I had seen the adverse current near TI so I sailed over to Angel Island with the genoa still up (I was 10 minute late to my start so I had not time to figure out sails, etc... in fact the first 10 minutes I was sailing in the other direction from racers :)
Most of the other boats also went way over to Angel Island. The flood was starting to be really strong. Wind was about 8 knots and my genoa allowed me to be faster than some of the other Express 27 running with a #3. For some reason I was also able to point higher which was kind of surprising to me.
I picked up Taz! on the way to Angel.
I tacked my way into the Alcatraz cone and was planning to short tack up the cone and sailed right by the island. The wind picked up by then and was at a steady 13 knots. I was becoming overpowered with the genoa and all the depowering I could do on the main so I switch over to the #3 jib which I also had on board, with the NKE autopilot running. I decided to do this on starboard tack to at least have right of way and I finished bang on time to tack right on the current line (the cone was very visible on the water, so I didn't really need instruments to tell me when to tack)
With the 3 up, I never use the autopilot to tack. Timing the tack with the autotiller in my hands I can basically get the jib completely in while it is depowered. I don't even need to winch it in at all - and the main just tacks itself with the traveler centered which I can adjust later when I settle on the new tack. So that's my favorite way of tacking the boat. It is also quite stable as my feet are well anchored on both ways of the cockpit. Actually, even with the genoa, I tend to do it mostly by hand, leaning toward the winch on the new tack for the last bit. Otherwise, between skirting, etc... AP timing and my sail timing tend to be off.
I saw a collision between a couple of boats just east of Alcatraz and listened to the radio. Everything seemed fine and both boats were seemingly retiring.
I sailed up the island picking up Ergo (a double-hander) - I decided to try to go for Harding Rock, even though some boats reached over to Angel to get out of the current. Probably not the best move as I lost to Taz! on that one.
Met up with Thumper, Ergo and Taz! trying to round Harding Rock which took me about 5 tacks... There was some 4 knots of current over there! A river!! And I was going upwind and up current. Big mess of boats around the mark, with a bunch of Js and other boats clearly not belonging to our race in the middle.
Photo NorcalSailing 2013, rounding of Harding Rock: See their writeup: http://www.norcalsailing.com/entries/2013/04/28/roundtherocks.html#.UX3DpbWsiSo
Then on a reach to Raccoon Straits. It was blowing 17 to 18 to did not set and I wanted to stay high given that the current was pushing me toward the island. I set the spinnaker in Raccoon Straight in about 11 knots of breeze. I normally run the halyard aft when I am singlehanded for the spinnaker but it was still at the mast (Bay Racing configuration). Another item I will have to think about next time.
So I had to launch from the bow, instead of the rail. Not a big deal now but it prevented me from sorting out a jam situation on the douse.
Was on a reach under spinnaker in a dying breeze. Ended up around 10 to 11 knots. I moved into the current which was taking me very fast to Red Rock first and then the brothers. I closed in on two express 27 and on one of the singlehanders in my division.
I gybed a couple of times, one out of Raccoon and one to head back into current. The Raccoon one wasn't too bad but I botched the other one and I had to play lines to untangle my spinnaker. I still have to figure out a better way to gybe so I don't collapse my spinnaker creating a big mess.
Now, I had to drop the spinnaker from the bow or at least the mast since the halyard was run up the mast (and not from the cockpit straight into the companionway). I released both sets of lines and moved forward to do a leeward drop right before the Brothers given the heady flood. Of course, the guy decided to jam against something so I couldn't gather the foot and of course the halyard slipped in my hand when I realized that so I had to spend a couple of minutes fishing out a quarter of the spinnaker from the water. I cleaned the mess, stuffed the spinnaker down below went back to adjust the sail to upwind and went forward again to clear the pole so I could tack. Obviously with the current; this took me way past the Brothers...
Between this and the late start, pretty bad showing!
I short tacked my way up wind in about 12 knots of breeze past the brothers so the #3 was still great. Tough call. The boats to the right were in heavier current and heavier wind and the boats to the left (where I was) in less current but a lot less wind. The wind dropped to 1 knot!!
So I changed to the genoa which was a big pain in the b**t short tacking. Was super hot, I ditched both fleece and jacket. I also grew very hungry so had my late lunch on that leg.
Waved at a few boats
The wind picked up a bit again right by the Richmond Bridge and looking ahead I could see boats heeling significantly so I decided to switch to the 3 again.
Unfortunately, I did this too early and the wind died again, after a sustained 10 knots. However, I figured that another sail change (slower singlehanded than with a full crew) and with hanks (ie I need to go barepole for a short while) was going to slow me down so I kept the jib up.
On the final stretch to Berkeley, the wind was light by the Richmond fuel dock and RYC - I tacked to head to the right as there seems to be more wind, I also gambled that the wind would pick up from the slot and I wanted to be along the first boats to get it.
I could see the wind line move toward me (and I guess I was moving toward it too) so I said 'Rock'n'Roll in 5 boat lengths!' - I put back on my fleece and got ready to dance!
It definitely was pretty rocky. It was a right reach to the finish, and the wind picked up in no time to 20+ knots, in shallow waters, with an ebb tide starting so very very choppy. I got very wet as the waves were breaking over the deck to starboard and I had a blast reaching all the way to the finish.
After the finish, I headed upwind back to the Club...turning up the gain of the autopilot to 9!! the highest!!
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