| 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   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 |