We tried to hide from the big 2 metre tide that was a maximum run in by going for the Birchgrove shore only to be thwarted by a big lift out in the middle that carried four of the fleet past us from 200 metres behind.
Our evening started well with the selection of the repaired No 2 genoa, a good start and a better line out wide from Greenwich. Down low on the broad reach to Cockatoo Island we had a better angle to lead at the turn. Down the Cockatoo shore the square run meant we were blanketed from behind but we managed to find enough clear air to round Cockatoo ahead. By now the breeze had build to 20 knots and our No 2 and plenty of backstay was proving a good selection for the beat to windward. So well were we travelling that we cleared Cockatoo with a good lead and chose to take the knock into Birchgrove to get out of the tide. Unfortunately the tacking angles meant we were going back and forward across the tide which produced some horrible tracks on the chart plotter.
Whoa! Big tide and unfavorable wind shift phasing made for awful tracks.
The fleet behind received a big lift which allowed them to do a straight line to Long Nose while we travelled twice the distance to get back to their line.
Worlds Apart had steamed through, Izzi out even wider was outperforming her handicap and Avanti with a clean bottom was back to her best performance.
Around Goat the super quick Dehler 38 and Gwhizz were benefiting from a good quirt of following wind. We went wide to avoid the wind shadow around Goat while the Dehler 38 and Gwhizz found enough wind to power through the wind shadow above us.
Now I was feeling a bit depressed as we had gone from an early lead back to sixth place using quite reasonable tactical decisions. The run back to Cockatoo was no fun as the fleet with their larger head sails were enjoying the lighter and more free conditions. Our only hope was for a return of wind on the beat back through Humbug. We got our wish and started to catch up along the Hunters Hill shore. At the first sign of softness in the breeze we eased the back stay and powered up the head sail and with a lucky lift along the Onion Point shore managed to make up a couple of places and a fair chunk of time on the fleet.