This morning's race began around 11:10 in light WSW winds. The gate start gets off cleanly and it soon becomes apparent that the left hand side is favorite for better breeze. We manage to get into a good position on the fleet and finish 9th in conditions that we seem to do better in. Local Barny Smith makes up for his bad luck yesterday, giving Steve Tylecote & Sally Wilson a run for their money and finishing 3rd behind Ben and Jenny Vines.
Remember Ella Vincent from 2008? Well she's back this year with Dad Dan, winners of the Tallest and Tiniest crew-combination prize...if there was one. At probably no more than 4 stone (a gentleman never asks) Ella makes the perfect light wind crew taking Dad into 7th at the finish.
Towards the end of the race the wind began to back, forcing the race committee to shift the windward mark to the south.
The second race is started with a traditional line-start, and by the time it gets underway the wind is blowing from the west about 20knots. Three loud gun-blasts from the committee boat signal the first start is abandoned after the majority of the fleet are over the line by a mile.
But we are all better behaved for the second start. We start about half way along the line. It's not the best start, but we tack off to port, duck one or two transoms and find ourselves crossing all the other boats that started to the right, getting to the windward mark in the late teens somewhere. We found that the right hand side of the beat was generally the way to go, but there are lots of wind shifts out there to keep it interesting.
The reaches are both exhilerating and challenging in these conditions. The wind is strong enough to be planing all the way, and the chop and wash from other boats keeps you on your toes!
After a few difficult mark roundings, including one where we ended up doing turns for someone else, we finish 18th. Stuart and Jane Hudson win the race by a country mile. Dan and Ella have a tougher time in the windy conditions, but despite a capsize are still smiling at the end of a very long day.
This evening the crews and the helms split. The helms head for the RAFYC for a civilised evening of stimulating conversation and fine dining. Meanwhile the crews traditionally form the annual meeting of the 'Crews Union' which amounts to something like a hen-party where the crews do what only crews do best: try to stay upright for a few hours. The men among the crews generally take at leat a year of rehab to recover from this female-dominated affair. The dress code is skirts - with no exceptions!
If I am able to harvest any gossip from inside the crew's Union I will bvring it to you tomorrow.
Meanwhile I'm off for port and billiards - cheerio.
Ben
