Weather: SSW 5~15 knots of breeze, building during the afternoon.Â
Course: 2 larger triangles, 4 smaller triangles, Port course
Start: Start was in front of the club, with a pin end bias. The end of the line near the retaining pond making it a bad tactical move. Slowed boat down the line with 20 seconds to go, at the start reached along the line and started about 1/3 along the line with good boat speed. Unfortunately this let other boats start from the committee boat and took the advantage of being able to hold the boats under them.Â
First Beat: Close fought beat with a number of boats taking different routes to the mark. The island side of the course was favoured, but covering the middle of the course did not lose to  much time.Â
Course notes: Avoiding the fig tree, travelling to the easter shore of the narrows seems to be the faster route. Steve and Geoff both climbed up the fleet by travelling along the wall. A lifting windshift at the end of the narrows will nearly always bring you to the mark without having to tack. Boats taking a higher tack through the middle of the course come to the mark with more boat speed , but seem to lose out during the ‘passing of the fig tree’.Â
The downwind legs coming to the bottom mark in front of the club provide a challenge. With a southerly wind the island can provide a wind shadow. Typically I found heading towards the club allowed for carrying more speed across the lake, then into the stronger breeze coming around the other side of the island.Â
Boat handling:Â Working on roll tacking, worked fine most of the time. Special emphasis on the healing at the start of the tack improves the boat speed through the start of the tack. This caused one capsize during the race when I tried to roll the boat over as a wind shift hit.
Downwind the heeling to windward seems to be faster.
Other notes: Weed was a constant problem, checked centreboard and rudder at the start of each leg. During the beats watched the centreboard and pulled the board if needed.Â
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