It was a still morning. Our Genoa was still at the sailmakers being sewn up. I had a shower, we had a breakfast of cereal and took the awnings down. I went up to see the sailmaker, the sail was still laid out on the floor of the loft, with no one working on it but no one at the loft either, this was at 0800. I found the boss at the quay and he said it was almost ready, would be finished within the hour. The first start was to be at 1000, we were the second start. Anyway, despite my nervousness, it was indeed back on the boat by 0900 and we hoisted it, furled it, let go from the dock and were out at the start area in plenty of time.
There was a light breeze, about 4 knots, the first leg was a reach. our start was not bad and we all slowly sailed to the first mark, from here it was a down wind leg, this was painfully slow, there was little swell but enough to roll, shake and rattle us around. It was very hot and copious amounts of water were consumed. We tried the genoa poled out, goosewinged to Starboard but the wind seemed to back so we gybed it and ended up with both sails out to port and the genoa back on the pole, more to stop it banging against the shrouds than for anything else. A few boats retired. Just before the second mark with our average speed having fallen below a knot, a gentle breeze filled in again and a couple of boats overtook us, at the mark we headed up, a couple of boats that had tacked, wished that they hadn’t as they were now on port with everyone arriving on starboard. The wind was still variable to non existent but it seemed we had a reach again back to the start. Slowly we crept back towards the committee boat.
The wind backed again and we we ended up close hauled. We hadn’t heard an announcement but it appeared that boats were not going around the course again. Towards the finish we weren’t quite making the line but had boats upwind of us and astern, we left tacking quite late and once we had, these boats we had now to give way to, we did a big duck under a smart Yankee Ketch with about 25 crew aboard but, pleasingly, she wasn’t quite making the line either, she had to subsequently tack with a couple of other boats and we, now on starboard gleefully carried on and they had to tack back having not built up speed on the previous tack and we were the first to finish amongst the boats that had been together approaching the finish.
Aurora, a Swan 55 from Brazil was with us and we congratulated each other on a fun day’s sailing.
With the winds light docking was fairly straightforward.
We went to sundowners across the way and, happily discovered we had come 2nd in class (of 6) and had a few re stripes and chat before the caribbean entertainment started, steel bands, dancers, stilt dancers and fire dancers.
We had dinner back at the boat with Patrick having decided it was a bit late for dinner and heading off early from the entertainment thinking it was about 9 O’clock when it was still before 7. Bridge and an early night followed.
Slainte
Jock and everyone.