Course:B1
Sails: Elliott/Pattison Sailmakers
169LP genoa, spinnaker, and Pandora main. Backstay at 3.
J/105's blew their start. General recall. J/105's will restart after us and before the Woodwinds.
About 20 seconds late at the start. Started above Skybird and Rinn Duin. Soon after the start, fell down to just a few feet above Rinn Duin with speed, approaching Rinn Duin hidden from view behind the sail. Startled to find Rinn Duin there. No warning from the port genoa trimmer. After we past astern of Rinn Duin, sailed a bit fat and fast while Rinn Duin kept high and slower. Crossed Skybird on the first board.
On the second board, above and faster than Skybird. Tacked after passing Skybird's line. All three Albergs reached Mark "A" together with Constance on the outside, Skybird in the middle, and Rinn Duin on the inside. Made sure to give the inside boats plenty of room. Exited the mark ahead of Skybird and Rinn Duin, in that order.
Hull speed sail, with the wind near abeam, from Mark "A" to Mark "B". Overtaken by a number of J/105's between these two marks. Very slowly extended our lead on Skybird and Rinn Duin. Came into Mark "B" along with the J/105 Key Players and a couple others. Overlapped on Key Players, who gave us just enough mark room to round to starboard....an error. Course B1 requires leaving the mark to port, in other words, sailing above the mark, opposite side from the J/105's and rounding into the flow of J/105's rounding to starboard. Skybird says they did this. Mike Nikolich informed us of this at dock after the race...the only communication from him or anyone else on Skybird.
Sailed about 200 yards out into the Bay, away from our course, in order to find a lane through the J/105's which were continuing down the Bay. From Mark "B" to Y"A", sailed above Skybird and Ronin gaining on both. Ronin rounded Y"A", ahead of Constance and Skybird. Ronin tried a spinnaker from Y"A" to R"4" with difficulties. Past Ronin on the way to R"4". Rounded R"4" in the lead, set the kite (got two wraps of the spin halyard on the genoa, redeployed the genoa a bit to clear the wraps), and extended our lead during the run to R"8".
Dropped the chute conservatively before R"8". Rounded within a foot of that mark. Sailed directly to G"1SC", above two moored boats and below another, extended our lead over Ronin, Skybird and Rinn Duin. With good coaching from the crew, was able to sail past the mooring field, all the way to the bulkhead before having to tack. Two tacks in Spa Creek, and finished the race 2:50 ahead of Ronin.
GPX formatted track . Distance: 6.4nm, estimated average speed: 4.8kts, estimated duration: 1:19