AHMEN IV

We were late getting started. The crew was late. I hate being in ‘rush rush’ mode; much better to be early and check out conditions than arriving just as you go into sequence. The motor wouldn’t start. While the crew got the boat ready for a sail away, I continued to try the motor. It started. OK, finally now I can relax.

We made it in time to do a bit of sailing around the start area before the first sequence. The wind was from the south and the first mark had a bearing of 225. We were basically on the port tack layline. We had a good start. Fantome, who wasn’t starting, managed to get itself on the start line. Kokomo and Veloce were ahead. On the way to the first mark we were able to pass Kokomo to windward and hold off an R boat. The R boat went to leeward; we stayed in clear air.

We approached the mark on port. A starboard tack Tanzer was a few boat lengths away. The crew advised that I duck and prepared for bearing way. I decided to tack. The crew was a bit surprised but it worked well. We lee bowed the Tanzer. We had clear air.

It was about three miles to Gibraltor. It couldn’t be reached on starboard. The question was should we go towards the island or keep south. We kept south. Most of our division went north; most of the fourth division kept south. It seemed that as we went north the wind became less steady. Our last tack was on a knock and once we tacked we were in a nice lift.

No problem with the chute. The wind was easterly. In the lee of the island it seemed to weaken. As we appoarched the island the wind became stronger. We rounded Dufferin and kept the chute up.

Our start near the committee boat meant that we could tack and lay the line without worrying about traffic. The lee bowing of the Tanzer at the first was a good call. If we had ducked we would have been in bad air and a few boat lengths further back. We finished well ahead of the Windburn and Windlight. We had lost contact with Veloce, who had obviously finished first. So we were second. A good race.