Sails: Pandora mainsail, 135LP, and 169LP genoa.
Event: 2024 Annapolis Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta
Course: 0.75nm, two laps, gate the the leeward end, windward and offset mark. Shortened to 0.5 for second and third races
Forecast on both SailFlow and PredictWind for 15knots building to 20+. Windy predicted correctly. As of 0930, forecast matched the Annapolis weather buoy.
Anabel and I worked genoa and main. Within a few seconds of asking if we could tack, she was ready, every time. Each tack went well, some were excellent. Anabel was cheerful, capable, a true joy to sail and race with her.
Unable to get engine hours due to condensation on the inside surface of the lens.
First Race: As a result of the forecast and Friday's expectations mismatch, sailed the first race with the 135LP. About 15 to the start, suggested that we switch to the 169LP genoa but the crew demurred. Revisted the idea of switching during each downwind leg. More demurrals. Lost about 7 and half minutes vs the fleet each downwind leg due to smaller genoa and not using a spinnaker. Stated that we would drop out rather than delay the fleet several times before the last leg of the race. Once the fleet finished, withdrew, and motored downwind to the start so as not to delay the start of the next race, despite objections from some of the crew. While our choice to use the smaller genoa, forego the spinnaker, and be unable to compete in the race affected us alone, I allowed it in light of Friday's debacle. However, to delay the rest of the fleet in starting the second race was something that I refused to do.
Despite using the 135LP, in place of the 169LP, we were able to keep up with the fleet to a surprising extent on the two upwind legs.
GPX formatted track . Estimate distance: 5.15, estimated average speed: 3.5kts, estimated duration: 1:29
Positioned for a very good start, able to shut out Windswept. Given the results, chose to open a lane for Windswept between Constance and the committee boat. On the second lap, while on starboard tack in the final approach to the windward mark, Argo crossed our bow and tacked to windward above us outside the three boat circle. At the three boat circle, Argo and Constance were overlapped. Called out to TC to ensure that he was aware of the situation. Our line was very close to the windward mark, passing within two feet of the mark. Argo sailed down onto us, causing contact without damage or injury, between Argo's boom and our windward shrouds. TC did turns, before raising spinnaker and heading downwind to the finish. Constance sailed wing on wing using the spinnaker pole, finishing a good distance ahead of Argo.
GPX formatted track . Estimate distance: 3.59, estimated average speed: 3.3kts, estimated duration: 1:04
GPX formatted track . Estimate distance: 3.35, estimated average speed: 3.9kts, estimated duration: 00:51