Having missed out on the SYC Vashon race, #2 in the Tri Island Series, I cleared my docket for the final race in the series and signed up to crew with greater Seattle area favorite Shoot the Moon. Blake Island
Aboard the moon we drifted around the pre-start area under postponement till a light nor’ easterly descended on us. Not wasting any time the RC got sequences rolling and we started dialing up for the run south. Hoisted the #1 with issue as the head foil track was somehow misaligned in several places, preventing full hoist and making us look silly. Bad problem to have in less than 4min to the gun but a downwind start pretty much saved our race with a quick kite launch and some time to re-group.
After a gybe to starboard we turned attention (some of us trimming turned too much attention) to the problem with the foil. A reconnaissance trip aloft was necessary and Nicole literally was the short straw on the boat so she made the trip skyward as we headed for west point. Armed with an array of vice grips, pliers, hacksaw, and TIG welder in her bra she realigned the track and slid back down the forestay, letting go at just the right moment to swing Jane-of-the-jungle style aft towards the port lower shroud, which ultimately put Ed in an awkward position.
We crossed the shipping lanes where Julie’s shoes got wet and mixed it up with the Beneteau 45 Family Affair and J105 Last Tango en route to Wing Pt. The moon mostly squared up and stayed east of Blakely rocks while the leading boats seemed to split inside to Blakely harbor. Restoration Pt served up light and shifty conditions where leaders needed white sails while the boats in back made gains in the building northerly.
The fleet split probably 70-30% in clockwise vs. counter clockwise rounding’s and we had a good view of the Kiwi boat 39 Absolutely make use of her original heavy depth sounder at the SE end of Blake Island. Getting past the bottom of the island we were passed by Family Affair who’d gone CCW, against conventional wisdom, appearing to have made it pay. It was time to play “moment of truth” as we rigged and got a clean hoist on the headsail. Nicole had successfully willed the track back into alignment and we switched into upwind mode.
Getting around the island required a big focus on trim and clean air and as a result we’d managed to sort of lose track of our competitors. Passing Restoration pt and crossing the VTS lanes the wind had gone NNW and was up between 10-12kn. We relished the upwind conditions and lack of freighters. Skipper Don, the point whisperer, magically sailed 3-5 degrees higher than the fleet around us as we made huge gains on the way to the temp turning mark.
During the kite run south we were ensconced in a small rain squall with the best breeze of the day, knocking on the door of 20kn. The problem was turning the corner at Elliott Bay
