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