Race 4 was completed today, and we sailed three more races in sunny, light, and shifty/gusting no1 rig weather.
0928 race 4C is done. I make a good start and round ca 4th, but the first reach doesn't go too well. I try to protect the inside, but that means the windward boats are stealing my wind...
0953 4B has a one general recall and one abandoned race.
1050 5E starts but has a general recall. Starts again at 1052 and finishes by 1100
1114 5D starts, general recall
1117 5D starts, general recall
1123 5D starts, general recall
1135 5D starts and finishes by 1143
1218 5C is done. I make a bad start and collide with a boat on the first beat. Very skewed start line.
1241 5A starts and finishes by 1247
A protest hearing follows, while everyone seems to be having lunch.
A skewed start line and first mark made for some interesting tactics for the first beat. Here it's possible to lay the top mark(blue/white) on starboard from the starboard end of the line(red/white in the background). Making a safe start further down the line meant you were coming in on port against a wall of starboard tackers...
1333 Heat assignments for race 6 posted, and 6E starts at 1343 and finishes 1350
1426 6C is done. I start in free wind, which means not at the 'hot-spot' near the starboard flag. But that carries me too far left on the first beat and there's no way back on port while facing a row of starboard tackers. Also I make contact with two marks which means two penalty turns - not a very fast way to sail...
1431 and 1434 6B attempts to start but is recalled twice
1436 6B starts and finishes by 1443
1452 6A starts and finishes at 1458
A crowded first-mark rounding by the A-heat. One- or two-tack first beats and a set of twenty closely matched skippers lead to this. To improve racing I think we need bigger courses that create more separation before the first mark. Compare this picture to the sequence of pictures of the same phenomenon from Mooloolaba (.mov QuickTime format)
1512 there is a protest hearing
1624 7E starts but is recalled. Starts again at 1629 and finishes by 1638
1700 7D is done. I make a bad start and sail a bad offwind leg. Maybe I need to rake the mast more forward for tomorrow, since I seem to be consistently loosing on the reaches and runs.
1704 and 1707 7C starts but is recalled twice
1713 7C starts under black flag and finishes by 1722
there is a protest hearing
1810 7B is done
1817 7A starts and finishes by 1826
Brad Gibson (AUS), sailing a Widget, leads after 7 completed races.
BG is sailing a Widget built by Dave Creed and completed by BG!!