We managed to stay in the breeze for most of the day and score our third fastest times result for the season. The forecast wind never eventuated but the eight knots westerly with frequent swings to the south provided plenty of tension out on the course. The starboard gybe from the pin end allowed us to run low out into the middle of the harbour until the wind swung so far west that we had to head towards Steele Point to prevent an involuntary gybe. From the start we ran to leeward of Fidelis and Crosshaven while Amante took the far southern side of the course. As the breeze swung and freshened from the west Hitchhike popped out into the lead while behind Larrikin made impressive gains coming up with the fresher breeze. Eventually we steadied with the pole out running by the lee which gave us clear air on the fleet but the angle took us all the way over to the Amante side of the course before we gybed to Port. Hitchhike managed their smaller jib better to round in front while at the approach to the mark we jumped out a few boat lengths from Amante. At the rounding we receives our first bonus of the day with a shift which lifted us above the line of Hitchhike. The crew spotted a shift to windward which was stronger and lifting more so we put in a short dig out to seaward and tacked back into the lift for another gain on Hitchhike. They however held their nerve and waited for the next bit of southerly to tack back and cross us. Hitchhike came back on starboard just short of Steel Point and pinched to clear the point. We tacked out a few boat lengths more and came into the point with more speed to run over the top into the lead. The work to Point Piper was tricky. Fortunately we had the Div 2 yacht in close company as a guide for the wind conditions. We went wide to avoid the large wind shadow in against Point Piper only to see Hasta La Vista from Div 2 charging up the leg on a southerly squirt while we ended up tacking into the mark on a bit of westerly. Luckily for us Hitchhike and the rest of the Div 1 fleet followed us so we maintained our lead. The loop around Shark Island was good one for Passion X as we stayed out of the wind shadows and then shaved the southern side of Shark Island to stay as far out from the Point Piper wind shadow as possible. The shortened course finish line at the first Naval mark was welcome as it was now just a soldiers course home. Across the line we could see Larrikin still well up in the fleet from their early good speed out to the north of the fleet on the first run. Also with freshening breeze Allegro came charging up the last reach to be just 15 seconds behind Hitchhike and 25 seconds clear of Amante. Not surprisingly Larrikin took the handicap honours from Passion X and Agrovation just 10 seconds behind.
A few tack did not leave much room for the fleet to catch us on the way home.
An anxious quiet reach to the finish while Div 1s The Red Hand powers away ahead.