Tuesday nights: Race 4 [Posted by Steve on Tue 26th Apr 05]

Unfortunately we had to miss the race last Tuesday because of the damage caused in the port/starboard incident with fellow impala Celerity.

However, with repairs made we were keen to get back at it, and s we were told by our foredeck that he wanted to win we thought we better pull our finger out and do some thing about it...

We got down to the boat with the sky getting darker it looked like it was going to be a mean race. We motored out to the start line and as we set the mainsail the wind died away... though it certainly didn't stay away!

With the tide rushing out we were going to be pushed over the line if we got the start wrong, disastrous on the course which was set as a close reach down the Harbour and out into Studland Bay.

However, we started well, just ahead of fellow Impala Happy, and headed to 60 buoy which we reached in 3rd place on the water. Being well up the fleet after this short dash was important, as we could hold up the boats behind us as we sailed the long reach down the harbour. A close hauled stretch took us to the entrance, and then out down the Training Bank. With the tide now rushing in against us it seemed we were making slow progress, though by hugging the Training Bank we were keeping up with the bigger boats, and doing very well on corrected time.

It was a short beat to the buoy in Studland Bay, then a run back to the end of the Training Bank. In the beat we lost out a bit to some of the bigger boats, though all we had to do was hold our position home to win, which we did by just under a minute. The other Impalas, Happy and Celerity, finished 6th and 9th respectively.

We were really pleased with our boat speed, doing well to hold on to the bigger boats and even keep in fount of some of them

Hopefully our form will continue in the Spring Regatta this weekend!

 

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