5Th Race of the Fall Series

September 14 2016 Shields Race Report

5th Race of the Fall Series

Forecast for the day was a southwest wind then turning west with a cold front and diminishing. Wind was southwest at 230. Swings were left and right 5 to 10 degrees at 9 to 10 knots. As the day approached 6pm the wind diminished and followed the forecast, turning west and then eventually back to southwest. The front brought some rain as well and towards the end of the race we had some thunder and lightning.

Ida set up between SRM 8 and 6, west of the Goat. Wind was at 230 at the starting line with 15 boats. Tide was coming in with high tide at 6:39 pm. There was one over early that cleared and fought back to finish 4th after being in the middle of the pack at the first windward rounding. The course was set for yellow Tet to Windward at 1.2 NM to port to 6 to port twice around

After the first windward rounding and while the fleet was half way back to the leeward mark the wind started to shift to the west and the sky was dark to the Northwest. Radar showed that the rain was diminishing as the front approached, but not enough that we did not get some rain. There appeared to be a split to the north and south of us, with heavy rain. Limerock was at the windward mark and Ida stood guard at Nav mark 6. Ida raised the Charlie and put Zulu on the board for the next windward leg. When the fleet was more than 5 minutes out the wind shifted further west again creating another Charlie at Zulu to SRM #1. Most of the fleet rounded Zulu under a good breeze, but the breeze started to diminish catching 181 with a struggle to round. The fleet members in the lead appeared to have strong wind for a while. Rain was falling and the front was over head. Wind continued to diminish to a point where abandoning the race was considered. The boats continued to move; although and as the front passed, the wind was taking on some interesting directions in different places. Three boats were hard right (south) and the rest of the fleet was down the middle but heading to the northeast. The wind started to fill in from the west southwest and then later southwest. 158 called the RC to head back to CHI and withdrew. Ida finished the rest of the fleet at SRM1 and there was plenty of wind for all to sail back to their moorings completing the race in approximately 75 minutes.

Ida had Robin Wallace as PRO, Dr. Dan Eardly, Wendy Duroguan, Alyce Wright, and Betsy Reed with Shields Fleet 9 Volunteer Scott from 254. Captain Hosea was being repaired with a fuel delivery issue. Limerock had Bill O’Hanley as driver, Ross Cann and Tim Dawson and crew from 254.