
Twilight Race 1/8 18.5.2016
Twilight Race 1/8 18.5.2016
Anyone coming? Subbota plans to if there is at least another sister boat. 

Estelle has to withdraw from the first race as the spinnaker halyard is stuck between the mast and the mast foot. Fault was found late in the evening and there was not enough available time to fix that among a dozen smaller things that should be done as well.

Sir, that's your problem right there!

Sir, that's your problem right there!
Cage, s/y Estelle (FIN-2040)
Despite last minute cancellations we still decided to go yesterday - we were already committed and thought it will be a good training.
We were 4 - Masha at trim, Jutta at piano, Alvar on the foredeck and myself.
Weather was nice, sunny, S directions wind 3-4 m/s. Shifty, with small gusts and lulls.
There were 8 boats forming one starting group - one First 34.7, six First 31.7 and us.
Starting line was biased and race course was skewed. We made our tactics for the main purpose to stay away from bigger boats and to have as much clean airs as we could get.
Track was up, offset buoy, down, round starting line pin to PORT, up, offset, finish downwind - about 50 minutes.
Both races were similar. Both times we made pretty OK start from the middle of the line while 31.7 boats were fighting for the position next to RC vessel - some were OCS and some had to go around caught on barging. First upwind was the most important not to get blocked. At the first upwind mark we were coming very close to the fleet, couple of times we crossed 31.7 on upwind mark approach. Downwind sailing was matter of good spinnaker work and using shifts. On the second beat we were quite behind the fleet already so it was easier to look for clean airs. Once a 31.7 which was higher than us, lowered their course to come close and steal our wind only to sail higher again right after we were forced to tack. At the finish line we were a good few minutes behind.
Overall 2nd and 3rd after LYS corrections applied.
We were 4 - Masha at trim, Jutta at piano, Alvar on the foredeck and myself.
Weather was nice, sunny, S directions wind 3-4 m/s. Shifty, with small gusts and lulls.
There were 8 boats forming one starting group - one First 34.7, six First 31.7 and us.
Starting line was biased and race course was skewed. We made our tactics for the main purpose to stay away from bigger boats and to have as much clean airs as we could get.
Track was up, offset buoy, down, round starting line pin to PORT, up, offset, finish downwind - about 50 minutes.
Both races were similar. Both times we made pretty OK start from the middle of the line while 31.7 boats were fighting for the position next to RC vessel - some were OCS and some had to go around caught on barging. First upwind was the most important not to get blocked. At the first upwind mark we were coming very close to the fleet, couple of times we crossed 31.7 on upwind mark approach. Downwind sailing was matter of good spinnaker work and using shifts. On the second beat we were quite behind the fleet already so it was easier to look for clean airs. Once a 31.7 which was higher than us, lowered their course to come close and steal our wind only to sail higher again right after we were forced to tack. At the finish line we were a good few minutes behind.
Overall 2nd and 3rd after LYS corrections applied.