Distance race around government marks. Set finishing time of 16:00. Race Committee decided to reverse the order of starts, starting the fastest boats first and the slower boats later. Alberg 30s to have the fourth start. Race committee set up towards the eastern side of the Bay outside the Severn River and west of the shipping channel.
Initial course using CBYRA marks: X, H, E, X which maps to R "2", Thomas Point GR "SC", R "86", R "2". The committee started the first fleet at 11:25. That fleet of J/105's failed to start well due to low wind speeds and high currents pushing the boats down the Bay. Race Committee issued a general recall and postponement. Committee dithered for
Race start delayed by 90 minutes. Breeze due to differential heating of the land and the water set in by 13:00. It was remarked by several boats that we should be racing or leaving; not waiting. Race Committee dithered another thirty minutes. Race Committee changed the course to E, X, The two legs were 4.19 and 4.76 nautical miles. First fleet's five minute sound at 12:50.
TC decided to sail past the committee boat, turn around, and sail back past the committee boat, and turn upwind to start. Upon passing the committee boat, we find that sitting on our startboard and port quarters are two boats not scheduled to start for another ten minutes. By the time that we get one of these to clear a path that we might start, the current has set us past the line, forcing us to sail upwind to regain a spot allowing us to sail past the committee boat and start. In the meantime, 484 has been pushed over the line early. 267 started well and sailed away.
484 and 550 went right. We followed 267 to the left, toward the eastern shore. Often we were on opposite tacks, separated by a considerable distance due to 267's clean start vs our impeded start. Made significant gains on 267 throughout the leg to windward, only to find that upon nearing the windward mark, R "86", that all four Alberg 30s had drawn back together and rounded the mark within a short span of time. Order at the windward mark: 267, 247, 484, 550.
Caught a favorable breeze early in the downwind leg and established a dominating lead of perhaps half a mile. At various points on the downwind run, one or more boats would be favored by a local breeze and move well for a few minutes, only for the situation to change, and a different boat be favored.
Somewhat before passing Thomas Point, the lagging three Alberg 30's caught a sustained, stronger breeze, and began to whittle away at our lead. Around Thomas Point, the three, 484 and 550 in particular, came to within their closest approach to Argo...about 150 yards. We caught the same breeze as 484 and 550, and began to widen our lead. By this point, 267 had gone hard left sailing far closer to the western shore of the Bay.
With less than half a mile to the finish, we noticed that both 550 and 267 were dropping their spinnakers. The Race Committee had called the race, as the 16:00 time limit has been exceeded.
Observations: