AYC WNR Series 1 Number 5 on 22 May 2019

Date: 22 May 2019 18:00 till 22 May 2019 21:00
Endpoints: Yacht Haven Annapolis to Yacht Haven Annapolis
Purpose: Racing
Complement: TC Williams, Dave Butta, Rick Williams, Christian Douglas, Benjamin Cuker (owner of Callinectes, a Cal 3-30 PHRF 165), and Jonathan Bresler
Weather: Force 3 from South by East (165), fading toward the finish. 70's
Engine Hours: 204.0 to 205.6
Chart: 12282 Chesapeake Bay Severn and Magothy Rivers

Course: A2.
Time limit: 2020.
Sails: Interrupt mainsail, Tatus II genoa and spinnaker.

Started very close to the committee boat, within six feet of their hull, on starboard tack about 10 seconds after the gun and after LinGin. Shut out a couple boats that were to weather. Laughing Gull was a boat length to leeward and overlapped, nearly a boat length ahead. Held position against Laughing Gull for about half a mile till he tacked and took out stern. Tacked along with Laughing Gull to end up to windward and just a bit ahead. Over the course the port tack gained slowly, slowly on Laughing Gull to break overlap and get clear ahead, less than a boat length clear. LinGin meanwhile, extended her lead on both of us.

Tacked back to starboard as we began to close with the green channel markers. A bit concerned with depth due to yesterday's grounding. Laughing Gull also tacked. On this starboard board, Laughing Gull was able to make a bit more speed than we did. She remained overlapped to leeward of us, but moved bow out forward. Returning boats from earlier starts offered us the chance to force Laughing Gull to continue on this tack or take a severe duck to clear Swiss Miss, as we tacked in front of Swiss Miss who cleared our transom close aboard. Laughing Gull chose to continue out to the layline. A short port tack board to get above mark "D", should have been a bit longer, as we ended up about half a boat length to leeward of the mark, but could have "shot the mark" on momentum. Drove better on this board, receiving encouragement from both TC and Ben. Kept shifting crew from the windward rail to one body to leeward, as well as m asking folks to sit outboard of the hand rail so that I would have a sight line. Strove to keep the helm neutral by adjusing the traveller and mainsheet. TC wanted vang on, main eased a tad, and traveller up (need to verify this.)

At mark "D", Laughing Gull approached on port tack versus our starboard tack. Laughing Gull made no effort to avoid and obvious collision. At a bit under one boat length apart, hailed "Protest", and tacked to port. Came out of the tack quite slowly, gained some speed to about 3.3kts and rounded the mark. Laughing Gull meanwhile, tacked just before the mark, circled once to get back into position to round the mark and followed us around about 60 yards behind.

Spinnaker up. Straight 1.7nm near beam reach to R"8". Tried to head up as the breeze eased, and head down as the breeze built. Winds ranging from 4 to 7 knots in the second half of the leg, stronger and steadier in the first half. Boat speeds 5.5+knts, up to 6.2kts, in the first half, and 4.0+ in the second half. Excellent take down with Dave controlling the flow of the spinnaker halyard at the mast while Chris and Ben got her down the companionway. Dave did an good job flying the chute, his best yet this season. Easy harden up by bringing in the main to round up onto a beat headed for Eastport Yacht Club. After a bit fell off slowly to aim at the church steeple and round "SC1" with Whitecap, LinGin, and Ronin ahead. Made up distance on Ronin while close hauled/close reaching from R"8" to "SC1".

Through the mooring field, got cheered by David Butta's parents who were on a motorboat on a mooring. Tacked to starboard just after clearing the mooring field. Took it most of the way across the creek and tacked back to starboard to go for the finish. Spoke with Jonathan Adams aboard Laughing Gull, calling from boat to boat, after he finished. He said that there was no way he could bear offat the mark.

Finishing order: LinGin, Constance, Laughing Gull, Second-2-Nun. Skybird did not start.
TC called it a legitimate win over Laughing Gull. First time that we have been able to hold our own against Laughing Gull the full distance to the windward mark.

GPX formatted Track distance: 6.72nm, average speed: 4.11kts, duration: 1:38.