Log of Alberg 30 #262 on 24 May 2023

Date: 24 May 2023 1835 till 24 May 2023
Endpoints: Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD to Yacht Haven Annapolis Eastport MD
Purpose: AYC WNR Race Series 1 Race 3
Complement: Mike Nikolich (bow), Ray McGowen (pit and genoa), and Yoni Bresler
Weather: SSE Force 3. Fairly flat water but for wakes. High 60's
Engine Hours: 380.9 to 381.4
Fuel: 3/4 tank
Chart: 12282 Chesapeake Bay Severn and Magothy Rivers

Course: A1
Sails: EP Sails 169LPgenoa and Interrupt main. EP Sails spinnaker. Backstay at 2.

Took a wind shot at the pin end of the line, boat end favored. Confirmed that the boat end was favored, sailing from pin to past the committee boat we were nearly close-hauled. Sailed past the committee arriving with 2'30" to go. Turned away from the line, did a slow gybe at 1'20" and trimed for speed. Late to the start. Should have gybed at two minutes. Argo even later, starting with the Woodwinds.

As we headed out after starting Ma'm'selle was headed back in, she's the large red spinnaker shown in the video at 5:40. Headed out to near R"4" and tacked over to port. Good lane through the returning traffic. Argo chasing, not gaining. Per TC's wont, Argo continued further on starboard after we tacked see to get above our line.

As we approached the windward mark, three J/105's were returning with a line very slightly to leeward of ours, just off a collision course. Decided to pass above all three rather than split. Spliting would have been a low return high risk move. Furled the genoa immediately after passing the J/105's and the mark. Bore off and gybed before setting. Slow but uneventful set. Argo has significant problems with their set and continued on starboard tack for some ways, losing substantial ground in the process, or so it seemed at the time. Maintaining starboard tack gave Argo a hotter angle intot the R"8" than ours but as we had the Windex 15 on the tab, not clear to me that their angle was actually hotter in any meaningful sense.

Watched Firebrand, a J/105 with Allison from the 2022 NOOD trimming chute, slowly pass us to leeward. Not bad given that J/105's rate about 90 PHRF.

Deliberately slowed a bit coming into R"8" to allow the J/105's to clear out a bit, nonetheless as we rounded tight to the mark with a number of J/105's with a couple immediately leeward and outboard of us. During the rounding, one J/105 was close enough to step from the starboard quarter/corner on to the deck of the J/105. Made it successfully. No boats touched.

Shifty wind conditions, heading and easing repeatedly as we made out way from R"8" to G"1SC". Decided to head lower, into the mooring field to eliminate the possibility of getting stuck in near dead air beside the condominiums and other buildings along the northwest shore of Eastport.

Found a line and threaded the mooring field to the bulkhead. Tacked to starboard with the J/105 Syndicate some three boatlengths ahead and other J/105 on our starboard quarter well enough away to not be a problem. Had a J/80 tack just to leeward and ahead...they held course below us straight for Liberty, just upstream of the ChartHouse for as long as possible. They tacked and we tacked immediately with them to ensure their room to maneuver. They rolled us and headed for the finish. At this time, Argo was making their tack to starboard after passing through the mooring field.

Finishing order: 262, 247. Did not compete: 158, 272, 550.

T2P.tv video. Constance footage at 5:40 for 20 seconds, Argo at 7:20 for 15 seconds.

GPX formatted track started about nine minutes late. Distance: 3+nm, estimated average speed: 3.7kts, estimated duration: 0:47+