Deep disappointment from a 5 year old...

Apparently Talia has been reading Trent's emails about our ability to win the Ballard Cup.  With the Cup on the line in the last race of a 5 week series, we needed a bullet or to beat Delirium by 2 places and she knew it.  Needless to say we didn't, and I have been hearing about it ever since.

We had a nice mid-line start with good boat speed, and we were able to go right to get into the beach when we wanted to and cross the heavy hitters in our fleet at the same time.  We rounded first, failed to jibe inside, and watched Delirium leg out underneath us in the stronger shore breeze.  Damn.

Spent the rest of the race trying to reel her in.  With Bob Pistay and new sails aboard, they weren't giving us many breaks.  We are faster uphill, and closed the gap, only to round the leeward mark behind them again.  The boat felt sticky and slow all night.  Hoists were slow too, but only part of the problem.

Ended up 2nd across the line, 3rd on corrected.  Delirium wins the series, we take second.  Sorry, Talia.  We will try to get our boat speed back so we can bring home some shinier stickers.

2 days, 2 sails, 2 people, 2nd Place Overall

Race To The Straits is Epic.  It can be big air, no wind, sloppy seas, and great sailing.  All in one day.  Fix what broke, tidy the boat up, head for the party, sleep if you can, then repeat..  For a 34 mile course each day, we often pass through the Puget Sound convergence zone.  This year it meant a downwind sleigh ride with speed over ground in the low teens, aided by 3 knots of current.  Then, wham, no wind, then a howling northerly.  Some interesting sail changes for boats that had them--Janna and I do this race NFS (without the big colorful kites) because it keeps it fun, and keeps us from yelling at each other.  And I have to say, learning how to use a jib on a pole is an interesting challenge.

We had a great race.  Janna proclaimed it her best race ever.  Interesting because last year we were first in class and this year we were second in class and second overall.  But the sailing and the competition were both better.  Saturday we were leading the pack and amongst the race leaders before falling into the Marrowstone Abyss, where we puttered along in 3 knots of breeze while being overtaken by the smarter, faster, and luckier.  Still managed a 3rd in our class, so we felt we could at least go to the party.

The next day we had a decent start and a good line past Marrowstone, slipping tight under the lee of the cliffs there and getting ahead of Pegasus and battling with our friends on better light air boats (Summer Light, an Express 34 and the Olson 30 Lunch Box).  We got a little to full of ourselves and held the shore too long before jumping across.  Had to battle back from behind Pegasus, but we know the Whidbey Shore pretty well and hugged the beach, slipping by them at Bush Point on the inside by brazenly repeating the move we used on them at Marrowstone.  After that it felt like we were match racing with Pegasus, who sailed brilliantly but we kept them just off the transom around Double Bluff, and Point No Point.  But they were just a little better than us in the light stuff and were able to break cover off of Jefferson head in spite of our efforts.  Maintaining a tight cover double handed for 5 hours was fun and all, but when the wind got really light, we just shrugged and said "there they go."  Next time we will not give up so easily...

Good fun, great photos, and a great race.  Truly one of the best races of the year in the Pacific Northwest.

Photos are here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/75869001@N00/sets/72157626563676597/

  (Thanks Jan, for getting out there and taking such great shots!) 

A good write-up by Ben Braden is here:  (not for the faint of heart...)

http://www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?1398-You-re-Playin-With-My-Emotions-Smokey