Log of Alberg 30 #262 on 15 May 2022

Date: 15 May 2022 0900 till 15 May 2022 1600
Endpoints: Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD to Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD
Purpose: NOOD Day Three
Complement: Meredith Glacken (bow), Allison Gingerich (tactics, spin trim), Annabelle Chambers (jib trim), Lisa Finney (pit), and Jonathan Bresler
Weather: ESE Force 2
Engine Hours: 345.0 to 347.2
Fuel: 1/4 tank
Chart: 12282 Chesapeake Bay Severn and Magothy Rivers

Sails: Pandora mainsail and new 169LP genoa and EP Sails spinnaker.
Event: 2022 Annapolis Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta
Course: 205*, 0.5nm, two laps, gate the the leeward end, windward and offset mark.

After yesterday's racing, Constance lying third in the regatta, ahead of Windswept by one point. Today's overriding goal was to finish ahead of Windswept regardless of all other boats. Expected a flooding current through the race with slack water about noon. Visibly more wind on the bay side (east) of the course compared to the river side (west).

Two races. Finished first. Second race abandoned due to lack of wind.

Motored out to the area of the course in heavy fog, visibility sixty yards. Had to use compass and GPS to motor from G"HP" to R"4" to Y"A" to the racing area. Fog burned off by 1000. Raised spinnaker and performed half a dozen gybes to prepare for the day's race. Goal of the gybing practice was to keep the spinnaker flying full throughout the gybe. Did not suceed in keeping the spinnaker full, rather it collapsed during each gybe. Need more practice.

Light winds filled in a bit before the first start. Alberg 30 started second after the J/24s.

At about 1150, started from starboard of the committee boat, overlapped ahead and to leeward of Windswept with the intention of locking Windswept out from the start. Succeeded in doing so. Called out to Windswept to confirm the positions which they did. After we overlapped the committee, Skybird tried to luff us up at/into the committee boat claiming that we were barging. We came up to the extent possible to maintain a seamanlike distance from both the committee boat and Skybird. In doing so, we crossed the line early. Skybird flew a protest flag vigorously. Meanwhile, Laughing Gull was able to force LinGin over the line early at the pin end of the starting line. As a result, both LinGin and Constance were "on course side" at the start. LinGin gybed to restart, while Constance performed a dip start to restart. Skybird decided not to file a protest after reviewing the matter among themselves. See 100 Best Racing Rules Quizes numbers 16, 17, and 18.

Sailed out on starboard, course 145* about 3kts, with slight eased sails and Allison calling my attention to the genoa telltails whenever I pinched the boat. Her attention to my deviations from course greatly helped our speed through the water. After about eight minutes tacked over to port after everyone else had tacked, capitalizing on the stronger breeze on the bay side of the race course. Sailed on port for about four minutes, courese 245* at 4.5kts or better before tacking back to starboard, as we were sailing faster and lower than Windswept and had to tack rather than duck or ram her. This is the one time during the race when I was surprised. Tacked back to port after a minute to make the mark ahead of the fleet.

Strangely enough we were being set on the mark by the current, an eddy?, clearing the mark with less than a foot between the mark and the side of the boat. An unnecessary risk.

Good crew work during the reach from the windward make to the offset, unfortunately we had an hourglassed spinnaker which took a minute to clear, Meredith working well on the bow to release the sail. Annabelle worked the furling line well, allowing me to focus on driving to the exclusion of all other activites...a condition that the crew had been strongly recommending throughout the race.

Slow downwind leg due to the light breeze making 2.5 to 3.5kts at 005* to the bay side of the gate. All boats arrived at the gate within a short interval. We were closest the bay side end of the gate, all others having sailed further to the west/river side of the course. All boats headed back out to the bay by for Windswept which rounded the river end of the gate and proceeded to the right of the course. Constance rounded cleanly and calmly. Excellent crew work to transition from running to beating.

Four minute starboard board, 135* at 3.5kts to the layline. Tacked over to port 235* at 5kts to the mark, nearly maintaining pace with an Etchells a boat and a half to leeward. Past the mark with more room this time, markedly more room as an Etchells was approaching on starboard. Sailed to pass above the Etchells and let them pass inside us to the offset. Calm, clean transition from beating, to reaching, to running.

Nine minute board on starboard tack with Allison calling pressure and driving the boat higher and lower in response to maintain that pressure. LinGin must have rounded soon after we did, as they were to windward some ten boatlengths away, sailing a higher angle. Gybed over to port to make the finish soon after LinGin gybed. Three minute board at 3kts making sure to provide LinGin enough room that there would be no reason for them to try any luffing against us. Sailed to a photo finish just ahead of LinGin. An hour raced with focus and intensity.

Summary:

Good start against Windswept, but should have paid closer attention to Skybird as she may have been able to lock us out, just as we did to Windswept.
Crew kept my focus on driving the boat while they handled all other tasks aboard.
Very good communications allowing me to adjust course downwind to keep pressure and visualize the locations of the other boats around us. No need to look away from the luff the of the genoa to maintain a "view" of the race. Kept apprised of our speed over ground by Lisa calling out the numbers in a quiet voice to the crew.
Tacked the boat without over-tacking. Ended each tack a little low, allowing us to build speed more quickly before coming up a bit on to the while being careful not to sail as high as we would in breezier conditions.
Downwind performance needs work. We lost ground to others on the downwind legs. Failed to sail the tacking angles shown in the Handy Guide (Polar Table).
Very good speed upwind in light wind when boat friction is between 80% (3kts) and 60% (4.5kts) of total resistance due to this winter's bottom work and concentration on driving.
This winter's bottom preparation appears to have been time and effort well spent.

GPX formatted track . Estimate distance: 3.10nm, estimated average speed: 3.18kts, estimated duration: 0:58

After finishing the first race, sailed away from the course to the southeast. Revelled a bit in the race just completed and discussed the possibilities should Skybird protest. Seems that either we win the protest or end up disqualified. Fortunately, Skybird chose not to file a protest. During this we noticed that pennant #4 and the P flag were flying from the committee boat. Somehow the VHF was changed away from the race channel and we did not heard the call to race. Immediately, indicated to the crew that we are in-sequence, sheeted-in and headed for the committee boat. Needless to say, we arrived late and began chasing the fleet. On the first board to starboard, towards the bay, Windswept tacked to port in front of us, forcing me to duck. Later heard that everyone believed that we had gone in, left the area, and so Windswept was not on the lookout for another boat.

The time begin after 1pm on a sunny Sunday, the powercraft swept out of the Severn and back in every direction imaginable. The wind shutdown. The water was reduced to the conditions of an washing machine. Finally the race committee abandoned the race.

GPX formatted track . Estimate distance: 1.66nm, estimated average speed: 1.8kts, estimated duration: 0:47