Day 4
Goals. Our goals for the regatta was to finish in the middle or top of the C fleet. After seeing the compition on the course we had picked out a few boats that we consistently saw or beat to the first windward mark, yet consistently finished behind. They are a the top of the C fleet/Bottom of the B fleet. Our goals where to beat each of these boats in one race. Flexible Flyer(SF), Corinado Self Storage(SoCal), Cool Beans(Seattle), Trailblazer(wanker), and Mad Haus(Seattle) were the boats we'd picked out. To some extent we'd hoped to beat Matilida as well, put their pro, Steve is quite good and experienced. Even so we almost made this goal as well.

Race 1 Pin end start, reached down the line a bit and set up just after the Pegasus Father/Son teams. We almost timed it right but got pushed over the line as the third/fourth boat from the pin. Pegasus wasn't happy as we were sitting on their air. They quickly decided that it was better that we were gone sooner rather than later and one of their pros told us to cross them. The stuffed it for a second and we reached off. Actually had worse starts sitting on the line with no speed as the fleet sailed of vs this one were we quickly rounded the pin and headed off at full speed (in dirty air of course) towards the favored side of the course.

It's interesting on the track you can see us come out of the harbor, set the chute then head into the starting area. Then you see the two upwind legs and the two downwind legs. Notice that the angles are virtually the same up and down wind. The first upwind leg starts at the left of the line (pin start) then veers right as we got into the bad air of the fleet (I'm guessing) then settles into a straight line up to the layline.

Breeze for leg one had built to 15+

The other thing of note on this race was the leeward gate rounding. We came in hot on stbd to right gate facing downwind. Just inside of us was Latis (GBR version) both of us had taken down our kites on time. Blasting in somewhat out of control on port inside of Latis was Trailblazer. They blew their takedown, hit Latis as we were abeam of the mark. Then Latis came down into us and their boom hit the shrouds. Good work on Caroline's part to jump up and get it off of us asap! I shouted protest to Trailblazer, they of course didn't do any circles (again) The Brits did though. After checking with Jeff post race, he said essential this...
Tell your story as above, with the addition that you should explain that you were giving room to everyone inside and that you were DDW. When bam, Trailblazer hits Latis who then bears off (unexpectedly) into you. Protest Trailblazer. Trailblazer didn't hit the mark and you all sailed past the mark before heading up. All those facts add credibility to your story. However, you should avoid the room, because the burden is on you to prove that you provided enough room.

Race 2. The fleet has wised up to the port tack the pin trick as several other boats were now lurking around the pin end. So we decided to reach further down the line to find another hole. At 2-3 minutes (not sure exactly when because the Tacktick when swimming during a douse and Caroline had the time) we decided for a mid line, right segment start. We felt early and dove down to defend our rather nice hole. We overcompensated a bit, but still crossed the line with good speed just bow down a bit. Again on the track, you can see as we crossed through the fleet the change in the track as we hit the top of the fleet's dirty air.

Now the breeze and waves were up (18+ with 3-4 footers). On the first leeward leg, we jibed onto stbd, just to leeward of the leaders line coming to windward on port. We reached in hot crossing between leader in 3rd and 4th. It was all looking swimming, when Team Gill tacked out of the lineup onto stbd. On the track, you can see us head DDW off plane to avoid them. As more folks looked like they were going to tack out of the line up for clean air, I decided to ditch the chute a bit early for manuverability and head for the right gate on a broad reach with out chute. Unfortunately, had a new crew member on board for the day, and the take down went pair-shaped. The chute hit the water. Jen and Caroline nearly had it on board, when it tore on the stantion. I remember stepping over the tiller and grabing the head and pulling the last bit out of the water. Pretty good recovery from a shrimping exercise all in all. By this time, we'd drifted down a bit and the right gate was packed. So we jibed and took the left gate. We only lost 3-4 boats with that one.

Near the top of the 2nd windward leg, we were on stbd and Cool Beans (aka Gybeset) was crossing (comfortably) on port. As I saw him come in I dropped the traveler and headed down. Gary did a perfect tack just to windward of us for 15knots of breeze in flat water, really nicely timed actually. Unfortunately it was blowing near 20 with 3-4 footers. They totally parked it. I headed off a bit to avoid them below, said something about tacking to close, they heeled way over and further parked. I took all that 6.7 knots of BS and spent it on steering way up planting them firmly in our gas. How'd that slam dunk work for 'ya Gary. Nice!

No drama on the 2nd leeward leg. Remember steering DDW at one point coming into the mark so that we could slow down to avoid some stbd tackers coming out of the line up. As we rounded the left gate again, less crowded and out of the dirty air of the downwind boats behind us, I saw Corinado Self-Storage and Cool Beans just behind us. Jen mentioned these facts. (Jen by the way, trimmed jib this day and tomorrow too. She's doing great. We had Caroline trim jib for the start and I think that getting Jen in a dingy as crew would really help her.) Anyway, my reply was "true, but we're not enough ahead those guys usually school me upwind" Not today.

Goals Flexible Flyer--check, due to poor prep on their part perhaps when their spin halyard broke on Day 2 but still that's part of the game, right?) Trailblazer--cheaters twice, even after we helped tow them in when they couldn't start their engine. Check. Corinado--check. Cool Beans--check. Mad House--good we've still got a goal for tomorrow!