Date: 12th May
Venue : Slipper
Race : Handicap race, 1 hour
Tide : Flooding very slightly
Conditions : F4/5 SW, relatively flat water though
Result : Would have been 3rd of 20, but for the catalogue of errors below
Two reasons for me to sign off as RTD today:
1. Passed a passing mark on the wrong side. There was a cruiser busily anchoring 5m from the mark, I was so busy explaining why he might be best served by moving that I missed the mark myself. Barbara and Johnny tried to hail me to return, but I thought they were whooping in delight at the fine conditions.
2. Managed to capsize onto a mark (foot caught on footstrap mid tack), righted the boat but neglected to complete a turn. Only remembered that I should have done so when someone commented after the race that they were surprised my sail stayed intact as it hit the buoy.
3. Helping all the Juniors get their boats out of the water just before the race and forgot to sign on!
But the sailing was OK.
Positives:
- Really pleased with upwind speed. Tiny bit faster than the Merlin, still in touch with the ISOs. Definitely pays to sail a little freer in those winds, it feels like close reaching upwind rather than beating. As soon as you bear off just a few degrees, the boat livens up.
- Good downwind speed, and no dramas. Quite happy to sniff out the stronger bands of wind and not close to tipping it in.
Points for reflection:
- 2x capsizes. First involved catching footstrap elastic on a tack, second involved falling over in the midst of a gybe. Both silly, but not a great cause for concern. Need new hiking boots. And a better sense of balance.
Mediocre start. Managed to get a good space to leeward, but too shy of the line and didn't really make good use of the space. Stopped the Merlin from climbing over me, but I reckon if I'd been on the line I could have made life difficult for the ISOs.
But a pleasant enough sail, what better way to finish the weekend.
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