Log of Alberg 30 #262 on 08 July 2020

Endpoints: Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD to Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD
Purpose: AYC WNR Series 1 Race 3
Complement: TC Williams (bow), Christian Williams (genoa and pit), Jim Kaplan (speed reporter on rail), Meredith Glacken (shadow bow), and Yoni Bresler
Weather: SSE Force 2 and 3. Clear and hot. Extremely bumpy after mark 'A' to 'B'. Data.
Engine Hours: 261.1 to 261.8
Fuel: 1/5 tank
Chart: 12282 Chesapeake Bay Severn and Magothy Rivers

Course: B2.
Time limit: 2020.
Interrupt genoa, Interrupt mainsail, Elliott-Pattison spinnaker.

Square line. Pin might have been slightly favored. Started on time near the boat with a swarm of Cal 25's. Laughing Gull ran the line from the pin to the boat on port tack and started about a boat to leeward and half a boat behind. At the start took the transom of Cal 25 One Eyed Jack. Bad air. Tacked away to port to clear out air. Had some concern that we might not clear Horn Point, but did with less than a boat length to spare.

At the first cross with Laughing Gull, we were very close ahead, less than a boat length. They may have had to duck a bit. At the second, and final, cross on the initial upwind leg, we cleared Laughing Gull by nearly five boat lengths and were able to lay mark 'A' with a bit of shooting near head to wind. Laughing Gull had to tack to make mark 'A'. Excellent position in the race at this point. Now its just a matter of no mistakes and finishing the course. Upwind GPS speeds ranged from 3.8 to 4.8 with winds from 5 to 8 knots.

Bore off around mark 'A', prepared for the set by raising the pole and found that the topping lift and foreguy had not been attached to the pole. Drop the pole. Fix that. Laughing Gull meanwhile was having her own problems. Finally got the spinnaker set. Tight reach. Hard to hold the spinnaker. We ended up sailing much lower than Laughing Gull and slower, plagued by wakes dropping out speed to 2+ knots. Finally had to switch from spinnaker back to genoa while Laughing Gull carried her spinnaker all the way to mark 'B'. During this leg we went from about five lengths ahead minimum to three minutes behind per TC. Three minutes at two knots is just over 600 feeet! Throughout this leg, we would start to build speed and be impacted by wakes, repeatedly.

During the beat from mark 'B' to mark 'F', wakes continued to be a problem but not as severe as on the previous leg. Headed well out towards the port side layline chasing Laughing Gull, who tacked and appeared to stall in the tack some ten to fifteen lengths ahead. Finally tacked over to starboard as the boat came close to the layline. Could not quite lay mark 'F' and had to throw in two tacks. Meanwhile, Laughing Gull made mark 'F' about five lengths ahead.

Rounded mark 'F', and started to set the spinnaker while sailing directly into the sun. Jim alerted everyone that the spinnaker was being hoisted inside the genoa. Down its comes, re-run the spinnaker halyard and back up it goes. Dropped back to some ten to fifteen lengths behind. Boat speed was good for the breeze, seeing 5.6 to 6.2 in 5 to 7 knots of wind. Again, it was hard to keep the chute flying on the way to R'4'. Much easier to do so after rounding R'4'.

Sailed into the finish. Last boat on the course.

Finishing order: Laughing Gull, Constance. (Did not start: Kahawai, LinGin, Rinn Duin, and Skybird)

GPX formatted Track . Estimate distance: 7.0nm, estimated average speed: 3.8, estimated duration: 2:00