Setup in all races
· Outhaul – Loose
· Cunningham – Loose – Just taking wrinkles out
· Vang – None
· Mainsheet – anywhere between two block in puffs and up to a foot out in the lulls
Race One
Strategy before start
Tide favored right side bigtime, you could get in behind Castle Pinkney up wind. No matter what tack and head right.
What actually happened?
Started at the pin end with Peter Gamble, we both were punched and were able to tack out immediately towards the right. I stayed on port for most of the leg taking a pretty large lead off the right at the weather mark. Then as a felt great heading downwind WITH THE TIDE I looked back and the rest of the fleet was rounding the offset mark UGHH. I headed back upwind and rounded the offset in about tenth.
Downwind was uneventful and I rounded the leeward mark just outside to peter Gamble to find a 20% lefty no one else had with velocity. Immediately went from tenth to top couple and eventually the left held on, so I had the lead ( LUCKY AS CAN BE, Thanks the Charleston Harbor Gods, they have been good to me over the years ). Held the lead to the finish by covering.
Race Two
Strategy before the start
Tide again favored the right, but the pin was heavily favored
What actually happened?
Wound up over early at the pin, had to go around the end with Glen. Tacked once back onto starboard and quickly found a lane back to the right. Stayed on starboard for most of the leg and wound up leading at the first mark. Held the lead for the rest of the race by favoring the right side and covering.
Race three
Strategy before the start
Not cut and dry, tide had changed and was now with us upwind. Still favor the right, but left could be good at the right time. Play shifts and velocity. Downwind favor high since the tide was taking you left downwind.
What Actually Happened
Had a terrible start in the middle (thought everyone was over ) Peter Gamble pinched me off and I had to fight for clean air. Tacked a couple of times and everyone to the right was gone! 100 yards automatically separated me from the leaders. Strategy changed to save race, pick off boats one by one. I knew people would overestimate the right being very favored and thought I would be able to use that to my advantage (it worked). I stayed to the middle of the course and at times the right looked very strong, but in the end most people over stood the weather mark and I gained late in the leg. Downwind staying high while the tide pushed everyone to the left wound up paying off. Caught five boats for a hard fought fifth.
Race Four
Strategy
Stay up the middle, don’t over stand the weather mark. Tide was going to make little difference in the race.
What actually happened
Had another crappy start, again I think it was Peter Gamble who pinched me off, I quickly tacked out and started working towards clean air. Looked up and already had lost 100 yards again to the leaders!! Wound up gaining some by playing shifts up the middle, but rounded the first weather mark around 7th. Caught a boat or two on the downwind leg by staying up current. Next beat played my shifts up the middle and gained a few more. This continued the rest of the race for a solid third (happy with the finish for sure ).
Race Five
Strategy
Very light air and needed to make sure to stay in the least current behind Castle Pinkney. The way to do that was to go right early, but the key was not too far right.
What actually happened
Started second row at the boat and could not find a lane of clean air anywhere. Tried to get across the Committee boat three times, tacked four times before crossing the line and finally headed right. Once I got right I was immediately back in the race! Tides make such a difference in light air it is amazing! What I had not really figured out before the start was that the cone of ( least current ) behind the island was only about 100 yards wide. The boats that headed off to the right looked great unless they went too far and the boats on the left were dead. The key was to sail on port until you started losing ground to the boats to the left of you. I found looking back at the boat behind you was key to finding the end of the cone. Once I figured this out I shorted tacked up the middle watching closely the boats on both sides on me! It was unbelievable the difference 100 yards on either side made. This made for a big lead at the first weather mark after a crappy start, got to love sailing in Charleston J. I felt comfortable out in front and that quickly went away as the Butch the second place boat got a 20 degree rightly on my quarter ( don’t you hate that!! ). With only 50 yards left to the finish it was clear if I did not do anything the race was his, so I decided to tack and do a quick duck ( this started a tacking duel) he tacked right ontop of me I tacked back, he tacked, I tacked and I guess good old boat handling for me paid off. My last tack I came out in front and to leeward pinched him off and won by a foot. Fun finish!!!
David
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