March 05, Bahia Point
Glassy calm would have would have been a blessing from the wind Gods. Then it’s a no-brainer not to rig. You don’t get wet. You kick back with a drink and gossip while the displacement hulls battle it out while drifting in the current. Nothing like a calm day to keep the rigs in the trucks.
Sunday March 6th was supposed to be glassy calm, but instead it turned into a teaser. Just enough wind to rig ‘cause it’s “building”. Just enough wind to rig ‘cause Dave D is out there pumping like a mad man and….wait…is he planing? Yea, on and off. Gotta take it in perspective though. Dave does that…you know, “Dombrowski wiggle”, and planes up in defiance of physics (scratch your head).
OK, the LA guys are down and we got a teaser. Let’s rig BIG! And we did. 9 Racers rigged and hit the water for what turned into a schog-fest. 2 long triangle-course races with just a tad of planing from all, and most of that from the lightweights (it’s just not fair!).
The SCRA Committee boat started us 3 minutes behind the 505s. No one was planing at the line and we all dug our rails and water-lined the beat. Normally there’s more wind off to port (North) and most of the fleet quickly tacked away looking for the advantage. It turned out to be a false hope as those who went port were headed and lost ground to the three racers, Peter, Gabor, and Robert, who stayed right on starboard. A small gust up by the windward mark first caught Gabor, then Peter, then Robert and all three planed away from the pack. Gabor was able to hold his plane for a good part of the two leeward reaching legs and horizoned the field taking first with Peter a few minutes back in second. Half the Fleet caught a gust on the second reach and lead by Rolf, quickly blew past the schlogging Robert. Rolf held on to finish an impressive third, with Dave D fourth.
In the second race, Peter and Joe successfully port tacked the fleet with a great start. Joe and then Peter managed to round the windward mark just before it became messy with racing Lasers. Dave O was able to stay in clear air rounding third, just ahead of Robert and the pack. Peter kept crawling away to pass Joe and then finally plane away to victory. Joe was well in second until a lucky gust brought the pack to his heels at the leeward mark. Robert rode a lift to take second with Dave D edging out Tuan for third.
Two races in the light winds were two too many, so we called it a day headed home.
Many thanks to the LA bunch for sharing our drift. It was probably blowing twenty at Seal…
With one Regatta remaining in the Bahia Series it’s a crapshoot. Devon, who was off taming the real competition at the Calema Midwinter’s (2nd place), still holds the Series lead, but only by one point over Peter and Robert, with Dave D just two points back. I can see Devon trembling with fear even now.
See you at Bahia in April!
RvK
