The Last Race of Summer.
No wind... for a while, but then a northerly filled in gradually and we got a
start in good, 6-12 knots breeze. The RC had chased the earlier Meadow Point
Hurricane pressure to start by the south end of the breakwater, unusual for CYC
but a good call not knowing the breeze would fill. O my God, I thought, a
classic Shilshole Beercan course! I hate that! Few tactical challenges as to
position as anyone around here knows what to do: tack to the breakwater and
short tack to the beach to find the current relief in the flood and get the
veer-lift as you approach the point. Not unlike Santa Cruz at the upper end of
its Wed course past that yellow can by the lighthouse.
Aliens and Lunchbox elected to start just to leeward of the big bunch of boats
scrapping it out for the RC end, Aliens just to leeward of Lunchbox. But Bad Dog
started at the pin end on port! They had to duck Aliens and Box but it was good
move as they went to the inside with speed early. Smart, Gino! Aliens was the
leftmost boat and last to tack in. After a lot of tacking/crossing situations,
at the first ww mark (of 3!) at Meadow Point, it was Lunchbox, Bad Dog (who rode
the big last-minute lift to pinch past the hard mark against the flood!),
Aliens, Apocalypso, others. Turkey had done some circles for a prestart thing.
The first leeward mark was the channel bouy; all boats did smart and gybed soon
(in spite of the flood) to ride the long gybe first and stay in better pressure
inside. But for some reason the two leaders Box and Dog went way too far; Aliens
was ahead approaching the mark but had to give room to Dog, who was pinned
outside Box so Aliens was able to round inside on Box's transom to ww of Dog,
who tacked out (fatal). Aliens pinched for a while but eventually had to reach
off below Box's bad air and we all did the routine to Meadow Point again. At the
2 ww mark it was Box, Aliens, Dog, and Apocalypso aka the End of the World.
Again we all gybe in as the 2d leeward mark was a softy much to the left of the
previous mark, most of us reaching too high in duelling situations. Box had a
nice lead ... when what to our wondering Alien eyes did appear, but Box rounding
mark J! Were they just sailing in to the hoist as the sun was setting now? But
they were racing hard still! we had a Moment of Decision on Aliens but
remembering the magic word SMEMUMF (pronounced "smee moo muff") we kept going to
mark U. Just before U, Apo did a number on Dog, reaching over them to establish
overlap at the last minute, and rounded close behind Aliens. Dog tacked out
after the mark (fatal) but Apo climbed high and was able to hang in there going
east with us.
Aliens and Apo had a rather exciting tacking duel short tacking the beach with
Apo pushing hard. Apo tacked for MP early and almost was able to pinch up to it
in the lift, but had to tack behind Aliens at the end. We all reached to the
finish. It ended Aliens, Apocalypso, Bad Dog, Wild Turkey, Wywacket, Orcrist.
Lunchbox had finished its shorter course earlier but a talk with the committee
after racing convinced them that U is not J -- a bad break for the Box who was
leading well in this race.
For the series, the final results were Wild Turkey, Apocalypso, Aliens (in spite
of not sailing two weeks), Wywacket (good sailing Wywacket), Lunchbox, Orcrist,
Roadrunner. Well done Wild Turkey. This is really very competitive racing!
A lovely evening to end the last summer series of 2003 as we all hoisted
in the dark in warm zephyrs.
-- John Rahn