It's been a while since I've made any blog posts, I guess both there hasn't been much to talk about and I'm really busy these days with two small children. But yesterday's race, the ultimate of the WSC winter series was really something quite special.
The forecast was pretty bad and it kept everyone away. In fact only three boats ventured into the bay with Paul Barford's "Sole Bay" going back in as there was no-one to race in their class. That left FarrOut and the J97 "Saskia VII", so a head to head competition with a boat that had already won the winter series with almost straight bullets - no pressure.
The RO set a windward leeward with a spreader mark at the top so that they could finish us near the harbour. Nobody was going to set a kite in that breeze so the goose-wing was a good idea.
FarrOut won the start with Saskia having trouble with their jib sheets, it was going to all be about boat handling. They got to the windward mark in front of us, being bigger and faster, but we were on their tail on the downwind. We shook out our reef for the downwind and then didn't put it back in for the beat. Funnily enough we were less overpowered with a flattened (brand new) full main that with the reef that had some belly due to the reef point positioning.
Stuart drove excellently with Steve kicking arse on the mainsheet meaning that we were working over the top of the J97 upwind in 30 odd knots - unbelievable.
With a mistake causing a jib wrap to Saskia in their "chicken gybe" manoeuvre. We overtook, having gybed in a big gust while we had speed. We held out, to beat them over the water.
I can't think of a better way of ending the season. Well done to all crew, we can win in an old, cheap small boat by not making mistakes and by the other boats losing rather than us winning. I think that brand new mainsail might have helped - well done Hyde Sails!
