TMS Star Class races November 10th

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T H E U R G Y !
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When light encounters a strong magical field it loses all sense of urgency. In retrospect it had felt like that shortly before the races … slow … and the sun sort of hesitated to rise. The magic wasn’t there yet when Gin and her crew Justin and I and Freeman had already thought that we would go for another practice event with two boats, like we had done last week.
Don’t get me wrong. We had had fun, sailed and learned. Yet and nevertheless once in a while we like to race seriously of course.
The magic wasn’t there either when Moon arrived close in time, and the light’s urgency to show did not appear naturally on its own when – shortly before 1:00 sharp – finally Sirius and his crew Angela showed up.
But then!
After the three races I was in a state of mind normally achievable only by a lifetime of dedicated meditation or about thirty seconds of illegal herbage.
In fact it only took three boats, three skippers, two crewing sailors, three races and a spectator or two.
Back at home I was spreadable and Freeman could do with me what he wanted.
Yes, he counted the freckles on my cheeks to see if all are still there.

Image 1: Tight but clean start for 327;

NYC Course Chart 327

The first race of the day was 327 with wind from 170° at 18 knots (V1 G5), and the three boats started close together right away (Image 1). Moon was overlapped with Gin on his windward side and defended it, while Sirius decided to pass them leeward and tacked soon to port (Image 2). Gin did that a little bit later as well and finally Moon, and after another tacking session at different times and spots (Image 3), Moon sailed first around the first mark, followed closely by Gin, and – a bit behind at that time – Sirius (Image 4). On China one of those huge pirate ships and a freighter were coming in our direction. I noticed them too late for a warning, and had to decide quickly. Letting the freighter drive on, hoping that it would keep clear of Sirius on its own, I held the pirate ship in place right next to Mark 2 until all three racers had sailed through the gap between the ship and that buoy. Next I thanked the partying people on that ship for their patience and wished them fair winds before I hurried to follow the racers.
Moon and Gin meanwhile had approached the third mark from high above the straight line. A clear thing since the leading boat had to be sure to defend its windward side with wind from 170°. For Sirius it meant that he could catch up by sailing the straight line and less distance.
After Mark 3 a close and slightly ‘dirty’ moment happened between the first and second boat, but there was no protest and I only pointed out to them what had and should have happened, and good it was. However, this situation had slowed down Gin for a short while and once again Sirius was the benificiary. Moon sailed first around the last mark with a small margin while Sirius had gained a place, rounding that mark right before Gin. She tried a last attempt to keep Sirius in her windshadow (Image 5), but he changed to the other side and at the end crossed the finish line a few seconds before Gin (Image 6).
Beautiful!

Image 2: Sirius diving below, already on port-tack;

Image 3: Moon, Sirius and Gin still on the first leg;

Image 4: Moon with a tight lead, Gin leeward, Sirius a bit behind;

Image 5: Sirius evading Gin’s windshadow;

Image 6: Tight finish;

327

Race Results:
1: Moon – Race Time: 0:16:14
2: Sirius – Race Time: 0:16:30
3: Gin – Race Time: 0:16:34

Lap Times:
moonglownight Resident BSbf2e – Start: 0:00:16 – Last lap: 0:15:58
Sirius Rosca BS6b75 – Start: 0:00:24 – Last lap: 0:16:06
GinPhx Resident BS350b – Start: 0:00:17 – Last lap: 0:16:17

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NYC Course Chart 339

The hightlight of the start for 339 – for me – was Moon, swerving before the Committee Boat to avoid barging and then starting quite late after having sailed a full circle to bring his boat back into position. Kudos for that action.
I can’t tell if it was the same huge pirate ship that we had met in the first race, but one of those was moored in the NE corner of Cattewater. Since it did not move I tried to help the racers by shouting that they should plan their tacks because of this. I don’t know if that really helped, but they chose their courses elegantly around the ship.
After a couple of tacks they arrived by the first mark. Gin passed it first, Sirius and Moon at the same time – Moon after a very fast first leg considering his late start (Image 7).
Sirius fell a bit behind after he had lost his crew on a rough sim crossing, while Moon tried his luck to attack Gin’s windward side. Once again they got above the straight line to Mark 2 and then the Gate due to the wind direction and the needed defence against boats coming from behind, and once again Sirius could catch up because of this. Gin sailed around the southern buoy of the Gate, Moon and then Sirius tried the other end to test out if the better momentum would help them to gain a rank, but this was not the case (Image 8). However, Gin sailed a perfect downwind leg and increased her margin noticeably.
Moon and Sirius on the other hand started a thrilling battle on the next two legs, first downwind, which let Sirius come out right behind Moon (Image 9), and then upwind. It was nerve-stretching in a good way to watch them, and I really would have loved to see how it might have ended. Worse luck for Sirius didn’t let it happen as he got unseated on the way to Mark 6, crossing into Crows Nest and not being able to get back on his boat anymore.
Still … such a beautiful race!

Image 7: Gin in the lead, Moon and Sirius almost even;

Image 8: Gin on the verve to extend her lead, followed by Moon – Sirius coming in;

Image 9: Sirius on Moon’s tail;

339

Race Results:
1: Gin – Race Time: 0:19:31
2: Moon – Race Time: 0:20:05
3: Sirius – DNF

Lap Times:
GinPhx Resident BS350b – Start: 0:00:09 – Last lap: 0:19:22
moonglownight Resident BSbf2e – Start: 0:00:28 – Last lap: 0:19:37
Sirius Rosca BS6b75 – Start: 0:00:06 – Last lap: Not Finished

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NYC Course Chart 316

316 was meant to be a relaxing and – compared to the first two races – short course. Well!
Sirius had the best start (Image 10) and soon after it was able to tack to port ‘above’ Moon and Gin. Though, he might have waited too long with his next tack to fetch the first mark, and Gin arrived there before him. The distance between these two boats then wasn’t more than one or two boat lengths along the following legs. Sirius closed in on the way to Mark 3, the short downwind leg to Mark 4 kept both on their toes as well (Image 11), and then – for a third time during this event – two boats sailed far above the straight line to the next and in this case last mark due to the needed defence of the windward side (Image 12). Eventually they dived down for it … Gin still in the lead, Sirius still close behind (Image 13) … and – if I had worn panties underneath the wetsuit I might have wetted them – both waited a bit with their final tack towards the finish line, and Sirius came out that little bit better to cross the line first (Image 14).
Awesome!

Image 10: Sirius with the best start;

Image 11: Gin and Sirius around Mark 4;

Image 12: Quite a bit above the straight line towards the last mark;

Image 13: Gin first past the last mark, Sirius two boath lengths behind;

Image 14: Sirius took the lead, Gin second, Moon third;

316

Race Results:
1: Sirius – Race Time: 0:09:21
2: Gin – Race Time: 0:09:29
3: Moon – Race Time: 0:09:39

Lap Times:
Sirius Rosca BS6b75 – Start: 0:00:06 – Last lap: 0:09:15
GinPhx Resident BS350b – Start: 0:00:16 – Last lap: 0:09:13
moonglownight Resident BSbf2e – Start: 0:00:13 – Last lap: 0:09:26

It’s all been said in this post already. Only things to add – Congratulations to the three different winners in three awesome races, and thank you all for coming out to test your skills and also for the gift of letting me watch it!