As I took a break from boat building to contest the RANSA Winter Wednesday race the weather turned sunny and warm with just enough breeze to compete a shortened course finishing at the Point Piper mark.
We debated about which end of the line to start at. The easterly breeze could be seen filling in across the course from the north and from the east. The compromise position was that we would start at the boat end and use the better angle to get across to the north as quickly as possible. At the gun the breeze hit the boat end of the line and as it was a header we went with it as it was freshening ahead. The first tack back gave us a good position near the head of the fleet and from there we played the breeze as best we could. We wanted to stay in the tide and that did pay off when the breeze lightened but in the gusts the shore off Watsons Bay had better angles.
Agrovation played the shifts well and jumped out a minute or so on us while we were in close company of the three Northshore 38s Izzi, Rainbow and L Eau Co.
On the reach back we poled the genoa out to leeward and the wider slot worked well as we made up ground on Mercedes IV and Agrovation. By Steel Point we were neck and neck with Rainbow and L Eau and Co and just managed to hold them out for an inside position at the Rose Bay rounding mark.
About now what breeze we had dissipated. There was about two knots from behind to keep us moving and as we went high to protect our position we found a little more pressure which enabled us to leave Rainbow and L Eau Co behind. Agrovation went further north for the breeze but the extra distance they travelled brought them back to our position.
In the dying breeze the slower yachts on the day were punished with even longer times to cross the finish line so we did well to take a couple of places on handicap and finish sixth.
Our light No 1 genoa with the big overlap is well suited to the light airs and square running with the genoa poled out on our long pole so it was the right rig for the day.