MRMSA Wed Night-Spring Series - Race 7

Date: 07/03/2002 Log Entry: Race
Distance: 4.0 Weather: WSW 10-12, 14-7 Current: ebb 1821 at RI
Course: s/f-DM-s/f-DM-s/f, p Crew: BB, BF, JL & RW

MRMSA Wed Night-Spring Series - Race 7

 

Wednesday night was the last race of the MRMSA spring series; more typical summer evening wind conditions: starting fresh, diminishing as the race progressed.  With the wind out of the SW, the Race Committee chose to run us the drop mark (DM) out past Sea Flower. They mistakenly posted the bearing to DM at 260 degrees; it was much closer to 240.  In the last of the flood, I tried a port tack approach down the start line, with the idea of tacking onto starboard in a hole. The hole we did tack into was void of air, requiring a short port hitch to gain windward clearance of the fleet.

 

Back on the favored starboard tack to DM, we made good time for 20 minutes to the south getting a bit of lift from the last of the flood.  A ten-minute hitch on port set us up for the layline into the windward mark. With no great time consuming glitches on the bearaway set, we jibed to port about five minutes after rounding and held our own down the run.

 

At the leeward mark, we were a little late getting setup for the windward douse and raising the genoa. Shortly after rounding, we tacked to the favored starboard soon as the air was clear.  After five minutes or so Gael Force crossed on port and tacked to windward. We then tacked for clear air, and unfortunately hung on port (against the increasing ebb) for an extended time, our costliest mistake.

 

Finally tacking we had a long tack on starboard, with a short port hitch to lay the line, then rounded with a small hour glass in the set, which was shortly shook out.  Following an immediate jibe to port, we rode the diminishing wind to the finish.  It would have taken a five minute faster finish time to move us into the money.

 

 

Lessons:

Favored tack, favored tack, and favored tack.

 

-Following a spinnaker douse and stuffing it into the bag, we need to run the tapes from the head to the clews prior to the next set.

 

-Jibes: 

-           After disconnecting the pole from the mast, first release the old guy before hooking up to the new one. 

-           Rather than fishing for the new guy, reach out, grab it, and put it in the jaw.

-           Someone aft of the mast can help by pulling the guy inboard making it easier for the foredeck to reach. 

-           With wind dying on the last run, we should have reached up at bit more for speed, which would have required a couple more jibes, yet may have given us a better time down the run.    

 

Boat     Type    Skipper            PHRF  E Time C Time Class    Fleet

 

1          Sassy Lassie     Newport 28     Burnham 192    66.43   58.19

 

2          Gael Force       C&C 24                       Harren  228      71.05   59.36

 

3          Sanibel             Pearson                        Keeler  219      72.77   61.51

 

4          SeTherin           Catalina 22       Magner            273      82.85   65.43

 

5          Tumult 2           Ericson 30-1    Litke    215      77.35   65.72

 

6          Good Goose    Pearson Triton  Richardson

249      81.53   66.33

 

7          Raggedy Ann    Ericson 25        Bonola 234      84.68   70.21

 

8          Blue Lite Special           Cal 25              Giulini   225      400      DNF