Log of Alberg 30 #262 on 31 August 2022

Date: 31 August 2022 1835 till 31 August 2022
Endpoints: Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD to Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD
Purpose: AYC WNR Race Series 3 Race 6
Complement: Jim (from Bacon's on genoa and spinnaker trim), Rick Chambers, Anabel, Will (from Annapolis School of Sailing), and Yoni Bresler
Weather: NWxW backing to W, 9kts dropping to zephyrs at the finish. Flat water. High 70's
Engine Hours: 359.5 to 360.1
Fuel: 1/3 tank
Chart: 12282 Chesapeake Bay Severn and Magothy Rivers

Course: B1
Sails: EP Sails 169LPgenoa and Interrupt main. EP Sails spinnaker. Backstay at 3.

The boat pointed considerably better this evening, about 100* between tacks rather than 110+* of last week. Backstay set at 3, rather than 2.5. The water in the river was rather flat.

Downwind start. Plan was to hoist immediately after the start at the pin end. Went past the pin on port, reversed course onto starboard flying main only. Too late. Rolled out the genoa to get some speed and still started several lengths behind Skybird who was several lengths behind LinGin. Argo was even later to the start and started behind us. At the start, the Catalina 38 , Apple Bottom was immediately below us, within a boatlength. Led Argo throughout the race.

Hoisted spinnaker and immediately walked over and away from Apple Bottom, the Catalina 38 just below us. Began the chase of LinGin and Skybird. Broard reach, easy spinnaker carry. At times the wind shifted to make it nearly a run. Caught Skybird by mark "A", rounded the mark well inside Skybird, who continued past the Mark somewhat. Gybed at the mark and set off for Mark "B" chasing LinGin while staying abeam and a couple lengths to windward of Skybird.

Spinnaker run from Mark "A" to Mark "B". Did not catch LinGin who rounded to port well before us. During out spinnaker take down, Skybird caught back up with us. Overlapped at the mark. Rounded inside Skybird and hardened up closehauled with Skybird just behind and a length to leeward. Remained on port tack for about 10 to 15 lengths. LinGin tacked to startboard, we tacked to starboard soon after. Skybird chose to remain on port tack headed towards Greenbury Point.

Did not catch LinGin on the starboard tack board to clear Mark Y"A" and, R"4" as well, hopefully. Tacked to port after crossing LinGin's line, some half dozen lengths above Mark Y"A", crossing Skybird's bow a number of lengths ahead. Delayed tacking to port as the boat was moving well and we sought to make the most of the speed and point that we had. Tacked back to starboard to get above the line for R"4". Stayed on starboard for some 400 yards to get a couple lengths above the line for R"4" and tacked back to port. Seeing as much as 11.6kts apparent wind on this tack. It was on this board that we walked over Skybird from a position somewhat behind and about six lengths to windward to several lengths clear ahead and still well above, though less so as we sailed a bit lower than close hauled with sheets eased slightly in the last few hundred yards to R"8".

Followed LinGin to R"8". Rounded R"8" some half dozen lengths behind. We had made up nearly half, or half, their lead by this point. Hardened up a bit at R"8" and carried the tack to within 100 yards of the YP yard. Carried the starboard tack all the way across the Severn, hoping for a lift to be able to make Mark SC"1". No such luck. Tacked to port as we hit the headers downwind of EYC and SSA. Mixing it up with the Cal 25 s, White Cap and Ronin in this area. Came about halfway, no more, across Spa Creek to avoid the windshadow of the Naval Academy. LinGin made the error of crossing near all of Spa Creek and fell into that windshadow. Tacked back to starboard, hoping to make SC"1" this time. Found ourselves somewhat less than one length ahead of LinGin. Again, we got headed, as did everyone else. Again, we had to tack to port to gain height. This time we took the tack nearly all the way across Spa Creek, as there is little to no windshadow in this area.

Tacked back to starboard for what we hoped would be the final leg to the finish. Jim, Rick, and I worked well together selecting the lane through the mooring field full of boats. With Jim trimming, Rick lying down on the port sidedeck calling boats, and I trying to keep the sails drawing well in the dying breeze, we threaded our way through the mooring field taking sterns of powerboats and crossing above mooring balls. Halfway through the mooring field, we got to a set of overlapped moored boats, Rick guided us, turning down immediately after a mooring ball and taking the stern of all the overlapped moored boats. LinGin tried the path below the mooring field and got pinched against piers and docks a bit upstream of the ChartHouse, forcing LinGin to tack to port and cross Spa Creek again.

We also ran out of room and had to tack to port to cross Spa Creek towards the downstream corner of AYC's docks. LinGin had to tack agains as well. By this point, LinGin was a couple lengths(?) behind. Still mixing it up with the Cal 25 s, we crossed Ronin's line and tacked immediately above them leaving half a length between us. Ghosted along Spa Creek dealing with Cal 25 s and boats from other classes that had finished earlier.

Finished above Ronin, who had only a length between her and the docks. LinGin finished second. Glad of the orange indicator/sleeve/blanket that AYC places on the Eastport side of Spa Creek as it proved very useful in gauging the finish line this night.

Finishing order: 262, 244, 247, 550. Did not compete: 272, 411.

As a result of finishing first, jumped ahead of Argo to finish the series in second place.

T2P.tv video.

GPX formatted track started late, just after rounding Mark "A". Estimate distance: 5.14nm, estimated average speed: 4.6kts, estimated duration: 1:06