Our first first place in Cowes Week 2018

August 8, 2018

Patrick de Koster said to me more than once that I only write my blogs instantly when there is good news. He is probably right.

After our unwanted encounter yesterday with the Coronation Rock in front of many spectators on the lawn of the Castle (amongst them Donna and Sophie) we longed for a day without problems.

We started at a Committee Boat North of Ryde Middle Bank after a delay of two hours. We started well, but I put in our nav system a wrong first Mark. I had too much on my sleeve all of a sudden: no time check, no radio communication with the Committee Boat etc. After all we started well and the wrongly inserted Mark was in direction not far off of the first Mark, we did not loose much, though something.

Without going into details for the first part, we stayed ahead of Alaris, Swuzzlebubble and Xcitable, but were later on passed by all three of them again.

After our Barograph gave distress signals (believe this happens when the barometre decreases with 1hPa in 3 hours, we got more wind and we proceeded shoulder by shoulder with the earlier mentioned
boats.

On to the West on the Solent with an increasing tide against us, Swuzzlebuzzle took the middle of the Solent. Bad choice so we passed them quickly. Alaris and Xcitable stayed behind as well.

We were lucky that we the wind increased to 21 knots and veered at the same time. So we passed Bramble Rock to the South, we passed the Channel to Southampton prior to a large CMA ship going into Southampton, we sailed all the way to the coast and hugged Lepe Spi, to round thereafter our last Mark in the race Dick Johnson to port.

As per my calculations we had to finish 4,5 minutes ahead of Swuzzlebuzzle. That happened (only 17 seconds were left in our favour) and we had our first first place on the water (first gun) and on handicap.

The crew did a very good job in tacking, housting the spinnaker, gybing and what have but the new position of our mast by Dr Hoogmoed must have played a role as well.

Moreover it was Lady’s Day and Laura did win based on our score the Ariel Trophy.