Everyone should have a dose of random luck and today it was our turn for that unimaginable good turn of fortune within sight of the finishing line.
It was a day where it was hard to pick the next breeze direction and the incoming tide suggested a quick tack onto port to get out of the tide would be the right move. Unfortunately the starboard tackers who held on for the first flick of the breeze to the north did rather well. It worked for them and we were already back in the fleet after a quite good start so we went back onto starboard with the next flick of the breeze and were rewarded by being on the left side of the course in a progressive lift. At Shark Island we took another dig out to the north but this time there was no lift and only a good dose of tide. Off Vauclause we picked up a nice right hand shift but by the time we tacked to stay inside the Sow and Pigs our luck ran out. Joli tacked onto starboard at just the right time while we took the header into the shore to get out of the tide and had to come back on another header. We were in good company with Krakatoa but managed to get the last shirt into the mark to round ahead.
On the long very square run back to the bottom of Shark Island we had Hanni a long way in front and then Allegro, Foreigh Affairs, Amante, Hitchhike, Joli and Crosshaven spread out across the course. Our large genoa poled out on the 6 metre pole was serving us well on the run and we kept creeping up on these last three but could not break through. On the work around Shark Island Joli stretched out her lead on Passion X with Crosshaven in between. We set ourselves the goal of running Crosshaven down before the finish and were making a respectable job of it when the breeze died.
To my surprise the fleet was becalmed just metres in front.
Now was the time to switch to drifting mode. All the halyards were eased and the main eased so much that the boom sat on the rigid vang and let the leech hang out to leeward. Just to the north there was a patch of breeze that would take us away from the finish boat but breeze is breeze and most of the fleet tried to get into it. Crosshaven went further Joli and Passion X squared away to make the finish line. In this last toss of the dice we did better than both Crosshaven and Joli and in the process also passed Allegro and Hitchhike for a most undeserved equal third on handicap and just 18 seconds out of first place.
So tonight we enjoy our place still at the top of the ladder but still reflecting on how far in front the leading boats were on the windward work.
The photo of the tracks tell the story of the windward work rather well and we did enjoy the beat against Agrovation, Fidelis, Krakatoa and Larrikin. They did not deserve to be left out on the course with no wind to finish while the clock ticked down in favour of the front runners. Krakatoa hung on well to beat Passion X by three seconds but Senta took the money 15 seconds in front. Leeward beat Passion X over the line by 29 seconds to tie on handicap for third place.
The tracks tell the tale of today’s windward work.