As I predicted last time I commented on the Blue fleet at Greenwich Flying Squadron, Izzi will be the one to beat in the overall series. We did it tonight by one place on fastest time and one place on handicap but it was a great battle all the way around the course. In similar conditions to last week we went for the bigger No 2 genoa and with a bit of fine tuning I was able to set the genoa cars a notch further forward for more drive down low.
From the start it was Agrovation, Izzi and Passion out in front. Both Agrovation and Izzi seem to reach faster than Passion but once on the wind after rounding Cockatoo Island we found the right gear to hit the lead. We avoided a tack to clear Long Nose and that gave is a little breathing space for the reach to Goat Island. We turned the navigation mark at Goat Island a nose in front of Agrovation but were restricted in our options by the fleet in front. In the end Agrovation got outside us and forced us higher than we would have liked into the lee of Goat Island where we sat waiting for breeze. Izzi made up ground and on the run back to Cockatoo they also passed us with their own private gust. From Cockatoo to Humbug we watched the gusts carefully and took the wind shifts as they came each time making up a few metres on Izzi and Agrovation. In the final tack for the finish we were going to tack under Izzi but they did now want us there and bore away to take our stern. We then tacked above them on starboard and held on until level with the finish line so we could tack in front for a second fastest time.
At the final rounding of Cockatoo Saoirse came right up on our transom but could not get through our wind shadow. We captured the freshening breeze around Cockatoo and headed for home while they waited another 12 minutes for breeze so we count ourselves very lucky on the night.