

Results when they are posted can be found at: http://www.wscyc.net/new%20site/WSSA/index.htm

Great White, Tantrum II and Dulcinea just after the start.

Photo Credit: Massey Family.
We had a great start at the left end of the line.

Photo Credit: Massey Family.

The wind filled in from the NE as we headed north to Battle Point.

Photo Credit: Massey Family.

And then the wind came aft as we neared the turning mark at Battle Point.

Photo Credit: Steve N.

We rounded close behind Dulcinea.

Photo Credit: Steve N.

Rounding the mark.

Photo Credit: Steve N.

The wind filled in from the SE for a while giving us a shorter than desired for beat.

Photo Credit: Steve N.