As of the beginning of day 6, I had a very good chance to take second place as long as we sailed a race. The forecast was for a light day, but I expected that the sea breeze would be able to dominate because is was so cool and clear a day. If I beat Peter Whip and was in the top 6 or so, I would win second place. If I was top 6 but did not beat Peter, I would be in a comfortable 3rd place. All I needed was for one race to be finished.
Alas, it was not to be. We waited for wind, and it eventually came out of the north, a very shifty, light place for wind to come from here. I waited in the middle of the line for the start because the wind was so back and forth, and about a minute before the start it shifted to the left, so I ran down the line to the pin and started about four boats from it. The wind continued to the left, which made me and my three neighbours look very good. I tried to cross but was held by the Japanese boat, so I tacked back under him to chase him back to port. He went, and in the mean time, all the boats under me tacked back to port as well, so that, when the Japanese boat tacked I held for a bit, tacked, and had a beautiful line up the beat on port just behind Alden Shadduck. We were lifted again, and were looking absolutely fabulous until I was flagged and had to do turns. When I sorted that out, I was back in about 10 or so. I rounded the top mark and went to the inside and passed about four boats, then rounded the bottom mark and followed Peter Whip to the left on starboard. He was about 10 boatlengths ahead. I looked over my shoulder to see the boats behind and above lifted, so I tacked into their breeze, and we were all lifted majestically toward the mark. I tacked back to port, and to starboard again, and it was just Halsey Bullen in between me and the mark. Nicely done, I thought, until I heard three horns to signal that the race was being abandoned. No race, no second place in the race, no second place in the regatta. Tough luck for me, but tougher for Halsey. It was to be his first win in the regatta, and some deck pounding was in order for him. I could very much sympathize. He is a good guy, and it would have been nice for him to have that to go home with.
And that was all she wrote. The regatta was over and we sailed in. I'll finish in a couple of days with some reflections and lessons, but let me rest a while...
Rob Koci races in both the Laser Full-Rig and Laser Radial fleets around District 3. Currently, Rob is the District 3 secretary and maintains a frequently updated race diary on D3Laser.com. Rob's home port is St. James Town Sailing Club in Toronto, Ontario.
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