N Z BOAT SALES 3 ISLAND SERIES Race 1 Fisherman Island

Down on crew, 3 out of 10, and this the first longer race of the season?
I was close to pulling the pin but with a good forecast light for the start, building to a 18 knot northerly, too good to miss.
A call to Milo, tutor at the Sea school, some of his students on the Super yacht course were keen.
Charlie & Jenna started preparing C V while I did briefing, this took longer than it should as most skippers needing sailing instructions despite them being on line for 2 weeks to down load?
No super yacht students turned up? 1st lessen for them should be turn too when an opportunity arises.

So Kev, Jenna and Charlie headed out to join the the other 9 boats for the 1000 start , we had the main up heading  out, and started to get the overlapping No 1 on deck, but we already had a 6 knot northerly,
Short of crew I decided to go with the No 2 and save a headsail change later.
A good start at the boat end to weather of all, a little slower than Future Feedback but higher, footing it with Blackout both of them to leeward, then the breeze started dropping? NOT Good. the wind line to the north looked encouraging so we tacked out on port and up the bank, Future Feedback coming with us but now to weather,
The board out wasn't wasted (I thought) as it was taking us to breeze and the spat farms are hard to clear on one board, so we pushed on, the normal patten emerged as it does with sailing, 10 boats, some cracked sheets heading for the western coast line below the farms, some in the middle, the straight A-B approach and see what happens and the Y 11's out to sea.

We both tacked back onto starboard at the edge of the breeze line, laying the farms and able to sail slightly free for the still light conditions, back up to 5-6 of breeze, which built to 11 knots.

We were now 300 - 400 metres behind Future Feedback, not too bad considering our small headsail, we were both well to weather of the fleet and sailing slightly faster, OK at this stage, we just needed the breeze to settle in and we were off. It didn't. the dark promising wind line stayed outside us, and at the Spat farms went fluky and died.
Over-lapper up now, Future Feedback was up about a mile ahead, we were parked against the farms with Blackout and Redline, Wild Thing was sailing through the farms despite the warning at briefing, once they were in the middle the were informed on the radio and had to sail back out and around the end, Zenith and Farr A Way were down on the coastline with kites up?
We rocked, rolled, lost steerage for what seemed like ages, the breeze line staying outside of us all.
Future Feedback had a healthy lead, but the smaller boats, with their code zero's up were carving us heavier boats up now.

Blackout managed to get to the Island 1st with Redline and Wild Thing on their heals, it was going to be a case of the rich get richer as once around the inside of the Island they would sail out to the breeze and off home to Nelson.
As we approached the back of the Island Blackout was coming out, the other 3 still behind the Island, we drifted around the back to see Future Feedback starting into the light northerly that would take them out into the breeze, meanwhile Zenith had sneaked their way up the coast and were only 100 metres behind us.
We finally got around and needed Spec-Savers to see the 4 boats ahead, just small dots.
Too tight for a kite as we got into the breeze so we hoisted the inner staysail for the reach to the Farms, we were now in the 16-18 knot northerly that had stayed 3-4 miles offshore all day, I guess Predictwind had it right, sort of ? I had it wrong that's for sure.

Once we were happy we could clear the farms we popped the gennaka (Well done Young Charlie, only been with us for 2 crewed up races, now foredeck on his own)
We were now in18 knots NNW sitting on 10-12's, Zenith had been slowly pulling us in while we were both reaching, her narrow 45 feet working for her,
Under gennaka we were now pulling away, then they hoisted their kite opposite the farms overtaking us but heading below the rum line, as they crossed our bow, I happen to mention they were only a broach or a cock up away when soon after their kite blow out. we were ahead again.

As we closed on Nelson we were having trouble laying the entrance and I was doing a balance act on the edge of losing her, 5 miles out we dropped the Gennaka, two sail reached to the line.
Because we had fallen low Zenith up to weather was bearing down on us, ever sow slowly they pulled us back in, overtaking us just short of the finish at the harbour entrance by 12 seconds.
Not a great race for us, but the 3 of us agreed it was a good day out, Well done Jenna and Charlie, a great effort on your own.

No handicaps done yet but I'm sure we were scratch boat, and a 10th, finish times reflect the rounding of the Island and out into the breeze.

Blackout = 17 04  55 (Finish time, not elapsed)
Redline = 1714 41
Wild Thing = 1721 00
Future Feedback = 1726 01
Zenith = 1755 03
Clear Vision = 1755 15
Farr A Way = 1826 10
Play Doh = 1829 00
The other 2 withdrew

It's all on again next Wednesday