We scored a surprising sixth on handicap after a slow and frustrating race at RANSA today. From the start in light and fading breeze we were to leeward of Hanni and could not break through for clear air. As much as we drove to leeward Hanni followed and kept us in her wind shadow. Amanti who had started below with speed managed to power through into clear air and headed off for a well deserved win. Above the fleet worked to leeward and ahead so we looked to be in a pretty desperate position. Ahead the breeze changed from north west to north east so we took the header as far as we could before tacking onto starboard for the long beat towards the heads. As if connected by a long elastic band Hanni followed but courtesy of the big shift was now leeward yacht but in clear air. For what seemed ages we sailed side by side and only a persistent shift enabled us to climb above Hanni to the point she decided to tack away back to the Watsons Bay where the fleet appeared to be in better breeze and lifting. Behind was Fidelis who would have enjoyed the forecast reaches and was now contending with a hard work and square run back. We hung on with Aurunga well ahead and ourselves the most northerly yachts in the fleet and seemingly in a poor position. At last the breeze headed and we tacked for the mark but the shift was short lived and now we were knocking back into the fleet on the south side. As we neared the lay line Allegro passed clearly ahead and we looked to have the early tacking Hanni well covered. The next tack would take us on starboard towards the turn mark where we picked up a few boat lengths on Allegro but we went too early and to leeward of Hanni and needed a port tack to round. With the benefit of a lift Hanni was inside us at the mark forcing us to tack away with a starboard call. That was an expensive and slow tack which let Arunga, Allegro and Hanni pull away on the run to Steele point. Out came the new lightweight whisker pole and while only the same length as the extendable pole we had from the old Passion it is lighter. It projected the large genoa well to windward and we slowly hauled in Allegro and Arunga as well as drawing clear from Fidelis. At Steele point Allegro and Arunga went in close while Hanni and Passion X went wide. The big pole did not come down neatly and in the time it took to get the genoa back to leeward Hanni had pulled ahead. Now it was out turn for a bit of luck as the breeze headed bringing us onto a work and then freed up to a run. In the change of directions we managed to climb above Hanni and finish with just enough time gap to beat her on handicap. While the dirty air we had from Hanni was frustrating we gave the same treatment to Allegro on the run back to Steele Point. Approaching the point the wind shifted a little so we were sailing by the lee just to keep wide away from the wind shadow. At this stage Allegro and Arunga had clear air but they both went in too close and became victims of the wind shadow. We worked hard to take the stern of Arunga and Hanni just to keep wide and were rewarded with clear air. The dying breeze did no favours to the following fleet as can be seen from the handicap results. Joli was third across the line and third on handicap. Meridain was five and five, Passion was six and six, Hanni was seven and seven and Arunga was eighth a eighth. Once the casual entries are culled from the results we were fourth behind Joli for the day and move up to third overall on a count back from Allegro
The big wind shift very apparent from the tracks