Long one

28 August 2022

Remembering the hot engine after the last race, I tipped about two litres of coolant into the heat exchanger last week. I wonder where the fluid is going, it doesn't seem to be leaking into the bilge and the oil looks fine. I also took out and tested the thermostat using Bay Leaf's cooker and her best non-stick saucepan. The engine now runs fine and without overheating. 

On Sunday I had Jonathan Webb and Sue Berry with me for the final race of the club's Bank Holiday Series. We struggled to get off the berth due to the mud and the race officer had already mentioned that he'd be starting on time at 1130, luckily the tide began to lift us and we got off just in time, motoring to the start area just as he called the 10 minute countdown. 

Like last time, the wind was from the SE and the course was set into the wind and into the tide, but perhaps a bit more wind. We only just had time to set the sails properly before we had to make our reach towards the start line, a few seconds early so we stopped and flapped for a moment before sheeting in and getting to full speed. We then found ourselves making long tacks towards the Weather Station. Jonathan had a mapping app running and sent me this screenshot of our course over ground:


At the top left, we can see the little loop we made as we lined up for the start. Then long zigzags trying to make progress to the SE as the three Limbos disappeared into the distance. At our final tack the rain came, the wind dropped, and we can see at the top right there how Bay Leaf's course began to falter. We ate the pork pies with our coats on and considered retiring but then the wind picked up, Bay Leaf got moving, and suddenly it was clear that we could make it. We went round the Weather Station on a gybe 1hr 55m after the start but then it was only 25 mins to make the long run, with wind and tide behind us, to the South mark (on the left of the image). Turning North towards the finish at the harbour entrance we saw Ayella ahead of us having to tack to make it, being swept West by the tide, and the same happened to us - making just one tack a few minutes before the finish, as can be seen at the top left of the image. Behind us was little Van Nuys at 16' long making excellent progress. Finishing on 2h 44m about 10 minutes behind Ayella we thought perhaps we had her on corrected time. Back in our berth by 2.30pm we went for a well earned drink having secured 5th place a minute behind Van Nuys on corrected time.

Start: Start 1, Finishes: Elapsed time
RankBoatClassSailNoHelmNamePYElapsedCorrectedPoints
1Dedicated DancerLimbo 6.69943YD Robinson10371;41;271;37;501.0
2LegendLimbo 6.6127M Nicholls10371;49;161;45;222.0
3BodkinLimbo 6.6127A Dudley10371;55;001;50;543.0
4Van NuysExpress PirateK299P Caldecott13852;53;102;05;024.0
5Bay LeafCentaur1499A Tyrrell13052;44;272;06;015.0
6AyellaSea Wolf 26 bk91XS Gibbs12212;34;262;06;296.0
7Free n EasyCentaur2157N Clare1294RET 9.0
7PoppiCobra P Colyer RET 9.0
Overall Bay Leaf finished in second place behind Dedicated Dancer in the Bank Holiday Series, which is most pleasing.

Cruiser Bank Holiday Series 2022

Overall

Sailed: 2, Discards: 0, To count: 2, Rating system: PY, Entries: 9, Scoring system: Appendix A
RankBoatClassSailNoHelmNamePYR1R4TotalNett
1stDedicated DancerLimbo 6.69943YD Robinson10371.01.02.02.0
2ndBay LeafCentaur1499A Tyrrell13052.05.07.07.0
3rdVan NuysExpress PirateK299P Caldecott13855.0 DNF4.09.09.0
4thLegendLimbo 6.6127M Nicholls103710.0 DNC2.012.012.0
5thBodkinLimbo 6.6127A Dudley103710.0 DNC3.013.013.0
6thLittle AukOysterman J Norris13505.0 DNF10.0 DNC15.015.0
7thAyellaSea Wolf 26 bk91XS Gibbs122110.0 DNC6.016.016.0
8thFree n EasyCentaur2157N Clare129410.0 DNC9.0 RET19.019.0
8thPoppiCobra P Colyer 10.0 DNC9.0 RET19.019.0


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