Ground Hog Day Race 2010

The Groundhog Day race on January 24 followed a Club brunch of pancakes and syrup, bacon, fruit and berry salad, eggs cooked to order, and other health foods for both the racers and members filling out the cheering section. The meal was planned and served by an efficient and smiling group led by Ruth and Rheona, and was enjoyed by all. There was ample time to linger over an extra cup of coffee before the noon start of the race, perhaps to help the pancakes settle a bit before dealing with heaving decks. Big Wave Dave had promised 20 knots so we anticipated a steady breeze; turned out to be a bit less less but still fun.

The reverse handicap race saw eleven boats set out on the course to Batt Rock, Welbury spar and home: starting in handicap order were Empezar, Lily, Baron Rouge, Deryn Mor, Impossible, Kay D, Effervescence, Irie, Boomer, Paramour, and Electra. Winds from the southeast ranged from less than five knots at the start to nearly fifteen with occasional gusts at the marks and eased to light again at the finish, with passing rain showers providing bonus washing of deck, sails, and crew. Abundant logs and flotsam brought in by the spring tides created a string of bobbing hazards in the outer harbour and beyond the Sisters; some logs were larger than most boats, providing close-quarter navigational interest in the gusts.

It was Baron Rouge's day to win, and they won big by doing everything right, from flying big canvas to choosing the best tacks to ride the big ebb tide to most advantage and having sharp crew: congratulations Roland and Ruth and crew on a great performance. Close behind was feisty Kay D, single-handed by Martin, whose diminutive chute came up early on the run home and handily carried it around the Sisters ahead of the rest of us. Boats had various sail change, escaped halyard, and reefing issues but held their own in the sizable middle group and it was a close race for most. More than half of the fleet finished within minutes of each other in a flurry of downwind jockeying that sent adrenaline coursing through the skippers' blood streams as boats switched relative positions with only moments to end; note that some adrenaline had been used up at the first mark in a close call involving right of way between two boats in the group (you know who you are). So many boats arriving at almost the same time allowed for close inspection of each other's sail set and of some skippers' creative solutions to race-caused gear challenges. It also made it somewhat challenging to confirm the line crossing order initially and a bit of post-race detective work was needed to set the record straight for the middle of the pack. The final order was: Baron Rouge, Kay D, Impossible, Electra, Paramour, Boomer, Deryn Mor, Empezar, Irie, and Effervescence; single-handed Lily abandoned the race and did not finish. Spirits were high after this rewarding winter race.

Philippe on Impossible.