This was a 1 1/2 nautical mile windward-leward course with our finish to leward. The day was starting out light, and the weather forcasters were predicting a 10 to 15 mph breeze on the bay. We were counting on a strong southeasterly breeze to fill because of the hot day and the cool water. The thermal pump was working.
The thermal pump was working, but is was fighting the southwesterly. The breeze had already shifted about 20 degrees before our start. We knew that the new breeze was going to come from the west and that is where we wanted to go initially. The tide was also starting to run out, and most of the race would be conducted in a strong ebb.
When we started, we were buried under 484 and 411. We were high, but we were being gassed. This made for a simple decision, even in light air in an Alberg 30: throw in two tacks and get clear air. Albergs tack like they are made of lead, but we had flat seas, so regaining speed wouldn't be too hard. We through in two tacks, cleared our air, and watched most of our fleet except for 550 and 113 cross our bow. These two were in front of us, but they didn't tack. Okay, we are now in last place. We were now also on the favored tack with clear air going into a freshening breeze. We were happy. We continued on this tack until we had reached the other side of the course, about 1/2 mile from the port layline. We tacked.
Soon thereafter, 113 tacked, and 550 went almost to the layline trying to milk everything they could. It worked for them this time. When we crossed the rest of the fleet, we found that instead of being one or two boatlengths behind everyone, we were at least five to ten boatlengths in front of everyone who went south instead of east. We started smiling.
We kept this tack until we approached the starboard layline. We had been lifted slightly, and were only about 1/4 of a mile from the mark. We tacked over and were third to round.
We had a quick spinnaker set. We immediately gybed to get out of the current. 211 was the only boat to stay east. The first downwind leg, this didn't hurt her too much. We went east, but soon found we were running out of the wind. We decided to gybe and work our polars back west a little. The leward mark was inthe middle of the current anyway, and we were out of the worst of it. 550 continued west, and ended up getting a fill of air to be able to keep her lead at the mark.
When we got to the leward mark, I misjudged the current, and we needed to fall off to make it. Of course a lull hit at the same time. We sat 10 feet from the leward mark going nowhere while boats stacked up behind us. The cursing hit record levels...
We finally got a puff and made it around. We set off on our next windward leg. We were blocked until a couple of boats decided to tack away. We joined them.
This leg still favored the eastern side of the Bay. The current was slowing, but the wind was stronger. By this time, Skybird had a strong lead on us (remind me to stop misjudging currents) and she looked uncatchable. We made our way up to the left side of the course, but stopped shorter this time... we were being consistantly headed on starboard tack. Now what is that rule about persistant shifts, sail away until you have to sail into it? It was time for us to sail into it. We did not want to overstand. We tacked, but Skybird kept going. Everyone else had stayed right and missed the stronger breeze and the shift. It was a two boat race.
We were approaching the starboard layline when we realized that skybird had overstood the mark. In fact, she had overstood the windward finish line mark as well. For a minute, there was confusion on Marlin as to what the course was. We watched as skybird cracked off enormously toward the windward mark.
Now we had a good chance to catch her. We rounded the windward mark only a minute behind her. We started working the polars and slowly ran her down. At about one third of the way left to leward mark, one of our polars brought us on a collision course with a PHRF C/D boat. We were on starboard and to leward so we were pretty safe. This is where we made a major mistake. We allowed ourselves to get tangled up with and distracted by this boat when we should have been concentrating on Skybird.
By the time we freed ourselves, skybird had moved well away from us, and eventually finished 3 to 4 minutes in front. We were 15 or 20 minutes in front of third, and everyone else crossed in about 5 minutes intervals.