Another day on the alternate course, with some strange conditions! The locals are all saying that "it is never like this here!". It is about 5 degrees C hotter than normal, more humid, and with lighter wind. Todays race was a little like yesterdays, in a similar breeze. We wore bottles, and were trapezing all the time upwind, and planing on the reaches. There was a short steep chop that made it difficult to keep the boats going upwind - lots of pitching!
There were more boats trying to gate early, but the fleet got a clean start. Several of the favourites were deep at the weather mark, with Barker/Cripps, Nicholson's and Robinson/Masterman back with us at the gybe mark. It was another broadish first reach, with many boats going high for clear air, allowing those behind the opportunity to work low and come up to the mark with their pole on the forestay. We followed Barker around the mark with room on the Nicholson's, gaining several places at the mark, and quite a few on the first reach.
Jeff Miller/Mike Martin rounded the first mark 5th, were 3rd in a pack at the second windward mark, and picked a perfect gybe angle to come into the leeward mark, surfing waves into the lead at the leeward mark. They held on for the rest of the race, with a hard charging Krister Bergstrom/Martin Westerdahl closing fast but unable to pass them.
A protest involving Miller/Martin and Higgins/Pearson apparently concerning a starting line incident has been filed. These results are subject to change due to that protest.
Tommorow is the last race. It is scheduled to start at 11:00 rather than 2:00.
Bergstrom/Westerdahl now have an 8 point lead over Hamlin/Lewis, who have a very narrow lead over Towers/Johnson. Check the rest of the results in the other e-mail.
Ali