2014 Screwpile Regatta: Friday

We had some pretty light winds to start the Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge Regatta in Solomon’s Maryland.  I am sailing on Sam Mitchener’s J/109 Double Eagle this weekend and we are rated as the slowest boat along with the other J/109 in the 10-boat PHRF-A1 fleet.

In the first race on Friday we got a good start near the pin in clear air.  We worked our way up the 1-mile leg and rounded in the middle of the pack.  On the downwind leg the wind started to go from light to lighter.  We rounded the leeward mark and started making our way out to the right side of the course following most of the rest of the fleet.   Three boats behind us rafted up at the leeward mark and the wind completely shut off.

For the next hour and  half we would float around trying to make distance towards the now-shortened coarse at the windward mark.  At one point we had the anchor down to prevent us from being swept away from the mark by the current.  Many other boats did the same.  Ultimately, the boats rafted up at the mark came from behind everyone to catch just enough of a breeze on the left side of the course to finish.  4 boats got across the line before the timeline, and the rest of the fleet took at TLE/6.  Quite a frustrating day of sailing being out on the water with no wind, a lot of current and not being able to even sail the course.  With two more days of racing ahead lets hope the racing only improves.

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