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By Gordon Mattatall Skipper of H2O Boa
It was the best of days it was the worse of days. We were on the 1st start of the Newport Columbus Regatta in a 16-boat fleet (there would have been more but not all skippers could crew out). Our start was the last start and we were watching the classes in front (this is the best of days). The rain in coming down and our sails are wet all the tails are stuck to our sail (this is the worse of days).
As we watch the class in front we saw that the boats that tack
early look like they were making out but when they headed for the
weather mark the current was setting they back and the boat that sailed
to the lay line were coming in hot and with a clear rounding. Our start was so-so. A couple of boats have started to leeward
and we were being gassed. Looking to do a clearing tack but the boats to
weather was holding us off. Started to pinch up to throw back air on the
weather boat. Watch he slowly slip behind. The boats to leeward starting
tacking on to port (just what we wanted) we put the bow down and pick up
speed. The boat to weather tack. We sailed pass the sighted lay line
(the current was going to set us below the mark) and tack on the port.
As we came screaming into the mark several boat on starboard but about 5
to 8 boats from the mark were telling us we had no room. Tack inside of
the starboard tack fleet and rounded before any closed within 2 boats (I
was in less current then they were). We were now in 5th place. “What about Bob” was sailing high into the shallows and
the some of the other boat were out in the deep water and in more
current. We sailed on the hip of “Bob” for the rest of this leg. As
we rounded the leeward mark we made for the center of the channel in
more current some of the leaders made for the shallows we were closing
on them. At the weather mark we set our chute and pulled away from the
rest of the fleet headed for the shallows and increased our lead. |
