Log of Alberg 30 #262 on 18 May 2022

Date: 18 May 2022 1730 till 18 May 2022 2000
Endpoints: Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD to Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD
Purpose: AYC WNR Race Series 1 Race 4
Complement: Meredith Glacken (bow), Lisa Finney (pit), Diane Bevington (genoa and spin trim), Zack Shrove (balance and spin trim), Logan Douglas (genoa trim and guy), and Yoni Bresler
Weather: S Force 3 slowly building. Cool temperatures...low 60's
Engine Hours: 347.2 to 347.6
Chart: 12282 Chesapeake Bay Severn and Magothy Rivers

fuel="1/4 tank"

Course: B3
Sails: Interrupt 170LP genoa and main. EP Sails spinnaker.

With about 5 minutes to the start headed away from the line towards Severn Sailing Association. Turned back at 2:40 to the start. Arrived at the line just a couple seconds late, to windward of LinGin and Skybird. Was not able to hold the same line or speed upwind as LinGin. Very soon after the start had to take their stern. Both LinGin and Skybird tacked to port before us. LinGin ahead, no crossing of tacks. Skybird behind, crossed their line with less than a boatlength to spare, perhaps ten feet. On the tack back to starboard to lay the first mark, Skybird crossed ahead of us. Rick Chambers was aboard Skybird trimming genoa. At the first mark, both LinGin and Skybird rounded ahead of us.

LinGin and Skybird slowly lengthened their lead on the reach to the up bay mark at "B". At times we closed on Skybird some, at times Skybird was able to gain on us. With stronger winds after this mark and the next, had to let the traveller down all the way and start bubbling the main.

Hardened up at mark "B", following LinGin and Skybird. On starboard tack, Skybird must have had some issue as they were sailing well, holding their line, then rather quickly dropped angle and ended up several boatlengths below us rather than directly ahead. Tacked to port before both LinGin and Skybird seeking to change the situation. Following their line was not working so a different tack was appropriate. Both LinGin and Skybird tacked to port within a minute of our tack. Sailed out to what appeared to the be the just a few boatlengths below the layline...ended up closer to seven. Tacked back to starboard and rounded after LinGin and Skybird, both of which had extended their lead on this leg of the course.

Bit of an issue raising the spinnaker. During the hoist, the guy had been lead through the pulpit and had to be re-routed which stopped the hoist with several feet of halyard remaining. Had Diane ease the sheet to relieve the pressure so that we could get full hoist. Chased to the R"8" doing 6 to 6.7kts. Bit of a slow take down...no issues, just a bit slow.

Parade to the finish.

Summary:

Stronger winds today than during the last day of the 2022 Annapolis Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta . Tonight the Annapolis Weather Buoy AN showed 10 to 12kts vs 5 to 8kts on Sunday.
Practice sails are stretched, bagged. Don't have the shape of the racing sails, therefore we could not sail with either LinGin or Skybird. On 2022-05-15, the last day of the 2022 Annapolis Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta , we had speed on the fleet upwind. Not tonight. Changed from racing to practice sails. Same bow, pit, and driver. Same bottom, water is 66*, so expect little growth. Different genoa trimmers, but starting to fall behind immediately despite sailing to the telltails. Stronger winds tonight.
Need more spinnaker practice, particularly with a port pole.

T2P.tv video. Alberg 30 footage mark "A" at 7:55 to 8:20.

GPX formatted track. Estimate distance: 8.37nm, estimated average speed: 5.1kts, estimated duration: 1:38