Easter Sunday Sailing

Today was the first of many '3 race series' in the new season.  Each of the three races is about 30 mins in length, over a triangle/sausage/triangle course.  The great thing about the format is the focus on starting, boat handling, mark rounding and boat on boat tactics, and the compact close nature of the racing.  For these races the RO elected to set a course with starboard roundings, which gave another dimension to the racing, especially at the windward mark.

We had about 15 boats on the water, in a very gusty f3-4 easterley.  The course was set on the edge of a tidal channel which made the starts interesting.  Some highlights:

- Andy and Vicky were well frothed, and I think contenders for the series.  The races are relatively short and I've no idea as to the differences on corrected time, but if I were a betting man I'd slip a fiver on their ISO (at 2:1, they weren't miles in front).  There was a rather unfortunate tea-bagging incident after one of the starts - Vicky wasn't very pleased - which forced a tack onto port under the rest of the fleet.  Transpires that it was the way to go, and they popped out of the windward mark in the lead! Fortune favours the brave (or in this case, those who can't cleat their main).

- Matt and Gael led the 400s round the course in all races, albeit with a few notable incidents.  The first was a rather brash and agressive bearaway on the line onto an unsuspecting but well cntrolled 300, fortunately the excellent seamanship of the 300 prevented maritime disaster (well gelcoat damage, which in OCD-land constitutes maritime disaster).   And a near-capsize on the 1 minute gun of a start, after a gybe.  Made me wish I'd mounted the camera to the boat.

- Mike and Emma had a mixed day on the water.  Emma had had a 'spa day' for her birthday on  Saturday, which apparently involved drinking Bacardi till 03:00.  Apparently this was not the best prep for a feast of hoists and drops, and excessive crew-work.  But who knew that spa days could be such fun, I may well put one on the birthday list.  Or maybe we should go for one in Minorca.

- Good to see Dave Valentine and Simon Robinson back on the water in their Lasers.  I managed to completely stall my boat on the line right in front of Dave, cocking up both of our starts.  But fortunately Dave was very gentlemanly appeared quite sanguine about the whole thing.  And we were general recalled, hurrah.

- Training-partner-Claire was back out in her 4.7.  I suspect another heavy night on the white wine (perhaps she was on a spa day?), there was some rather tetchy commentary about more alledged inaccuracies in Slipper Musings earlier in the week.  But the excessive drinking did not appear to be slowing down her boat, she was mixing her 4.7 up with the standard rigs at many points in the race.

Wind looks to be up for tomorrow, but what do these forecasters know.  I predict a balmy f3-4.