Crew: Brian, Seth, Bob & RW
Winds: WSW 8 to 0, G10; S 0 to 5 finish
Weather: clear
Current: flood - North Hill 1534
Start time: 1800, 02:26 into flood
Start/Finish: between Horseshoe & GLP
Course: s/f–V–I–s/f–V–s/f; Distance: 6.9nm
 Shrouds: +3,+1,+2, should have left at base  

There was a nice breeze of 8 knots when the RC set a course of s/f–B–I–s/f–V–s/f shortly after we arrived in the starting area. Brian cinched the rig slightly as we assessed the start.  At the gun, we were about a third of the way down the line in clear air, but with little speed, Salud trailing, and Watercolors nearer the committee boat.  We tacked to port as Watercolors began to roll us and carried short of Horseshoe for a tack offshore on starboard. 

We missed the posting of a course change & radio transmission as well, a couple minutes prior the warning gun. I ventured offshore three minutes or so longer then we would had we known the first mark to be Vixen. Also, on the long port west I began to suspect we had missed a wind band closer to shore. After eight minutes, we saw Wunder Dog round Vixen, then Watercolors and realized we had missed the change. 

We set after the rounding (as it was a tight port approach with no time on the layline), and favored inshore for current relief.  The subsequent douse was clean and we quickly tightened up on port, though we still had a short tack out to clear Horseshoe.  Two-thirds up the course, we tacked out for a wind band then continued to the layline, overstanding in the current.

With a great set, we again favored inshore, though not nearly a much as Ursa Minor.  Half way down to the finish, Seth noticed the fleet ahead had coming to a standstill.  We stuck to our inshore strategy, though came to a stop twice prior to clearing Horseshoe, finishing under genoa and a backed new breeze freshening out of the south.

We were fortunate to correct to fourth place, and would have to had to have been 11 ½ minutes faster to move into third.

Link to chart