June 4th 2000
The wind is southwest so the pier is forming a wind shadow and making it hard for us with such a heavy boat. We get to the line but have no clue what the course is so ask a passing sandhopper what is the first mark. Apparently its an orange inflatable over nearer the pier. The crew and I discuss tactics for the start. This is a very mixed fleet and most will start on starboard for obvious reasons. But I want to go for it on port hit the line on the gun and only go about if we fail to get across the pack. The wind is ok now and we can lift a hull so we reach down to the line five or six times and try to frighten the life out of the slower boats. The pole out the front is pretty scary as it comes towards you at a combine closing speed of over twenty knots.
We know we can't win in this light wind - most likely one of the four RS800s will win on handicap. Our main catamaran opposition will come from a couple of 5.9's and a Tornado. I am also worried about a new Stealth single hander that is having its first race.
The 5 minute gun goes off and we try another run at the line - mess it up and sulk off . I get the count down from the crew we do a 720º get in the main and go for it, we are too soon, a train of Hornets goes up the line on starboard and they to are too early. We all tangle up, we go about as the gun goes off and we are on starboard about third boat and pulling away from the slow monohulls. I decide to go about early - we get it right - we are first boat .... brilliant ... but which side do we go round the buoy and which is the next mark?
There is nothing like being prepared is there?
The crew decides the 5.9 is going on the outer side of the mark so we throw in a quick tack and then tack again leaving us just behind the 5.9. We turn after the mark and go down wind. The crew pulls up the spinnaker to find it in a terrible mess all tangled up and caught in the jib sheet. Another 5.9 goes by followed by the Tornado. To keep boat speed up I am going very tight and we are loosing ground on the 20 footers at the rate of a boat length every couple of seconds. Eventually we have a kite and we pick up speed. The closer inshore the less the wind, so we gybe and catch and pass the first 5.9 with ease. We realise that the next mark is the Halfway starting line and throw in a gybe but too soon we have been passed by an RS800 but only one. We again gybe to go parallel to the shoreline but too soon again. We are now doing ok but as we approach the linepole we are having to go broad to get inside the mark. We do it.
We explode away from the Halfway mark and sail our fastest line for the Thorpe Bay Yacht Club start line - we watch the 5.9 disappear backwards and gybe down to the line. The leading 5.9 has already gone round the mark, so has the leading RS800 but we just beat the second RS800 to the the line. They turn behind us and we beat out for deep water and more wind. We are suffering not enough wind and the sea is piching us up and down shaking the wind off the sails.
We seem to be gaining on the boats infront and stay ahead of the RS800 but it is long and slow. At the moment there are only three boats ahead of us on the water a 5.9, a Tornado and the RS800 but the Tornado missed out the Halfway mark so we can forget him. In this wind we can not catch the boats infront as it is up wind all the way. What we must do is make every yard we can so we do not loose out on handicap to a Mirror dinghy or something.
Once clear of the piers wind shadow the we pick up a little but the further out we go the rougher the water. I decide to go about to keep in both the less rough water and better wind. We soon realise we are also missing out on the faster running tide further out and that the second RS800 is passed us and another one coming up. We tack out and go on out further than the second and third RS800's. The wind picks up just as we turn for the pier head - crew gets on the wire and on one hull we gain 60 or so boat lengths on the two RS800's. We easily pass the second RS800 but down wind down the pier to the Alexander Yatch club Start line using their kite they slowly overhaul us and beat us to the mark. After the TBYC mark we put our spinnaker away thinking we would not need it again. In close to the shore the wind is very light. We point higher than the RS800 infront of us and I keep very tight so I pass him to windward. He does not like us going faster and higher than him and to our ammusement luffs himself up and stops. We sail by and talk loudly about sailing your own race not trying to ruin someone elses.
We pass inside the Thames Estuary Mark and slowly start to haul in the first RS800. From the Alex to the finish line is one long beat - maybe five miles of laying on the deck to keep the wind drag down both the crew and I feeling every twitch and movement. We gain on the RS800 but he still gets to the line just in front of us.
We were third boat across the line as we turn behind the committee boat we thank the race officers and head for home - down wind all the way and no kite.
Results: we are 14th the RS 800 wins and the 5.9 Hurricane is 4th
not scaled in any way
We get to the line, same position as last year, ready for the start. We get away OK and follow a 5.9 Hurricane we are second boat to first mark , second boat to every other mark but get overtaken by a Dart 18 coming down pier but get by him again.
We end up 4th over all but the important thing is the helm wins the under 25 £25 prize.
He is already better than me.....