We made another good start to the Winter Wednesday racing at RANSA today and set for a long beat up the harbour for the forecast North West wind.
Five minutes before the start the breeze shifted to the East making the boat end favoured so we started towards the boat but out of trouble. We were progressively lifted so that we were pinned down by the yachts lifting from behind but took the first opportunity to tack away right at the north shore. After a brief port tack we tacked back on the next shift to the left under the fleet but well to the lead. Ten minutes later the shift to the left had increased and it turned out to be a persistent shift all the way to the mark. There was not much to do but hang in there waiting for a shift back but it never came. What eventuated was a shift so extreme that we made the top mark on the second starboard tack of the day and the yachts above who were closer to the land ran out of wind or had to reach down to the mark.
At the top we were in a close group of five yachts and elected to run wide while the yachts closer in to the shore seemed to have better breeze. We did manage to run past Allegro and were hot on the heels of Meidian but Foreigh Affairs, Agrovation and Crosshaven had drawn away. The run to Point Piper was very square depending on the shift in the breeze so a gybe was needed. Somewhere in there we passed Crosshaven and managed to keep just ahead of Allegro. Around the island and all the way home we ran alongside Meridian but were unable to pass them. While we battled side by side with Meridian we could see Amante making a late charge together with Allegro, Crosshaven and Britannia but we had enough gap to take the handicap honours by 4 seconds from Foreign Affairs and 11 seconds from Crosshaven. This result moved us a little further ahead on the leader board.
Back home it has been full steam ahead gluing plywood panels in place so that last night all but one 6 mm panel have been glued in place. At the bow I had to install a temporary stringer over the anchor hatch space to get a fair curve so the front section was formed up from two layers of 6 mm ply but not glued to the hull so that once cured it could be lifted and the temporary support removed. I won’t glue this in place until the forestay chainplate is made and installed.
Work will slow down for a while as Passion X has to be slipped for annual maintance.