All downhill from here
At least the downhills are where we need to put in our practice after this week’s 18 footer race…
We started well on the Rag, on time and on the line thanks to the start-line proximity gadgetry in the Velocitek SC1. Unfortunately Woody wanted to waste a bit of time heading left when the tide said go right, and Cocko and the Fiat guys got the 30 seconds they needed to take the lead… which they never relinquished.
We plugged away, getting smacked around with F&P tacking on top of us a couple of times at the top mark, but rounded comfortably 3rd. A double-gybe courtesy of the the sponsor boat put us in 4th by the wing mark.
The next upwind was more of the same, plugging away, snakes and ladders, etc etc.
But downwind again was a disaster, with the breeze bringing down the following pack, and swallowing us, along with the couple of boats ahead.
We picked off F&P and Asko on the next work, only to have Asko take the inside running downwind and, with a double-gybe on the line courtesy of spectator boats, we lost them by a metre or so. 5th to go along with last week’s 7th. Not appalling, but not spectacular.
Bugger.
So plenty of work to do yet… especially seeing as the 18 fleet seems to get tighter and tighter as the years roll on.
