Here’s a synopsis & some points to consider from our past (2010) season’s races. I did not include the Early Bird, Hospice, Ram, Fishers & the Commodore’s Cup as there is little or nothing there to critique. Please re-read those carefully also.
WNR 05/19/10
Winds: NNW 4 to 8, gust 12
Current: ebb - North Hill 1542, left to right at the start line.
Course: s/f –D/M-s/f *2; 018 @ .75 nm; Distance: 3.0 nm
Motoring out, we spotted the RC off shore of North Dumpling with a line setup for what appeared to be a downwind start. Arriving at the committee boat and noting the posted course, we realized the line unconventional; the pin to starboard and the course would be northerly towards a windward mark up in Mumford Cove. We planned our start; up current near the RC where there appeared to be as bit more wind relative to the pin end. We should have noted also that the rain showers off to the NW tracking SSE would continue to favor the left side of the course. We got an average start off Cosmic’s stern as they called starboard on Watercolors coming in on port. Watercolors tacked to Cosmic’s lee as we followed both off the line, Cosmic leading. Feeling the effect of bad air off both boats, we discussed a tack, but only a short one for a clear lane. Watercolors tacked first, so we continued till well clear of her stern before tacking and subsequently make our fatal mistake of the evening. Rather than tacking back to favor the left, I continued on port as did Watercolors sailing out of the subtle fresher breeze. This put us down current in little wind for a slow return on starboard at 1813.
7th Place
Chart: 05/19/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/3ybcggo
WNR - 052610
Winds: NNW 4 to 8, gust 12, to nill at finish
Current: flood - North Hill 1642
Course: s/f –D/M-s/f; 251 @ 1.5 nm Distance: 6.0 nm
Current at start line: pushing us across; should have sailed down the line some.
A minute before the gun, I tacked just short of the RC’s starboard layline and led Salud towards the line. Momentary brain-fart. Not fully compensating for the current push, I should have luffed up in the lee of the committee boat more, or shy of the line sight, bore off down the line; instead we were OCS.
6th Place, & certainly would have finished in the money had the wind not quit!
Chart: 05/26/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/25buxcn
WNR - 06/02/10
Wind: SE to E avg 8.5, gust 12
Current at start line: ebbing - right to left
A minute before the gun Sans Souci crept windward of us, effectively pinning us below the line in the light air. We slowly luffed the sails and pulled above his stern just as the gun went off; 20 seconds short of the line. At the line crossing, we tacked to port with Sans Souci following suit ahead and to windward, as Dragon Z Balls blew past on port between us and the committee boat.
We eased off the genoa slightly and got some breathing room in Sans Souci’s lee, slowly passed them and pulled ahead. Would it have been better to have tacked twice for a clear lane? Maybe, though concerned she’d follow suit with a cover.
Nearing North Hill we postponed our tack too long, and suffered some in the wind-shadow of NH. Had we tacked sooner (farther from the FI shore), the wind may have been less fluky and the current boost possibly stronger. Crystal Slipper (the only other boat passing west of the Dumplings) passed comfortably to our lee in what appeared to be a much steadier breeze. Here we also stretched away from Sans Succi considerably.
Winds: SE to E avg 8.5, gust 12
Shrouds: +2,+0,+1 ****
2nd Place
Chart: 06/02/10
Full report: http://tinyurl.com/26477qv
WNR - 06/09/10
A light air first leg, SE 5 kts, building to SW 12+ later in the race.
Weather: overcast light rain
Windward Mark: “I” & “N”
Current at start line: Flood against us with left to right bias (Pin to RC)
I mistakenly set up on Salud’s weather hip near the committee boat as we approached the line in very light air. A wiser decision would have favored the pin-end farther up current, a move I shied away from worried about being rolled. As it was, we had a clear lane, yet a longer distance to sail. Cosmic got off to a great start at the pin end and led around the GLP buoys in clear air.
Tacking to port around GLP 22, we soon found ourselves being rolled by the Class 2 & 3 boats. Those in the trailing classes that continued south a bit farther on port to clear GLP 22 faired much better once they tacked for Intrepid as they were closer to the fresh clocked breeze, for a double benefit (lifted not only by the breeze but by the current also). We had to throw in another tack & duck a stern to get clear air. Had we ducked another, we would have appreciated a bit more air. Out in the distance, Cosmic was the first to round. It was slow going the remainder of the way to Intrepid.
4th Place
Chart: 06/09/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/2upu4ea
WNR - 06/16/10
Winds: S 6-12 kts, gusts 17, lulls 3
Current: ebb - North Hill 1428
Windward Mark: North Hill – twice
Course: s/f–N–I–s/f–N–s/f; Distance: 6.9nm
Light air start, good breeze Dumplings & NH.
*Too many tacks up the middle covering Cosmic & overstanding NH, the windward mark. Too close to North Dumpling.
5thPlace
Chart: 06/16/10
Full report: http://tinyurl.com/38toe5x
WNR - 06/23/10
Wind SW, dying near the end.
Windward Mark: Vixen
Course: s/f–V–I–s/f–V–s/f; Distance: 6.9nm
We missed the posting of a course change & radio transmission as well. We wasted most of the first beat thinking "B'", Black Ledge R2 was the windward mark rather than Vixen.
On second lap missed a wind band closer to shore along Bluff Point & airport.
4th Place
Chart: 06/23/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/2wpd4ng
WNR - 06/30/10
Wind WSW, avg 6.7 kts, 3-9 kts, gusts 10, lulls 3; shear
Current: ebb - North Hill 1401
Shrouds: +2,+1,+2, back to base half way to “B”, should have been at "Base" or lower.
Windward Mark: “B”
Sans Souci left us in the dark on the long port along the Connecticut shore. Both our speed & pointing appeared to be off, not sure why. We eased the sails, backed the rig off to base, checked the rudder for debris, and moved the starboard car back to 4.5. Abeam “B” we tacked offshore and things improved. Then appearing to have overstood, I bore off (a mistake).
Four areas of concern:
1- Boat speed & lack of pointing
· Trimmed too tight?
· Shroud settings?
· Move Weight farther forward, especially in light air.*
2- Genoacars too far forward.
Both cars should have been farther aft; starboard car at 4.5, port even farther aft (near 5) on the starboard tacks working offshore against the waves.
3- Do not bear off when it appears we've overstood, until very near the mark & assured. Especially, with adverse current likely increasing nearing the mark.
4- Took the port jibe too far towards the Connecticut shore
2nd Place
Chart: 06/30/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/3xvkugf
WNR - 07/14/10
Winds: WSW, avg 8 kts, 3-12 kts, gusts 14, lulls 3; shear
Current: ebb - North Hill 1315, flood to begin at 2000
Windward Mark: Intrepid
Wunderdog (J24) eventually rolled us to windward about half way down the course. Rather than tack, we freed up and continued to the layline. Tacking would have led us into more traffic, while continuing increased the likelihood of overstanding.
(Maybe we should have tacked for a clear lane, though that may have been only temporary as the later starting faster boats began to pass us to windward.)
5th Place
Chart: 07/14/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/32thyzd
Thames YC - Governor's Regatta - 07/25/10
Winds: WSW, avg 8 kts, 3-12 kts, gust 14, lulls 3
Current: ebb - North Hill 1100, earlier at Vixen
Course: s/f–CR-SE-IR–BL R”2”-s/f; Distance: 12.0 nm
We had a small incident at the pin with Checkered Demon - as we were in a slight barging position. It’s first time I ever experienced that on port.
I was not properly oriented as to where the windward mark was, so footed off too much & lost gauge. Here we lost any chance of finishing well.
Passing abeam GLP24, Brian cleared the rudder of a bird’s nest. I wonder how long that had been there!
On the hoist for the run to the finish, the spinnaker halyard got caught on the mainsail battens with a wrap about the headstay resulting; quickly shaken out.
1- Make sure the battens are slightly shorter so as not to catch the sp halyard
2 -Modify sp-pole jaws to make sp-peel setup easier. confer with Brian.
3- Get better at determining reacher vs. runner.
7th Place
Chart: 07/25/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/2wzh3ay
WNR - 07/28/10
Wind SW 12 to 15, flood
Windward Mark: Dumping Ground
Current at start: ebb - flood to begin at 1915 North Hill
Shrouds: +3,+6,+4,
Arrived late to the starting line ***
Start: underestimated the current “push” so arrived at pin too early, and barely rounded without touching the pin.
1st Place
Chart: 07/28/10
Full report: http://tinyurl.com/2be3qut
WNR - 08/04/10
Wind – SW 8 to 12, dying at finish
Current: ebb - begin at 1806 North Hill
Crazy Course. s/f–DM–s/f-E;
It was just Brian, Bob & I. First beat, though concerned with the lack of clear air, I decided to hang in rather than waste time on two tacks(similar concern as in the previous race). As a result we lost some distance & gauge. Regardless, we should have tacked, rather than sailing to the layline, increasing the likelihood of overstanding.
* Should have tacked for a clear lane.
3rd Place
Chart: 08/04/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/22ooo8v
WNR - 08/11/10 (Another light-air night)
Wind: ESE @ 2.5 kts, peak 4.5, low .7 kts; shear
Current: ebb - flood to begin at 1831 Ram Island, 1856 North Hill
Course: s/f-DM-s/f, 110 at .75, one lap; Distance 1.5 total
Don't tack abeam to current in light air unless forced to, or that’s the direction we need to go. Hang in for a finish, even if unlikely to cross the finish line before the (WNR) time’s up.
DNF
Chart: 08/11/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/28996op
Stonington Harbor YC - Lobdell Regatta - 08/14/10
Winds: SE, avg 4.2 kts, peak 6.5 kts
Current: flood – 0832 Ram Island
Had we forsaken the effort of maintaining range on Intrepid against the current and bore-off instead on a fresher angle, we may have stayed with Irish Lady for the remainder and ended with a respectable finish.
7th Place
Chart: 08/14/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/3ywh8sq
WNR - 08/25/10
Winds: NW, avg 320 @ 8 kts, peak 12, low 4 kts
Course: s/f–DM–s/f; Distance: 320 at 1.5 nm, shortened to 1 1/2 laps, 4.1 nm total
Current at start: ebb - flood to begin at 1810 Ram Island, 1835 North Hill
Again, I thought I’d run down the line from the pin, then tack onto starboard into a hole. The wind went light with a big port-header less than a minute to the gun. We would have been much better off leading the fleet from the RC, to start on starboard with speed, as they were bunched at the boat, due to the ebb & light air.
On our upwinds, we would have faired better favoring the left side (as did Breakin’ Wind on both beats & Sans Souci on the second) of the course with only an occasional, tack to the right. We tried to cover Cosmic through the middle, but they did a much better job staying phase for a 1st well deserved first place.
With a NW wind, it may have been steadier & stronger favoring the left side upwind offshore.
3rd Place
Chart: 08/25/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/367x44r
WNR - 09/01/10, Last of the Season
Winds: avg 236 @ 3.5 kts; shear
Current: ebb - 1627 North Hill
Light air - suspect & determine shear early, if possible before the start; look at windex on both tacks, determine direction of new wind.
In light air - seldom does the middle pay
We need to be more alert for & aware of "shear"!
5th Place
Chart: 09/01/10
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/25qn2yo
* Our weekend starts are much better that Wednesday nights, which I credit to our getting out to the starting area much earlier on weekends giving us plenty of time to access the situation & conditons.
* We need to better determine when wind-shear is present and adust the sails & our strategy accordingly.