Montague Harbour Race, September 8, 2007

The following commentary was kindly provided by Roger Kibble:

The start was interesting. We were at the pin end planning a starboard start with a quick tack to port right afterwards before we hoisted our chute. FINAL DASH was obviously planning the same strategy so we let them go ahead as there was still 15 seconds to go. There was enough room at the mark so we tacked and hit the line right on the zero ...but no horn was sounded. We sailed for a few seconds and decided that we had better go around again to avoid the wrath of Jim and Cec. IMP did likewise further down the line but the Wood's boat sailed on sticking to the GPS clock.

(In hindsight that was the correct move as the horn delay would have been grounds for a protest against the starting committee. All competitors should have been watching the flags that take precedence over the starting gun. We must assume that Jim and Cec flagged the race on time and that the horn did not function for some technical reason. This reminds us to look at the flags instead of relying on the horn.)

Luckily we just had to swing around the pin with our jib still flying and so did not lose too much ground. We charged after FINAL DASH matching them on the close reach out of the Ganges Harbour and then right over to Julia Island. Then we had a spirited tacking duel up the Montague Channel with David superbly timing a port tack crossing with just inches to spare. ELECTRA's beating angle won the day and we rounded Sphinx Island a few boat lengths ahead. Then the wind started to disappear and the fleet slowed down. The wind deserted us on the Saltspring side while FINAL DASH kept going on in the center channel. IMP, ALACRITY, SOARSA and SOUL DANCER gradually crept into the same hole that was moving around in typical Saltspring fashion. ELECTRA escaped into a narrow band of wind and run before it to Nose Point. We had some catch up to do and John Gault, my very skilled and calm last minute volunteer crew, was keen to try our reaching spinnaker. It was the right move and we accelerated towards FINAL DASH who was at last found by the moveable hole at the SISTERS. IMP was catching up too having lost ALACRITY at Welbury Bay when she mysteriously tried a short cut across land. We avoided David's private hole and ELECTRA and IMP drifted past him on the south side regrettably too far away to hear his polite curses at the wind Gods.  IMP had drifted by ELECTRA when the wind inexplicably moved back to a northerly. The chutes came down and we beat our way across the line a minute apart with IMP taking line honours. If only we had obeyed our GPS! The wind softened again as the fleet made its way home. A lovely day on the water and a pretty fast race despite the dying breeze.

Roger

Montague Harbour Race Results September 9, 2007