Course A2. Tightish halyards and dialed in one inch of backstay. Boat favored end of the line. Started half way down the line from the boat thereby incurring an initial deficit relative to the rest of the fleet. Close hauled to the first mark with LinGin behind and to windward, and Wicked behind and to windward of LinGin. TC was able to sail just as fast as LinGin while pointing higher. We came up onto LinGin line and then above her. Got to the point that LinGin was in bad air off of Argo's sails, and so tacked away. Continued to windward on the first board of the beat. Came up to Wicked line. Wicked continued for a little while as we both came closer to the layline. Wicked tacked away and we followed onto port tack so thereafter. Ended up being about 100 yards below the layline. Past the layline to the mark, need a bit of room, and tacked back to starboard. Past the "A" mark. Contiued on starboard out to the "D".
Upon passing "D", headed downwind. I set up the spinnaker wrong...flying it sideways...a "reaching spinnaker". We headed off towards the Greenbury Point side of the course, while Rick Chambers and I switched the lines to the head and clew of the spinnaker. Re-hoisted spinnaker. Debbie did well in pit, making this much easier. Made good speed downwind. Had a lead on all the other boats in the fleet. Ended up that sailing to the right side of the downwind leg, while fixing the spinnaker, was a positive outcome; we ended up on the line to clear R "4" and head directly to R "8" with a bit of a hotter angle.
Rounded R "8" followed by LinGin and Wicked. Wicked had spinnaker issues at R "8", perhaps just trouble getting the kite down, which ended their chances to contend the race. LinGin was placed about four boatlengths back and one to windward. As we closed G "SC", LinGin had caught up to within a boatlength. Sailed this leg of the course in company with a number of J/30's. Believe that the J/30's had sailed a longer course, A5.
We headed farther off the wind than LinGin, markedly so, about two boat lengths downwind. We picked up speed on LinGin and increased fore and aft separation by this maneuver. TC and Rick worked beautifully together, picking up a bit of speed downwind, pointing up to clear several moored boats. We rolled along the outside of mooring ball 35. Had to head up hard to clear Checkmate, docked at the end of the docks visible, perpindicular to our line, to all the mooring field. At one point, was convinced that our mast was downwind of Checkmate's jackstaff. Came head to wind to clear, in doing so we pushed Infectious Smile, a J/30 up into the wind, and forced a second J/30, Rag Doll, to tack away. Cleared Checkmate. Got a bit of wind and carried it to the finish.
Finishing order: Argo, LinGin, Laughing Gull, Wicked, Skybird, Asylum, and Second-2-Nun.
Observations:
Brian Palmer Instagram video of the start, on the first leg, in the harbor, at the finish