Well, that day was WET. I particularly remember the time when the race committee announced a postponement right when it started to really really pour, and the panicked voice on the VHF that pleaded 'PLEAAAASE, DO NOT POSTPONE THIS RACE'.
Right before the start, the wind picked up to 16 knots gusting 18 in Raccoon Straits which I figured would be just great weather for a #3 which was great because that's what I had rigged up as a head sail.
Well...right before the start, the wind dies to about 5 to 6 knots. Brilliant.
Heading out to Blossom Rock on a loose beat and in a flood, sailing North of Alcatraz. Rounding with the other SH boats (lost track of most of the DH boats) - then the wind turns and it is an upwind leg to Blackaller. I am slow upwind but the other SH boats overstood the mark so I got to catch up and rounded up w/ Taz. I passed Archimedes by the Golden Gate. Good boat speed downwind.
Taz! and Wetsu sailed straight to Point Blunt through the Bay, I took a flyer with Archimedes, well into Richardson Bay to try to avoid the now starting ebb current. Turns out I met Wetsu and Taz! right at Point Blunt so it didn't pay off. I sailed more distance so as technically faster but ultimately not enough to make up for the extra distance.
Gybing back along a current line. And on the right, the boats that decided to sail straight through the Bay.
El Raton and Dianne fighting for leadership and following a really nice current line right off Angel Island.
Really nice wind acceleration off the point.
After a gybe, I didn't cleat very well the guy and it zipped through the entire set of turning blocks and before I know it I have a flapping spinnaker on the leeward side, way off the boat. I decided that it would be more orderly and faster to take the spinnaker down temporarily, rerun the guy and reset which is exactly what I did.
Not too bad. Back up and off to Southampton Shoals. I rounded up Southampton Shoals right after Taz! and I was the outside boat with Wetsu.
Crappy upwind boat speed back up the Strait, I point higher but lose up to Wetsu and Taz! on that leg.
Archimedes behind, caught in the lee of Angel Island.
Huge ebb by now going on at Little Harding and a lot of boats overstand. I make the mark very nicely and start heading down. I hoist the spinnaker early as I point the boat way down to fight the ebb. Taz! and Wetsu! are still way headed up and on a reach with just a headsail but they are drifting toward Richardson Bay.
Even though I point the boat way down, I keep drifting in the wrong direction and it takes me about 4 gybes to make it to the finish line. At that point, I meet Verve, Peaches, etc... and everyone seems to be struggling to make the finish as the wind dies near the Corinthian.
I finally gybed onto the finish and cross the line.
Nice little breeze to head back to the Club. Nicely organized as I reach the dock. Fenders ready.
I waited for an army of dinghies to reach the dock before starting to tack back and forth up the channel. Jib down, (I had an undersized headsail the entire time...but because the other SH boats didn't change it, I didn't either...) and dock lines are set up...
Poor Serge helped me in the morning splash the boat but he was soooo soaked!!!
Lunch post race :)
And great writeup from Norcal Sailing with pictures of our start:
http://www.norcalsailing.com/entries/2014/03/31/ssscorinthian/ssscorinthian.html#.Uz4-6fldU70
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