Wednesday Practice, 1600

Due to many last minutes maintenance activities, not the least of which was the installation of two new mast instruments and a new masthead wand, our practice was limited to about 90 minutes late Wednesday afternoon.  Moreover, three Scorpio crew members were unable to participate.  Having said that, we sailed a simulated course, starting at Mark 6, rounding Mark 16 and Mark 18 to port, then finishing at Mark 6.  The overall intent was to give our bowman, Malcolm Brown, a chance to refamiliarize himself with Scorpio since he hasn’t sailed on the boat since last year’s Big Boat Series.  We were clearly shorthanded, but nevertheless achieved the above objective.  Now it’s off to the Crew Reception.

Thursday, Race 1

Cold and foggy as it’s been all week.  City Front Start at 1128; TWS 8 knots; Course 5 (1p, 1o, 2gate, 1p, 1o, downwind finish), 2 hours after 3.6 max flood.  Good start at committee boat end sailing with L3 in light airs.  Played shifts up the Alcatraz cone, then crossed to the City Front.  Trailed Astra, Surprise and White Dove at first windward mark.  Pulled off an excellent gybe-set with .6 spinnaker at offset mark.  Sailed well downwind passing White Dove.  Rounded south gate and headed to shore and rounded top mark in third.  Had poor gybe-set and ran down the middle of the bay.  Finished third, correcting second to White Dove by 22 seconds.  Ripped the luff tape on L3. 

Thursday, Race 2

TI start at 1436 in 15-20 knots, max ebb.  Course 32 (9p, 5gate, 1p, 1o, RD finish).  Used C3 and .75 runner.  Won the start at pin end.  We were in our conditions.  Lead at windward mark.  Passed by Surprise and Astra on the run.  Took south gate, and sailed up the center north of Alcatraz.  Astra went left to City Front; Surprise went right to Point Blunt.  Rounded top mark behind Surprise and Astra and finished in that order.  Corrected first over Just In Time.  At the end of the day, Scorpio (3 points) leads Surprise and Just in Time (each with 6 points).  Sent the L3 to the sail loft for repair.  Now it’s off to the Rolex Party.

Friday, Race 3

North Sails did a great job replacing the luff tape overnight on our L3.  It’s ready to go.  City Front Start at 1123, TWS 10, TWD 240 (range 230-252).  Course 1 (1p, 1o, downwind finish).  Started at he Committee Boat with the C3 and worked the cone to Alcatraz.  The left side of the course had better pressure and direction.  C3 was the wrong sail for us.  Surprise sailed into a hole behind Alcatraz   Jeannette was ahead when we headed to CF, but sagged dramatically.  Had another poor gybe-set with .6 kite.  Sailed downwind north of Alcatraz.  Astra went South.  Finished well behind Surprise and Astra, but corrected second ahead of Astra.

Friday, Race 4

TI start at 1325.  TWS 18, TWD 214 (range 214-233).  Course 35 (9p, 8s, 4s, 1p, 1o, RD finish).  Started OCS at pin end, but rerounded quickly and started well on port tack.  Our conditions again.  Surprise and Astra went left.  We were leebow’d with North Bay ebb and got ahead quickly.  Led at mark 9; set ¾ reacher.  Led at mark 8; gybed toward north end of TI.  Mark 4 was not in place, but committee boat (Cressy) was there with M Flag flying.  Rounded in 3^rd and went left for leebow south bay ebb.  Led fleet to City Front.  Gained on both boats.  Beat up center of south channel in very lumpy conditions and building breeze.  Rounded mark 1 just behind Astra and Surprise.  Set Poly kite and finished 3^rd, correcting 1^st by over three minutes.  This was a very good race for us.  The OCS start didn’t hurt us at all, we had our conditions, and our tactics were perfect.  After four races, now have a four point lead over Surprise.  It’s off to the Mount Gay Party and a late dinner at Isa in the Marina.

Saturday, Race 5

TI start at 1115.  No instruments other than GPS SOG and COG.  Course 25 (T1p, T1o, T2gate, T1p, T1o, T2gate, upwind finish) (10.4 nm).  Won the start at pin and went left in significant flood.  Surprise also went left.  TWS light (11-14) w/C3 (all beats).  Used .75 runner both runs.  Trailed Surprise at each mark.  Rounded with Astra at 1^st mark then trailed them.  Instruments came to life on final beat.  Finished behind Surprise and Astra, and ahead of Just In Time and Inspired Environments.  Took south gate on first run.  Took north gate on second run with, and although it was closer, that was a mistake.  Overall boat felt slightly mushy.  Probably would have done better with L3 and .6 spinnaker.  Broke starboard runner on second beat when a shackle failed.  Corrected 2^nd, 3 seconds behind Surprise and well ahead of Just In Time.

Saturday, Race 6

CF start at 1345.  Course 9 (1p, 1o, 2gate, 1p, 1o, RD finish).  TWS 15-27 and huge ebb.  Poor second row start at pin below Infrared and behind Just In Time.  Patiently stayed on starboard almost to City Front, trading tacks with Surprise and Astra.  Beat with C3 to mark 1 and rounded well behind Surprise and Astra.  Windy run with ¾ runner.  Very big waves and very wet.  Slight control problems and boat rolled and bow plowed in.  Gybed to port off Fisherman’s Wharf in tons of ebb.  Gybed back to starboard short of gate.  Rounded south gate with 3+ jib.  Beat up south channel in huge ebb avoiding ship traffic.  Gained on leader and traded tacks with Astra gybing just behind them.  Set poly kite and roared to the finish in 25-30 knots and huge waves.  Forward hatch slammed open by wave and Joy had a firehose shower in the bow.  Instruments worked intermittently.  Lots of carnage in other divisions.  Corrected 1^st, nearly two minutes ahead of Just in Time.  Now 5 points ahead of Surprise in the series.  Need to sail a conservative race tomorrow with no penalties.  After a few drinks, it’s time to get dressed up for the formal crew dinner in the Pacific Room at 1930.

Sunday, Race 7

Beautiful sunny morning.  Approximately one hour postponement waiting for wind.  City Front Course 15 (16s, 17s, 18p, 6s, 8s, 4s, 1p, 1o, RD finish) – 21 nm Bay Tour.  1200 start.  Started in light, 7-10 knots) with L3.  Second row (late) start on port at committee boat.  Others started on starboard.  Traded tacks with White Dove, Inspired Environments, and Phantom Mist while working the cone of Alcatraz.  Wind build to 12-16 at Alcatraz.  Short tacked the south side of the island before heading to the beach.  Got early ebb and gained back some of our early deficit.  Worked the beach at approximately 100 yards, caught some good shifts and rounded mark 16 to starboard well behind Surprise and Astra.  Set ¾ reacher and ranged to mark 17.  Surprise rounded first, doused and jib reached south of Alcatraz.  Astra led us north of Alcatraz on headstay spinnaker reach.  Surprise hoisted late and ran to mark 18.   Astra and Scorpio doused and we jib reached on C3 to mark 18 (gaining on Surprise).  Rounding required port buttonhook.  Astra rounded to starboard and Surprise flagged them.  Astra returned and left 18 to port but failed to reround after unwinding.  We flagged them as we approached the mark.  We rounded to port and headed to the beach.  Surprise tacked to the cone and played it, which was a huge mistake.  We sailed to mark 6 in big ebb and rounded just behind Surprise and ahead of Astra.  Set ¾ reacher again and followed Surprise to mark 8 ducking a westbound tanker and tug towing a barge.  Gybed at mark 8 behind and headed for mark 4.  Teed up 3+, doused chute and beat up the east side of TI.  Surprised hugged the west side of TI and stayed on starboard to City Front.  We tacked west a short distance to cover Astra, before tacking to City Front.  Wind ranged from 14-22 on beat the mark 1.  Rode the ebb, gained on Surprise and maintained a big lead on Astra.  Rounded mark 1 and 1o, set ¾ running and ran to finish.

Our goal was simply to not be stupid and to sail conservatively.  As it was, we sailed our best race of the regatta.  Instruments were erratic, so we relied heavily on GPS SOG and COG.  Finished 2^nd and corrected to first by more than six minutes over second place Surprise.  We had won our third consecutive Big Boat Series.

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