the 2018 Midwinters/US Nationals
Lake Eustis SC * February 2-4
.
Saturday: Races 6 and 7


Lining up for the start of race 6

(180309)   For races 6 and 7 winds rose marginally on average with ever stronger gusts. As it said on the psychological scale of the Beaufort Scale we found posted during the 1989 Worlds in Denmark: "Delight tinged with anxiety" would cover my feelings in the stronger gusts. Nothing printable would cover my feelings when Frank and I discovered our race 6 lead had been put towards the wrong leeward mark ...
 
Sixth race notes from W3854:
To the best of my recollection, it paid a little to go right up the beat but it was largely a boat speed contest in which W3854 was showing her best side, possibly in part due to our more substantial crew weight. My apologies to Black Skimmer whom we met just after at last rounding the right leeward mark onto the final beat. Marc and I had both held port tack after rounding and were bow-to-bow when we heard shouting from in front. Suddenly Richard and Michele came reaching along on starboard - having also headed for the wrong mark first? They were yelling - at Marc I assumed - about having had to change course to avoid a collision. Since no intention to protest was given (yelling "Protest") Having just seen our first place destroyed, I was damned if I was going to enquire "Were you talking to us?" When Richard then asked after the race if we had done our turns, I was still in the blackest of black moods and rather cavalierly replied: "No. You didn't yell Protest." I have the distinct feeling that the 720 we ended up doing for Richard and Michele at the start of race 7 was a bit of pay-back.


the leaders on the first run: (l to r) Al, Doug, Dave M, Sue


the first time at the leeward mark


 the second run: Uncle Al and Frank (red spi, right) head for the left-hand yellow leeward mark since the other mark looked like it had an offset mark near it and must therefore be the MCs' windward mark.    larger image here




Anne got this one last photo of race 6 action. I think we passed four boats on our final beat to rescue a 6th-place finish - right behind, you guessed it, Dave and Arial. The top four across the finish line were Doug > David P > Sue and Marc.


7th race notes from W3854: Fairly steady winds again and this time we played catch-up from the start as Richard and Michele caught us ...

... barging (above) and we (3854) had to do turns.


 
Here's how Anne's camera saw the fleet coming down the first run.    larger image here


On their way to placing 1-2-3: Doug (11137), Dave (10864) and Marc (4th from right, blue/white spi)


the start of the last beat of race 7   larger image here

part 3 of Al's report