2007 Parhelion Autumn Series
The Parhelion autumn yacht racing series is run by the Portsmouth Sailing Club, with races in the Eastern Solent, off Portsmouth and in Hayling bay.
Race 8 (long race) report, from Saturday 27th October 2007
Crew : Phil, Barry, Darrell, Joe, Julian, Glenn & Phil B.
More wind was forecast than we had seen during the previous races in the series, 9 knots building to 16 knots. It wasn't too cold and there was even the prospect of some sunshine. As it turned out, the wind was a bit stronger, eventually building to 18 knots gusting 22 knots and occasionally a bit more.
On the day, Rick Hodgeson (normally to be found skippering Total Obsession Too) was the OOD and the race was setup with a start from Gleeds. We weren't sure what to expect. The course was set with two loops, the first comprised of a beat out to North Sturbridge followed by a long (5 mile) run through the forts to round Winner off Hayling. Next was a beat back to Horse Elbow, just outside the forts before a reach back to the gate at Gleeds. The second loop was much shorter and started with a short run to Naomi House before a beat to Royal Albert, just past Gilkicker point and then a decent run back to the finish at Gleeds.
Prior to the start the course was relayed over the VHF several times, which gave plenty of opportunity to get it written down then do a little bit of planning. A luxury not normally given to us. This was much better than getting the course in the last 10 minutes with all the yachts flocking around the committee boat.
Both fleets started together. There seemed to be a 15 second discrepency from the 10 minute gun to the 5 minute, which caused a little confusion but we soon picked up on it. There was a bit too much prestart banter in the 2 minute prior to the start and the start tactics seemed to take second place, when obviously they should have been the most important thing on board. Unusually, the pin was on the starboard end of the line. The fleet converged and was quite compact. As One More Knot approached we had Concerto to leeward and slightly ahead. We were in danger of overlapping and then being pushed out over the pin, so we eased the sheets and bore away to dip Concerto's transom. We missed by a foot, 11 inches too many! The gun went and OMK followed Concerto over the line from the pin end. However we were both near the back of the fleet but Concerto was in clean air. One More Knot bore away slight to get away from Concerto which allowed us to get some clear air for ourselves which in turn gave us some good boat speed. The fleet ahead persevered on starboard for a while and then too our surprise the majority tacked onto port to stay over the shallow water.
The tidal situation was a bit difficult to understand however we expected the tide to be turning to a favourable tide in the deep water earlier. Rhapsody ahead tacked onto port ahead of us. "STARBOARD" forced them to tack back, after all, we were trying to help them! But they didn't want to be helped and soon tacked onto port again astern of One More Knot. Just In Time was also one of the early port tackers and went inshore. Only One More Knot, Concerto and I think Scallywag stayed on starboard out into the deep water before tacking. Our tidal instruments actually showed a small amount of adverse tide, but as the "tide" includes instrumentation errors and leeway etc, the real tide was probably 'slack'. As we approach N. Sturbridge, the fleet was converging and the advantages could be seen. Who were going to be the winners?
One More Knot's track in red
Rhapsody's track in green
Just short of N. Sturbridge the heads of the split fleet met, but with One More Knot leading those that favoured the deeper water meeting up with normally faster Xtrovert and Catch 22 at the head of the inshore fleet we think we had the gains. It certainly more than made up for our late start. We were now a least 200 yards ahead of Just In Time and Total Obsession Too. One More Knot could probably squeezed in just in front of Xtrovert and Catch 22, but we elected to duck these too boats to make sure we didn't get into a mess and loose our advantage on the rest of the club fleet.
One More Knot's track in red
Rhapsody's track in green
On rounding N. Sturbridge, we elected to fly our smaller red and white kite because the angles weren't deep enough for our blue monster. As we got going we could see that we were loosing out marginally to Total Obsession Too and Just In Time. However it was a long leg, 5 miles, and it was going to hurt. This leg forced us to go between the forts, almost exactly at the half way point before we could bear away slightly. There was a discussion about doing a spinnaker peel to replace the red kite with the blue one. Apparently the look on Phil B's (bowman) face was a picture. I couldn't see it from the helm's position. We worked out what we could do and how to do it. We knew we hadn't done this before, Phil D. had been on board a different boat years ago when we did a spinnaker peel. Scary stuff. In the meantime, we changed tactics slightly and headed higher to maintain boat speed so that Just In Time and Total Obsession Too didn't overtake, our boat speed increased from 6.5 knots to 7.2 knots. Obviously we weren't sailing quite so deep, Just In Time had the highest track, Total Obsession had the lowest.
We elected to wait and see what happened after we passed the fort and could bear away another 15 degrees however the wind had been picking up. At the forts both Total Obsession and One More Knot initially ran much deeper than the direct path to get well out of the deep water and west going tide before heading for the mark. Just In Time took a more direct path. Now with another 2.5 miles to go, we could see how we were going and elected to 'cancel' the spinnaker peel. Maybe we should practice it non-competitively first. The race to "Winner" between One More Knot and Total Obsession Too was close. One More Knot would accelerate much faster and pull away on the gusts but when the wind dropped again Total Obsession Too was slightly faster. The two boats rounded in that order, followed by Just In Time. We had lost track of the rest of the club fleet by this time. The leading IRC boats had already rounded and were beating back to the next mark, Horse Elbow.
At the mark OMK had a good but safe drop, a few boat lengths early and started the beat. With the #2 and full main we were now being well pressed upwind. The heavier and slightly larger boats TOT and JIT were making good headway. We were slightly feathering on OMK which allowed us to sail a higher course that TOT who was slightly faster. Just In Time appeared to sail a high course and the tacked off onto port. The competitors were once again in a split fleet. OMK persevered aiming to get as close to the deep water as possible to help with the tide. Eventually we tacked onto port and aimed at the mark. Our initial assessment was that had slightly overstood and we were able to crack the sheets slightly and go for some good boat speed. Total Obsession tacked even later the OMK. As we approached the mark, we appeared to be headed and we had to come really hard on the wind to stop the tide from flushing us the wrong side. We squeezed past at the head of the club fleet, after an hour and 3/4 of racing.
The next leg was a beam reach back to the gate at Gleeds. A fast reach we thought however with the fresh breeze we were struggling to avoid boraches and rounding up. Of course it happened a few time and each time we lost a few boat lengths. Total Obsession Too was loving the conditions and appeared to have no such problems. She was going well and the crew of OMK could visibily see their lead being eroded. Clearly the crew of TOT were excited with the close proximity and the prospect of getting in front. No pressure of course! On the approach to Gleeds the tactics for the next leg were discussed and put into action. The next leg was a short dead run, just under half a mile. We ran around on deck and prepared the kite. Total Obsession Too did the same.
At Gleeds, OMK suffered a particularly bad broach, rounded up and slowed right down allowing Total Obsesion Too the opportunity to cut inside and round Gleeds 2 boat lengths ahead. They hoisted their kite slickly. OMK had already decided that for such a short leg there was a significant risk of loosing more than there was to be gained. The wind was now blowing 18 knots and we sailed goosewinged under white sails. We tracked Total Obsession Too and didn't loose anything on the water. Total Obsession Too were first to round Naomi House followed closely by One More Knot. This racing was close! OMK were able to get quickly into the beating configuration as Total Obsession Too we still tidying up. However, once again they were slick and lost no time.
One More Knot tacked back towards the deeper water to maximise the tide, or so we thought. Total Obsession saw our move and covered it. Just In Time, about a couple of minutes behind sailed in towards the wall. Once again, the 3 boats were split. One More Knot wasn't sailing through the water at her best, being slightly overpowered. The other boats looked to be doing slightly better. OMK tacked back towards the windward mark, Royal Albert. Initially we thought we would made Gilkicker without another tack, then we thought we might need to tack but eventually squeezed past helped by the tide. The boat speed was quite slow, partly due to the rough water just off the headland. It appeared that Just In Time has closed the gap slightly.
Total Obsession Too was first around the final mark, followed by One More Knot and then about 1 minute 30seconds later Just In Time after 2 hours and 33 minutes of racing. All that was left was the 1.5 mile run to the line, which was very deep. However the wind was up to 22 knots plus potentially 2 knots of tide. This was over the wind range for our big kite and we elected to stick with the smaller heavier one. Total Obsession Too hoisted their big blue slickly. One More Knot had her kite deployed quickly too. The choppy water and strong breeze gave One More Knot an advantage. We had breaking water all around and we we able to surf and charge to 9.2 knots. All the way down the leg we were closing on Total Obsession Too. Their crew were clearly concerned about the dimishing gap and our chance of taking away line honours. However, the run was a bit too short for One More Knot to get her nose in front. Total Obsession Too claimed line honours, which were well deserved in this race as she was pressed hard all the way to the line.
One More Knot finished shortly afterwards. There was some banter with Rick on the committee boat. Something about how fast his boat was when he wasn't on it! The attention of One More Knot's crew turned to Just In Time. Clearly TOT were in front on the day, but did we have enough of a gap to pip JIT on handicap? As it happened, Just In Time had elected to sail the final leg under white sails in the strong breeze. We think they finished about 3 minutes after us. Our race time was about 2:48, JITs, being about 2:51. Will the gap be enough? We think we've done enough, but only by virtue of the gap we opened on the very last leg. We have no idea what the slower boats will do to the points yet. We'll have to wait for the results.
Replay the race here
Replay One More Knot's GPS track here
Also includes Rhapsody's track
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From Concerto
For today’s long race we had a good crew of Mark, Dave, Anne, Ben + ‘er indoors. Having left the harbour it was nice to have some proper wind!
The PSC Team elected to give the fleets a combined start on quite a short line, while this wasn’t a problem for Concerto we saw at least one of the Class one boats being pushed out of the line. We were a little late for the start but were in clear air and a good position relative to others. With a true wind-speed of around 12 knots we were pleased with our progress under full main and No1 genoa. The fleet split on the first beat with many boats opting to head inshore to Hasler wall. Concerto, OMK and a couple of class1 boats tacked out into the deeper water, this seemed to pay for us as I think there was a little more wind and we made good time to the first mark. Unfortunately we were a bit too cautious about the tide and over-stood by a few boat lengths allowing OMK to get away from us and TOT to catch up.
The second leg was a very long spinnaker run heading a little way beyond the submarine barrier, the wind went light early on before building from the west. As wind speed increased it was easy to spot the lines of wind approaching from astern and these helped Scallywag and Rhapsody catch up significantly. At the bottom turning mark the spinnaker was doused and we had a beat followed by a close reach back to the Gate. By this time the race was becoming rather processional but we were enjoying watching the other tussles and notices that TOT and OMK were having a good scrap for line honours. At the Gate there was a very short spinnaker run to Naomi House, followed by a beat to Royal Albert and then a run back to the finish (near Gleeds) in a freshening Breeze. The whole way through the race we had been watching Rhapsody getting closer and closer and it was on this final run that we launched our small Kite and Rhapsody just squeezed by us crossing the line approximately 30 seconds ahead. Apart from the first leg Roy had sailed an excellent race and if they had enjoyed a better first beat would have been well in front of Concerto. Scallywag also seemed to have a quick trip around the course and it will be interesting to see the results when posted.
All in all a great race with some proper wind, we recorded up to 22kts true on the final run to the finish – this is what we call proper Contessa weather!
From Rhapsody
Today we have one long Race and the race officer is Rick Hodgson, who is usually skippering Total Obsession. The committee boat is by Gleeds which is the ODM for the start. The course is a long one; N Sturbridge, Winner, Horse Elbow, Gleeds, Naomi House, Royal Albert and then finish at Gleeds, a distance of 15.5 nautical miles. Both classes are to start together. The wind is below the forecast 14 knots but as the forecast is for it to increase, we opt for the #2 headsail which is good for up to around 22 knots apparent wind.
The Race
We choose to start near the buoy and time the start well, reaching the line more or less at the start signal. However, we have Electra just to windward of us and suffer with dirty air as they and other IRC boats pass us. Once clear we tack onto port but almost immediately have to tack back as One More Knot approaches us on starboard. Once again, its slow progress as One More Knot sails over us. When able we once again tack onto port and head towards Gilkicker. The fleet is split, several IRC boats along with Just in Time and Total Obsession from the club fleet are ahead of us, whereas the remainder of the club fleet is heading south on starboard. Boat speed is good at this stage and we are recording 6 knots over the ground. We tack before reaching the Gilkicker shore and make good progress towards North Sturbridge. However, we see the rest of the club fleet who didn’t take our course, cross in front of us. Consequently we round the mark at the back of the whole fleet. Well things only get better from here!
The spinnaker is raised and we set off on the long downwind leg eastwards to Winner. Boat speed is 5 to 7 knots over the ground during this leg and we overtake Scallywag and then eventually get past Trumble Too, the Bavaria 44 from the IRC fleet. We see Concerto a long way ahead and ever so slowly we seem to be narrowing the gap. They are still far ahead when we reach Winner, the leeward mark of this section of the course. We drop the spinnaker, round the mark and come hard on the wind for the beat back to Horse Elbow. The wind has increased and is gusting to about 23 knots apparent. Progress is good and Norman, the mainsheet trimmer, has to work hard, dumping the main on the gusts and then hauling it in again. Two tacks and we approach Horse Elbow. We tack onto port to round the mark and get hit by a gust while the crew is off the rail winching the sheets. We round up and just mange to control the boat before we have an involuntary tack, however this means we are in danger of hitting the buoy. We scrape past with about 1 metre to spare – phew! The next leg is a white sail reach down to Gleeds and the gate. We enjoy an exhilarating sail at 7-8 knots. As we approach Gleeds there is a big debate on board as to which side the spinnaker will be set for the following leg to Naomi House. As result it doesn’t get hoisted until half the leg is over. We leave the #2 up and are soon dropping the spinnaker again. We harden up round the mark and then immediately tack onto starboard for the beat to Royal Albert. Rhapsody really goes well and we appear to be narrowing the gap to Concerto. We tack onto port for the mark much earlier than they have done and make considerable ground on them. We see the club class boats ahead of us returning from Royal Albert with spinnaker flying. As we approach Gilkicker, Richard is being thrown around and enjoying a good soaking on the foredeck while preparing the spinnaker. We round the mark close behind Concerto and both hoist spinnakers – this time Concerto uses a smaller kite whereas we use our larger one that we have used for every leg so far. It’s now a thrilling broad reach to the finish and we slowly edge past Concerto to cross the line several seconds ahead of them and three hours after we started. Nice to finally get ahead but we know they will easily beat us on corrected time. We don’t know how far Scallywag is behind but we do have to give them a lot of time on handicap
Final Thoughts
This was a thoroughly enjoyable race with an excellent course but leaving us with the feeling that we should have done better. After the first leg we were playing “catch-up” the whole time. Apart from the first few minutes after the start, the boat was going well the whole race. I still haven’t worked out why that first leg was such a disaster, possibilities include; better wind angle further out or just more wind earlier if one headed out from the start. Looking at the GPS track for the beat does seem to show that there was a change in wind direction as we headed away from the shore.
Overall, a most enjoyable days racing. The results have shown the Concerto were 1st, followed by Total Obsession Too and then (sadly for us) Rhaposdy. One More Knot was 4th, 32 seconds (corrected) later. Just In Time were 5th, newcomer Baby Blue 6th with Scallywag at the back. This has set up a really interesting final week. Two races are planned and with the 2nd to 4th spots in the series spread over just 2 points, next weeks races will really count. This weeks result has also given Total Obsession an outside chance of of trophy spot.