BURNSCO SPRING SERIES Race 4

Wednesday 22nd October
A nice sunny day and a 13 knot sea breeze I was looking foreword to the sail, this time I made sure I run the dock brush over the bottom with the help of Aaron.
Patrick was to be steering Future Feedback tonight so we needed to redeem ourselves / myself after last weeks spanking.
I decided to go for N0 2 light jib rather than the Genoa as the Fairway beacon was still showing 12-14 knots.
This was despite Future Feedback hoisting their genoa. a last minute discussion almost had us changing but with incoming tide the sea should be flatter and we should be higher on No2.
Only 6 in Division 1, so plenty of room on the start line, (33 on the water in 3 divisions)

A good start mid line Future Feedback ahead, to weather, Blackout, ahead to leeward, then both recalled, over the start, now we were front runners with Redline (Ross 930) and Wild Thing (Young 8.4) hard on our heals, Zenith behind them.

Out through the harbour entrance we held the lead but not pulling away as we hoped, we were again in that in-between mode on which headsail, we tacked onto port to stay out of the incoming tide just clearing Redline and Zenith hoping to have us on starboard no doubt.

The board on port and across the slop was boring and under powered, I decided to bite the bullet, admit I had headsail choice wrong and needed to go for a headsail change,
Being hanked we would drop some places but no good slowly being overtaken? better to drop back in one big chunk? Bugger!!!
Sail change done we headed out on port to measure our loss, with only 6 in division and Future Feedback's recall we were fighting it out for last place, Blackout despite their recall were now in front and flying? I discovered later Auckland sailmaker on board.

Our cross with Future Feedback confirmed we were now last, but if we wanted a head to head Y 11 match race this was it.
We both managed to get back in touch with Zenith and Redline the latter wanting to dump on us whenever he could, We approached the top mark on port, FF on starboard, we had had some close crosses on the way up, this time we might just sneak across their bow? We did just. tacking on top of them.
Both Y 11's rounded the mark side by side crews frantic in their kite hoists, as we rounded I had cut inside for an overlap, both crews did well with kites filling almost together except FF was short - hoist?
I found out latter their halyard was through the forestay, they weren't slow because if it as we run down side by side to the Boulder 2 mark.
We were leeward boat, and on starboard so could dictate the gybe and hopefully lead in to the mark for the next beat.
redline was running into the mark on port so it was worthwhile delaying the gybe until he had to gybed away.

 A good drop and hard on the wind back to the top now up the 3rd behind Blackout and Wild Thing who had had a clean run while the 4 of us were sorting out 3rd to last. we held on maybe opening out a little to the top then the run home.

Wild Thing wasn't too far ahead now maybe 3 - 400 meters, under gennaka, we worked hard on our kite trimming, run out to the lay line to the entrance gybed onto port ahead and to weather of Wild Thing for what was looking like a close encounter at the entrance? It was, Wild Thing came barrelling in from lowed down straight into our wind shadow, I said I was sorry to be in the way, but they didn't seem to think I was genuine?

Kite drop at the entrance at the entrance, reach around the piles, hard on the wind to the finish, the whole time keeping C V's big bum on the nose of Wild Thing.

2nd on line 6th,( last on handicap)
Future Feedbacks Over at start and our sail change bought us back together for a good boat on boat battle. Great racing.