The Final Countdown - Race 8/8

The Final Countdown – Race 8/8

Conditions: NW moderate. Big shifts coming off the land. It's shifty, shifty, very very shifty....its very shifty!

Before the last race the race for the championships was tied between Mark Tait and Paul Kameen. We were on 23rd (dropped a place overnight as a result of a protest, which allowed someone to leapfrog us.)

Gate starts again today. The first is abandoned halfway after a huge header causes the starting procession to turn sharply into the melee of waiting boats. We are quite relieved after a second rate start, it being very crowded at the pin end.

The second start we take off with some space about half way along the line. Great, but the pathfinder is released just as we go, and tacks right on top of us. To make matters worse this is the boat we have to beat to gain a place in the series.

Crikey it’s shifty out there. Did I say that already? The boats that got away early are able to make more of the shifts. Peter and Dawn are 4th around the w-ward mark. We get there in the early 20’s with Dave&Betty on our tails. The boats that went left did best.

It’s opposite on the 2nd beat. A few boats head far right and overtake everyone to the w-ward mark. Nigel Wakefield goes so far right you’d think he was going home. But he effectively cuts a huge corner and comes out 100m in the lead. We play it safer up the middle-right and gain a few places, rounding in 19th.

The wind fills in on the final reaches and we manage to catch another, and some more on the final beats to finish 15th, just catching Peter&Dawn at the end. Sorry about that P&D!

At the front, Nigel manages to win the race, but the Chapionship is secured by Paul Kameen by keeping Mark Tait a few boats behind in the final beat. A series decided on the final beat of the final race – now that is proper job!
It has been a great week of sailing with some really challenging conditions. Our hands are raw, legs bruised and thighs aching. It looks like everyone feels the same, pretty much slumping into the bilges across the finishing line.

Our last score is enough to push us up to 21st out of 69 in the series, just inside the top-third where we were aiming to be. We are stoked. With no discards and including the practice race (Rothman’s Tropy) we have finished 14th overall. Whoaa, that’s worth the bruises – eh Liz! Thanks to Liz for putting up with me and being a top top crew!

Phil & Jilly finished top RSC boat, and 16th overall. Nice one guys.

Now for prize giving and the short drive back to sunny Kernow!

Catcha Later,
Ben