The forecast was right. . It didn’t feel like our favourite conditions, Two long reaching legs to suit the newer (gennaker / reaching oriented) boats. Then a beat home, could we catch up ?
First process goal: Positive attitude.
Second process goal : Use best sails at all times, changing where necessary, trim hard.
The first leg we held our gennaker, holding on while some were less comfortable. We gybed the gennaker at navy buoy then went quickly to our big spinnaker as the wind went aft. It was the right thing to do at the time, we were happy with a confident call and the quick change. Tick both process goals.
The reward for our efforts, however, was not obvious as we approached Gannet Rock at the end of the reaching legs. Fully a mile behind our target competitors, with an 18 NM beat to the finish.
Time to review the attitude, double check the weather and tides on Expedition, sail hard and smart. We have spent some time tuning the rig lately, combined with confidence in our instrumentation, and I feel we have regained some form on the wind, which is nice.
We managed to work our way back through the fleet and had some great close racing finishing 1 second behind the Elliot 10.5 Gale Force.
The end result was 2nd on handicap, giving us a win in the 2013 SIMRAD.For the record the course we did in the weekend was the same as the very first 2 handed race Sally and I ever sailed together. Nick White (Expedition) generously lending his Young 88 Nijinsky, we won that year (Special mention to Glen Phipps who sailed the First race, not me). So it had pretty cool significance for us.
Since then we have won our division (in the SIMRAD) twice, been second twice, and sailed around a few other islands too..
Thanks again to Nick for his continued support, and everyone else who has helped us along the way, I hope you feel part of our story.
By Rob
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