The title says it all but despite that major problem we did manage 11 points for the day out of the regular fleet of 17 starters.
At the start we were squeezed out at the pin by Meridian shooting the mark which slowed us and let the yacht above carry over the top. Despite this set back we went as fast as possible for clear air and seemed to be doing something right as we worked into clear air and were pointing up on Allegro and Joli. Out ahead we could see Foreign Affairs leading the fleet and picking all the right shifts while we were bogged down in a large group. A quick tack to port meant we had to take a few sterns and each time a boat length was lost so that when we came back we had lost a few places. Now we carried on on starboard tack chasing Mr Mojo and watching his lifts and knocks. Allegro had tacked to the Steele Point shore along with a group which included Crosshaven, Agrovation, Amante, Monkey Magic and Meridian. Where we were we could see that we were working out from under Joli and felt that was a good guide so we hung on realising that the race was lost to the Steele Point side fleet. At the Sow and Pigs we opted to tack back to the shore which looks to have been a poor choice as we were headed on port and just managed to clear Joli. However to our surprise we were not far behind Allegro and did manage to keep in front of Joli.
For the run home we had some traffic including Britannia,Rum Jungle and Senta whom we had to avoid. Just ahead Allegro was holding a slim lead and behind Joli and ISuper were threatening. At Steele Point I wanted to cover the fleet while going as far to away from the wind shadow as the fleet would allow. That meant a fairly close rounding into the same doldrums as Allegro where we all flopped around for a moment or two. To aid with wind flow in the very light conditions I hauled on the backstay to flatten the head of the main and twist off the leach and with the main looking more like a reaching spinnaker we pulled out from the group of Allegro an ISuper.
At the Rose Bay mark we rounded behind Britannia but Joli came in with a late overlap and took our wind.
Now we had a group of yacht including ISuper and Star Ferry come around the mark behind and gybe away above us. With few options we followed Britannia out to port and clear air. When Britannia gybed back to the fleet we continued in our own wind all the way to Point Piper and only gybed back close to the moored yachts along the shore and with speed approached the mark.
This one leg allowed us to establish a lead on Allegro, Joli and I Super, Senta and Britannia which we were able to carry home to the shortened course finish line at the bottom of Shark Island.
At the finish we were four minutes behind Crosshaven who was four minutes behind Agrovation which is understandable given the huge persistent shift we were sailed on the way up. What is less understandable is the result showing Star Ferry two minutes in front as we thought he was back with Allegro and the group of yacht that went right on the run to Point Piper. If the recorded result is right then John deserves first place on handicap and equal second with Passion X on the progress scores.
On the progress scratch scores Amante moves to the lead from Meridian and Passion X but we are waiting for those faster yachts with DNS in their scores to reach enough races for their first drop and a return to the normal order of places.
