With a breeze that was steady at the start and forecasted to build Ian attempted a distance race out to 1AH. High tide was forecast for 5:35, but the chalk talk’s big takeaway was to check the channel markers on the way out as the tide and current are very different things.
The start was clean, with a few boats that wandered pretty far from the line having to use the prestart to simply tack back upwind to start. Indeed the current was still flooding and a few boats noticed and the finish order was largely based on how early they tacked right. Chinook showed great speed off the start, but as they kept going left their position fell. Cumulus was the first to tack right, followed by Sirocco, then Stratus and finally Nimbus. The boats on the right of the course were also able to take advantage of the Lake Ogleton lift that forms during southerlies.
A couple of early season miscues affected some boats, with mains not being pulled up all the way or topping lifts left too tight. In both cases the boats weren’t able to get leech tension on their main sail. Consequently, they couldn’t point as high as the other boats.
The breeze started to die, and Ian flew the “S” flag for shortening the course and his RIB became the mark. The boats on the far left side thought he flew the “N” flag and turned for home. In the post race analysis he informed them that he wouldn’t stay stationary if he was flying the “N” flag, as he would want everyone to get in as fast as possible.
Cumulus finished first, Stratus second and Sirocco was third. A beautiful night on the water.
