Wind filled in after 18:00 from the NW at 4-8 knots. Current ebbing over one knot. Course for C was from H to 26 to 24 to H. A&B used K instead of 24. Low clouds were moving in from the east.
We got to the boat around 17:00 and were off the dock by 17:15. I noticed when I drove in that the river was mostly calm with a few ripples in some spots. The forecast did not look good either. As we left the marina, the wind was so light that we did not even hoist the main. We motored to H instead of sailing for the first time this year. Once there, a light ENE breeze could be seen, so we motored to D and sat there and realized the ripples on the water were more illusion than actual breeze.
I saw some breeze in the NW direction from D and we motored that way. There was a light northerly, so we hoisted sails and sailed for just a bit before being becalmed again. Finally, a NW breeze filled in from the east. This was odd, but we went with it and began sailing back to H at the edge of the breeze. After another 5 to 10 minutes, the NW breeze filled in across the course and we knew racing would begin shortly.
As the start approached, we decided the starboard end was favored and set up to start there. We also thought the east would be favored, but after the breeze filled in, the course looked good on both sides. As the start approached, we came in at a barging angle knowing the current would sweep boats away from the line. We started at the starboard end and ended up in a good position relative to the fleet. As soon as our fist competitor tacked over to port, we tacked on them. Not the nicest thing to do, but since they are faster than us in light air it is the only way to stay ahead on the upwind leg.
Approaching 26, we knew the current was strong and we would have to over-stand to get around. Instead of giving ourselves a huge cushion, we went for a tight line and figured it was better to tack twice than over-stand by 60 seconds. Since we were about a boat length shy of lay-line, it turned out to be a tough call at 26 and we were just able to shoot the mark.
Shooting a Mark
Shooting a mark is a term for when a boat is shy of the lay-line by a little bit and makes it around the mark. To pull this off in foul current, you have to continue to sail towards the mark at full speed. You should not pinch as this will slow you down and you will not have enough momentum to shoot around the mark. Also, the slower speed will result in more time getting swept by the current, so you want to approach the mark as fast as possible. Coming at the mark fast will allow you to point the boat straight into the wind and have the momentum to get back above it.
Besides the possible damage, I was not too worried about hitting the mark since a 360 after rounding would be faster than two tacks at that point. Luckily we cleared with two feet to spare and had clear sailing the rest of the race.
On the last leg from 24 to H we sailed close hauled almost the entire way. At times this put us 30 degrees above the mark, but the current was ripping so we were only making slightly to weather of the rhumb line. I was seeing the wind get a little lighter and expected it to continue lightening up, so I wanted to get as far up current as possible.
We ended up finishing right at H, so the extra distance sailed did not hurt us. Soon after our finish, the wind died down and most other boats had trouble crossing the finish. There was a pile up at H. Many boats were within a few boat-lengths of the line when the wind would die and they would move backwards. I know from experience how frustrating that can be at the end of a race. It has happened to me during Around Long Island races where a 4 hour lead can disappear in the last mile as boats try to fight the outgoing current in Hempstead harbor when the wind dies out.
While the racers were having trouble, the wind remained to the north of the course and boats that had finished were still sailing in a 4-6 knot NW breeze. We reached back and forth a few times to witness the finish. When a puff made it past H, a group of 3-7 boats would all finish within a few minutes. Then it would die out again and the rest of the boats would float back until the next puff. Finally around 20:00, all boats got the puff they needed to finish.
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| Trying hard to finish. |
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| Still trying to finish. |
Race Committee did a great job tonight. They waited for the breeze, set good courses where both divisions finished close to each other and took care of the details. We consider ourselves fortunate on Jazz to race in an area where the RC's take their job seriously and do it well. The HBRA committees are some of the best I have ever raced under.
It seemed like we were out a long time, but we were back to the dock before 20:45. It was dark and the end of Summer is feeling more real now.
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