Hard work

Sunday 2nd November - Fleet championships day 3

Wind 5-10mph SW
Turnout: 10 boats

Race 1: Course A, M, B, K, T, Gate

The first start was 'interesting', with almost everyone over the line when the gun went. We think it was late - anyway nobody got recalled.  Peter & Mike were consistently better than us upwind (not necessarily faster, just better), so we were playing catch-up for most of the time. There was a whole load of covering going on, and plenty of tacking battles needed to get clear air, on top of which the beat was a bit tricky, so you could lose loads if you went off the wrong way.  We spent the entire race staring at their transom until they lassoed 'A' with their spinnaker sheet and started dragging it down the lake. We took the lead and the race ended too soon afterwards for any comeback. Further back, Iain & Tom got into a luffing match with Colin & Karen and some Solos on the final run to 'T', allowing Helen & Paul to sneak past them both and claim 3rd place.

Race 2: Course M, K, N, T, X, Gate

In the afternoon, it was all playing out in a similar vein, lots of tacking battles and staring at P&M's transom, until we managed to split tacks just before a massive windshift came through. We were on the favoured side of this, but it was so big that we ended up reaching into the mark, and P&M still got there just ahead of us. Doh!  They then gybed out away from the shore on the next run, and we didn't, and we arrived ahead at 'K'.  Helen & Paul promptly turned up and caused us both some concern for the next lap or so, before disappearing out the back door for no obvious reason. P&M then came back at us in a big way up the last beat in a freshening breeze, but had to put in that last crucial tack to lay the top mark, giving us enough breathing space to get to the finish line ahead. Colin & Karen somehow got past Helen & Paul, and that was the end of that.  Some excellent racing - really close most of the way round, and very hard work to boot.