Wednesday evening race

Mark Rosenthal

Light NNW winds as I arrived onboard. The flood tide had just started and sufficiently quiet for me to raise the main and prepare for the arrival of the rest of the crew. Race officer Dawn, selected course 2, Start, Penrhos, Meath, Clippers and finish. Close to the start line and adjacent to the breakwater there was very little wind, so we stayed well to the south of the IDM (inner distance mark), tacking and gybing a number of times to maintain a good starting position. From the start we kept south to get away from the shadow of the breakwater and then made good progress to the end of the Aluminium Jetty, turning down onto a run and staying to the west of the rhumb line to Penrhos. From Penrhos we turned upwind to Port and sailed over to the eastern side of the bay before making a number of shorter tracks to head towards Meath; however the winds became very light and fickle and with the anticipated departure of the James Joyce we made the choice to retire; seeing as the rest of the fleet were so far behind that none of them would complete the course in these conditions. We motored back to the mooring and went ashore for social times in the clubhouse.