Regatta Report
8/24/2005 - 470 Worlds Qualifying Day 2
Today brought challenging winds, varying in velocity and direction, and powerful flood (downwind) current. We were on the water for 6 hrs and sailed 2 races.
Race 1
Postponed for 45 minutes to let a tanker pass through our course, Race 1 got underway in 12 knots of wind and 5 knots of max flood, downwind current. The left side was clearly favored so everyone was jockeying for the pin. After two recalls, the last start was a black flag start meaning that should a boat be over the line within one minute before the starting gun, she would be disqualified from the race. While we avoided that penalty, we got swallowed by the fleet—too conservative—and had to sit in bad air all the way to the favored left side with current relief. We were near last, but close enough to pass boats on each leg and finish 20th.
Race 2
Again we had to wait for a freight ship to pass through our course. The current had subsided a little and we were starting to see some ebb, upwind current, by shore. Still the starting line had 3 knots of downwind current and 15 knots of breeze. Again there was a recall and the race committee had to display the black flag. The pin end of the line was very crowded and we got caught with a boat right to leeward of us and another with just enough space to windward to roll us! And when one gets over you, they all do. We were quickly in last, but on each subsequent leg worked through as many boats as we could. We finished 22nd.
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