Weds. Night Series 3 Race 5

What a perfect night for sailboat racing. The breeze was 6-8kts from the Southeast. The water was fairly flat. The current was flooding.

We had a reasonable start in the middle of the line about a boat-length late. We pinched off Blue Meanie and held stb tack until we could clear the barge. The right turned out to be much better. So we dug in pretty hard. We rounded the weather mark just behind Slice and Mad Cow, but we couldn't get the chute up; same problem every time, the pole is pinned to the deck. We must be doing something wrong in the back of the boat because, it doesn't matter who's doing foredeck the result is the same, a 40 second loss at the weather mark.

We gybed as soon as we could. About 2/3 of the way down the course Slice and Cow gybed back on to stbd. We held port until the layline, made a big gain and rounded the mark inside of both boats. Unfortunately the chute was wrapped in the genoa, and I think I was pinching, which let Cow and Slice drive through our lee.

We lucked out and hit a lefty the second time up the course. It was more pressure than direction. We rounded the weather mark near the Cow, but somehow Slice was launched.

We played the NJ side downwind, and again it was a gainer. We rounded inside of Mad Cow. They drove off and went right. I think I was still pinching. At the next crossing we tacked into their lee bow, but they managed to lift off of us in a righty.

I think we went too far left on the third beat, there was more wind along the NJ shore. Cow corrected out 22 seconds ahead of us. Slice was way out in front.

The crew:

Bob M
Sean (we picked him up off the dock)
Laura
Roberta
Eric O
Craig
me