Tacked to port once we had reached the point at which we guessed that LinGin had tacked to port. Both Laughing Gull and Argo had tacked to port as well. All three other boats tacked back to starboard while we remained on port chasing, trying to make up ground to windward. Crossed Argo by about a boat length of less while on port. Held port tack till we passed LinGin's line, as it appeared that LinGin would have difficulty making the mark against the ebbing current. Wind had been easing since about half up the windward leg.
Tacked to starboard. Made the windward mark G"91" easily, being able to bear off progressively as we closed the mark, meaning that we had overstood. We believe that Argo had to tack twice more to make the mark. When about 100 yards from the mark, we caught up to LinGin from the weather side. While driving from the high side, port, I could see their shadow/reflection on the water and the boat itself when I ducked down from the "driver's seat" between the winch and the cabin. Laughing Gull had rounded well ahead of the rest of the fleet.
Rounded mark G"91", leaving LinGin plenty of room to round inside us. Hoisted spinnaker on port tack and scooted ahead of LinGin in the weakening breeze. Maintained a course down the west side of the shipping channel ahead of LinGin by a distance varying from one to four boat lengths. From time to time LinGin would try to head up a bit to get on our air. Each time LinGin did, we would head up shortly afterward and prevent the move. Meanwhile, Laughing Gull tried to sail a "hotter angle", higher, to get more speed on port tack towards G"WR87", but to no avail as the rest of the fleet slowly closed some of the distance. Nonetheless, Laughing Gull remained well ahead. Argo chose to go further east deeper into the shipping channel, perhaps in hope of a faster running ebb current. At times, it appeared to help as Argo would make up some ground and then drop back again. All in all, it must have helped as Argo, was able to round G"WR87" in close company with both LinGin and Constance. Very slow downwind leg. Seeing apparent wind speeds of 3kts and less, at times less than 2kts. Speed over ground, as reported by iNavX
, rarely hit 3kts. Most of the time, speed over ground appeared to be between 1.5 and 2kts on this 3nm leg of the course.
Rounded G"WR87" ahead of both LinGin and Argo. Gybed to starboard soon after rounding and focused on the bulk carrier, Algoma Valour, that lay to anchor, bowing pointing north, halfway between G"WR87" and R"2". Must have lost focus on driving during the gybe, switching from regular to light weight spinnaker sheets, or committed some other horrible error as we ended up well to leeward, down bay, from both LinGin and Argo by 6 to 10 boat lengths. Spent the first half of this leg striving to make distance back up the bay and close on LinGin and Argo. Both LinGin and Argo were able to pass us to windward. All my fault as Mike handled spinnaker well.
By the time that we were about perhaps 200 yards from the Algoma Valour, we had made up good distance to windward back to the level of G"WR87". We received our own "private breeze" out of nowhere and passed behind LinGin within a boat length and rolled over top of her while she stood nearly still. Crossed the bow of the Algoma Valour with about two boat lengths to spare and gybed to port, mimicing Argo. Bad choice. Argo had been significantly further up bay when the gybed. We ended up angled low and got hit with a series of significant powerboat wake waves, apparently amplified in height as they refracted around the bow of the Algoma Valour. The waves pushed us southward into the windshadow of the Algoma Valour.
