Wednesday was another light day with just enough breeze for a full length course in chilly conditions.
Again we sailed well downwind with our big genoa poled out but with more breeze around than last week we were mid fleet at the turning mark for the long beat home.
The breeze was forecast to swing left so I wanted to be on the shore side of the course on the beat back. As luck would have L Eau Co and Mercedes IV went right and got more breeze and a big right hander to bring them out well ahead of us.
We had a duel with Rainbow and Agrovation to get to the finish line first. We had Rainbow pinned below us on port going to the finish line but he pulled away enough to attempt a tack onto Starboard and I was unsure if he would clear us so I took the precaution of tacking below him but in the process could not make the finish line on Starboard. The line was so biased to the boat there was only room for a single yacht on starboard to pass the line so we had to wait for Agrovation to come steaming in behind Rainbow before we could tack to port for the cross. The maneuver cost us a minute and a half and one place on handicap but it was worth a lot more in the pride stakes.
With hindsight I should have headed away while on port giving Rainbow no room to tack to the finish line and that is what will happen next time. The alternative of playing chicken and having a collision with them mid tack is not worth the angst.