Jack Langdon Trophy Race October 19, 2008

The wind howled - a steady 20 to 25 knots with waves pounding against the breakwater, casting spray and foam over the huddled racers. Halyards snapped restlessly against masts - thoroughbreds straining to escape their shackles and fly with the wind.... but in Ganges Harbour where 8 boats had assembled for the Jack Langdon Trophy race, a light 6 knot wind barely rippled the water and the first boats, Tara's Whisper and Minke, gracefully crossed the start line at around 10.36 am for a downwind run to Batt Rock. Given the handicap spread of the 8 boats; the reverse handicap starts proceeded in an orderly manner over the next 45 minutes with Caliente the last boat to cross the start line at 11.15am with Minke's spinnaker barely in sight past the Sisters.

A steady but slowly diminishing wind carried the boats downwind to Batt Rock where Minke rounded first and headed off to the Prevost side of Captain Passage on the leg to Ben Mohr rock. As Minke's lead increased, the rest of the fleet was left stranded as the wind dropped to almost zero and the tide started to push boats backwards. Sensing a long race Imp was the first boat to pull out with Greg having family obligations to attend to. Caliente drifted down to Batt rock last, carried by the tide and immediately set anchor to prevent further drifting, a tactic that allowed her to pass Tara's Whisper, Irie and Final Dash without moving. As the wind began to come around and fill in through Captain Passage, Boomer and Fandango took off after Minke but chose the Saltspring side of the passage as Minke had become becalmed and was caught in an ebb tide driving them back along the Prevost shore. Caliente was next to get wind, closely followed by Irie and Final Dash with Tara's Whisper left drifting.

Once in Captain Passage, Fandango, Boomer and Caliente tacked back and forth on the Saltspring side with Caliente pulling slightly ahead after a series of quick tacks right on the shore. Calente and Fandango emerged together into Trincolmali, leaving  Boomer trapped in a back eddy. Caliente choose to raise the Spinnaker again as the wind began to lessen and after a difficult rounding at Ben Mohr, began to pull away from Fandango. Minke was the only other boat to claw her way through Captain Passage as all the other boats turned back, but also appeared to run into trouble rounding Ben Mohr with the current driving her down the Galliano shore away from the mark.

With an ebb tide still running and no wind, Caliente drifted through the Passage at 1.5 knots on her way back to Batt Rock. Fandango, stuck in a back eddy at Peile Point with no wind was the next to start the engine leaving Caliente and Minke fighting the time limit. The wind again filled in and switched around to the S.E.; causing Caliente to almost miss the rounding of Batt Rock as she tried to hold the spinnaker around the mark. After a panicked dropping of spinnaker, two quick tacks and a re-raising of the spinnaker Caliente set off for the run back to the club. Minke could be seen under spinnaker coming out of Captain Passage heading straight for club - another boat out of the race leaving Caliente alone facing the clock and a diminishing supply of beer. At 4.35 with the wind picking back up to 6 knots and only 3 beers to spare, Caliente crossed the finish line to take both first and last place - 25 minutes before cut off time.

As the only boat to finish Caliente gets 100 points. All other starters, but not finishers, get 13 points each.

Next race is November 16th - Long Harbour race.

Pete McGovern - Fleet Captain Racing