It was another light air night, but the winds were fairly consistent SW 5-8 kts. The course was a short W/L race from EYC to the new Mark B (one of the water intake buoys). The A and B Fleets sailed a longer course to Mark N. The race committee deserves credit for getting the night right. The A and C Fleets finished together, as did the B and D Fleets. That makes for a nice JAM night.
In any case, it was a downwind start. Most of us came up to the pin end on starboard then flipped to port to cross. There was a little shouting at the start but most boats were clear (I think it was Lady Jane and Dawn Treader that tussled a little). We had a decent start and a mainly clear wind lane.
Once we got settled in we went wing-n-wing, deploying the brand spankin’ new whisker pole. This, of course, is bothersome because Red Herring is really not designed to go dead down, but it’s really the only way that we can stay even marginally competitive. In any case, the pole did its job. We added about 0.2 kts to our downwind speed and we sailed fairly straight to the mark. We were 2nd or 3rd around the leeward mark.
On the windward leg we traded tacks with Vamanos and Keya. The three of us, plus Serendipity, took the shore route. I still think that the most wind was in the middle of the course, but we did get lifted on the starboard tack when we came closest to the shore. Dawn Treader stretched out on the fleet. Serendipity came next. Vamanos and Keya squeeked out ahead of us by a few seconds, and we held off Entson by a boat length. So we finished fifth over the line and sixth on time.
It was a beautiful night for sailing. The pole performed well. We sailed well. There was a typical beautiful Erie sunset and (heart-healthy) red wine and cheese at the dock.
Thanks to our fine light-air crew: Judy (Queen of the Pole), Kim and Andy.
Red Herring Sailing 