Getting the asymmetric flying on the first reach
The second race of the curtailed West Harbour Winter series was a quiet event with the fleet broken up by the variable breeze leaving some competitors to abandon the race for a DNF result.
For our part we managed to stay mid fleet on both time and handicap but it could have been different but for a few lucky breaks.
Encouraged by the light air we set our asymmetric spinnaker on the leg from Spectacle Island to Clarke Point and drifted down the leg with our fellow competitors. A lucky few including Avalon, Matagi and the two Tigers made a break up the first leg and by the rounding of Spectacle Island they were already specs in the distance.
We enjoyed good company on the leg with Omnishambles, Odyssey, Sweet Chariot and Another Planet all having good moments followed by bad ones. We did not have the amazing reaching speed of Odyssey but did manage to run more directly to the mark and not lose too much ground. After the work to Goat Island we managed to pull ahead of Sweet Chariot and stay alongside Odyssey. The battle with Odyssey was to continue for the next lap and only a lucky break off Long Nose let us nose into fresh wind while they and a bunch of other division yachts dropped out of contention for the day.
At the finish we were mid fleet on time and mid fleet on handicap, a result which I am very pleased with considering we are possibly the oldest and lightest crew in the fleet.