We had one of our better West Harbour Winter Series races today in a breeze that started at seven knots and faded to nothing. The results always look better when your competition is becalmed after you have crossed the finish line but nevertheless we were in front of most of the fleet with a fifth fastest out of thirteen starters.
Our start was particularly good except for the rampaging First 40 that tried to run down the line on top of a fleet of yachts half her weight and size. It took a while for them to acknowledge their sins and tack away but once we had clear air we picked the breeze better than most and were third to the top mark.
At this point the big spinnakers come out and while we were contemplating our next move the breeze headed too much for the spinnakers that were already hoisted on the yachts behind. The front of the fleet had already charged down the leg with spinnakers up so they pulled away while we with no spinnaker pulled away from those behind struggling to get up to the mark.
The next leg was pretty square where our oversized big yellow spinnaker works well until the same rampaging First 40 with a giant masthead asymmetric decides to reach at right angles to the course direction.
As leeward boat they have a pretty wide range of options for sailing a proper course but any course at right angles to the next mark would be moot. To be fair the breeze had swung behind so to keep their asymmetric filled they had to sail higher and so we were stuck on starboard with the pole out the port side and the spinnaker pulling us over until they bore away.
At this point the breeze was now square behind and pulling Passion X down the course as fast as the First 40 and the Pogo 36. in the photo you can see Passion X appearing to be squeezed between the above two yachts but it was not that close. The First 40 went deep to have good reaching angles for their asymmetric spinnaker while the Pogo 36 reached up to our line.
With weapons (spinnakers) away we proceeded onto the long work back to Spectacle Island in a fickle breeze. As the breeze faded we worked forwards in the light air relatively better than the Pogo 36 and for the leg held our position or worked out further on the fleet. The exception was Avalon who we held out until we reached the turn mark off Spectacle Island. As Avalon rounded the mark behind Passion X they had their spinnaker flying sooner and promptly caught us well before the next mark off Birkenhead.
With another switch in the breeze what on the last lap was a square run now became a tight two sail reach and a follow the leader home.
After the finish we could take time to look back at the fleet becoming progressively more becalmed ensuring we had a good result for the day.
