2007 Parhelion Spring Series
The Parhelion spring yacht racing series is run by the Portsmouth Sailing Club, with races in the Eastern Solent, off Portsmouth and in Hayling bay.
Race 5 & 6 reports, from Saturday 14th April 2007
Crew : Phil, Phil Bailey, Joe, Barry, Darrell
In Gareth's absence (I guess honeymoon is a decent excuse) I've published the PSC results for racing on 14th April.
Race 5 & 6 results
We awoke to a hazy morning with very light winds, as forecast. What little breeze there was was westerly. The tide for the first couple of hours was also westerly. In some respects, it was helpful to have the wind against tide situation as it helped bring the apparent wind speeds up. Despite the forecast of 23 degrees, it was slightly chilly until the mist burnt off.
In the pre race setup, we had a big fold in the main. Following a short debate, the reefing lines were removed and that helped considerably.
From Rhapsody
The inshore waters forecast on Friday evening said variable 3. This proved to be somewhat optimistic in terms of wind strength. For a change, the discussion before leaving Haslar Marina was not about which sail-plan we would be using but what we would be wearing! The light winds meant that we would be letting the number 1 Genoa and larger spinnaker out of their bags for the first time this series. After a quick replacement of the water pump impeller to get some water through the cooling system, we were off.
Race 5
After a few minutes delay, the course was set with the start near Gleeds, a race upwind to North Sturbridge, followed by a reach to Hardway Marine (now Rainbow Center), back to Gleeds and then to the line. The race was actually shortened to finish at Gleeds.
Having seen the IRC boat go just 10 minutes earlier, it was clear that with being downtide at the start was a real problem. One More Knot positioned herself comfortably uptide of the line.
One More Knot's track in red
Rhapsody's track in yellow
Eventually we tack back onto starboard towards North Sturbridge. With our boat speed being so low, our COG was about 45 degrees off the bow! The joy our our GPS was that we could see that we would easily make the mark, so nothing to worry about there.
As we approached the mark, we were just in front, but downwind of Total Obsession Too. Both boats on starboard. Here we go again, as we though we approached the lay line for the mark, we tacked and managed to squeeze in front of TOT.
Total Obsession Too continued for quite some distance before tacking. One More Knot had to pinch a bit to make the mark, obviously we tacked a couple of boat lengths early. However, with the strong tide we still made the mark.
Rhapsody was first around the windward mark, North Sturbridge.
Meanwhile, TOT's longer route had better angles and boat speed. OMK rounded in 2nd place, but we were slightly disorganised with our first kite hoist of the year. Total Obsession Too sneaked inside and hoisted efficiently and proceeded to pull away.
We could see that Rhapsody was being washed down into Stokes bay by the tide. TOT managed to run deeper but was still suffering. One More Knot managed to split the angle of the two front runners. We couldn't run as deep as TOT without losing all of our boat speed.
As we approached Gilkicker point, the crew were warned of our options and we came into the shallow water. We would either gybe immediately, or if the tide was more favourable (as anticipated), we would continue to the beach. As it happened, the tide slackened and our course over the ground improved significantly so we continued to drive up the beach to steal sandwiches from those ashore.
We gybed close to the beach and watched 2 ferry wakes plus a load of power boats from Portsmouth harbour come zooming by. We stopped dead in our tracks in their wakes. Just to add to our misery, all the bouncy waves bounced off the beach and came back for another go.
By the time we got moving again, Rhapsody had returned from her sight seeing in Stokes bay, Scallywag, Callistro and Concerto had all caught up. Total Obsession Too was ahead but struggling to make headway down to the Hardway Marine gybe mark. Eventually she made it. Rick's voice popped up on the VHF to confirm the course (because of the name change of the bouy). Obviously TOT didn't want to chuck away a decent lead due to a technicality like rounding the wrong mark.
The rest of the fleet struggled to make headway against the tide. By the time One More Knot reached the mark, we were all but at the back of the fleet. We could see the leaders were still being washed west by the tide and struggling to get east towards the next mark gleeds. As we had nothing to loose, Phil went out on a limb to try to salvage some points. We gybed our way down the Haslar wall. Progress was painfully slow, and at one point we were opening the distance to the next mark at about half a knot. Were we being brave or stupid?
Total Obsession Too looked like she was 2/3 of the way towards gleeds but still had to run dead downwind agains the tide. Eventually, we couldn't resist it any more. We gybed and set off towards the committee boat and Gleeds. Our speed was remarkable, over 3 knots at times!
As we approached the fleet, we managed to sail underneath the smaller boats and get back into contention.
Total Obsession Too claimed line honours by a good margin.
Near the line, we still had the same problems as everyone else, how to get uptide, running downwind. We countinued to play our extreme angles game, much to Concerto's disgust. A bit of banter between the crews and it is agreed that OMK would be allowed to pass astern of Concerto so that both boats could continue on their chosen paths without too much hinderence. A gybe later and we meet Concerto again. This time One More Knot is on starboard, Concerto is still on port. The finish line in metres away. Concerto pushed the boom over to claim to be on starboard and Dave makes up some rules which he confidently hollars at OMK. The boats squeeze into the line, just feet apart for a dead tie for 2nd place on the water.
We think Dave should join the ISAF, as they will be making up new rules soon!
The smaller boats finish soon afterwards, but in a long race like this, the larger boats were doomed to slipping back down the order. Callistro, folkboat, claimed the victory, with Scallywag, GK24 in second. Concerto's first outing of the series came next in 3rd. Total Obsession's big lead on the water allowed her to hang onto 4th, followed by One More Knot in 5th. Arrow and series leader Rhapsody (oh dear Roy) concluded the fleet.
From Rhapsody
Condor is stationed by Gleeds. The course is set and it is a beat to North Sturbridge, followed by a downwind leg back to Gleeds via Hardway. This is followed by a very short beat to the finish at the ODM. When the IRC boats start, our 10 minute warning, we are down-tide and upwind of the committee boat. The wind goes even lighter and we eventually get to the committee boat in time to make a reasonable start, hardening up round Condor and setting off on starboard tack. We soon draw away from the rest of the club fleet - things are looking good!
We reach N Sturbridge with a substantial lead over the rest of the club fleet - things are looking very good! Having rounded the mark and hoisted the spinnaker, we set off towards Gilkicker. There is great debate on Rhapsody as to what our tactics should be, all we know is that the tide is going to the west and there is not much wind. We decide to head inshore as quickly as possible, so we do not sail towards Hardway as that course gives us very low boat speed. It is painfully slow going in the very variable wind conditions and even with the light weight sheet on the spinnaker it often collapses. We see Total Obsession and OMK behind and to the east of us and the rest of the fleet further back but it is soon apparent that they are all making better progress than we are - things are now not looking so good! Total Obsession passes us and is making for Hardway and OMK is up with us and coming inshore to join us off Gilkicker. Two gybes to get past the point and we are crawling along towards the next mark. We are now passed by Concerto and Scallywag and are almost caught by Callisto, the folkboat - things are now definitely not looking good! Arrow has more or less followed our course and so has not got past us. We finally gybe round Hardway just in front of Callisto and set off in pursuit of the 4 boats in front of us. We pass Scallywag and now only have 3 boats in front of us. The course has been shortened and we finish at Gleeds just behind OMK and Concerto who finish together at the committee boat end of the line. Fourth on the water and we reckon probably 5th on handicap. When the results arrive, we are placed 7th and therefore last! How can this be? A check of the detail shows our finish time as 12:45:00, i.e. at the 10 minute gun for the second race, I'm sure we finished earlier than that! A check of our GPS plot for our time at Gleeds, confirms we finished just behind OMK and Concerto and ahead of Scallywag. The race committee is investigating what went wrong.
I can confirm that from Roy's GPS download, it looks as though he passed Gleeds at about 12:21:23, or take 20 seconds. Interestingly, our GPS log shows OMK's time as about 12:22:10, which more or less coincides with the PSC result. In truth, I can't remember where Rhapsody finished in relation to OMK.
Late news, Rhapsody's time has been corrected, promoting her to 5th and in the process demoting OMK to 6th.
Race 6
A short course was set, with a laid windward mark followed by a rounding of McMurdo at the leeward end of the course. The through the gate before proceeeding (optomistically) for a second lap. However, the race was shortened to a single lap. A very long start line was set, and both the IRC and club fleet started together.
One More Knot's track in red
Rhapsody's track in yellow
With 2 minutes to go, we were trying to not sail out of the pin end of the line, but realised that we would need to make a loop back inside, which can be seen on the GPS plot. A gybe and then a tack inside the last 1 minute 30 got us back to a reasonable starting position, crossing the line about 15s after the gun. However, our initial boat speed wasn't quite good enough and we dropped back into dirty air. The other boats had their crisp packet #1's out. Our trusty #2 was all we have to offer. As we dropped back we decided to tack as it looked to provide a way out to clearer air. The fleet split with a few boats going with us on port and the majority of the fleet sticking to starboard.
We seemed to be playing catchup. This allowed us the opportunity to dicuss and experiment with an open leech on the main, or to drop the traveller and sheet in to close the leech. I think with had better VMG with it tight.
We reached the windward mark after a couple of tacks and were just short, so we had to tack yet again. Every tack was painfully slow in the conditions. Once around the mark, the kite was hoisted and we played the angles downing just to keep the boat going. I think we need a bonus point for managing to fly a 1.5oz kite in the conditions!
A few gybes later (and a long time) we make it to McMurdo, the leeward mark with a bunch of other boats. However, we claimed the inside line. I'm sure the outside boats wanted us to harden up much earlier, but with less than 0.5knots SOG we were racing the bouy against the tide flowing out of the harbour entrance. Eventually, we a clear of the mark and harned up for the beat to the shortend finish.
We manage to make some significant ground on Total Obsession Too. For a change, we find One More Knot in position to stop Total Obsession Too from tacking. Rick is patient ... for a while. Then he encourages OMK to tack.
One More Knot had no obligation to tack, and if we tack too soon, we will be forced to tack onto port into the path of TOT. So Phil holds his ground, at least until Rick's voice is an octave higher!
One More Knot tacked and made a dash for the line. We were able to foot off a little for extra speed but had to make sure that we cleared the committee boat. Total Obsession Too tacks and chases. Remarkably, OMK opens a gap, and cross well in front, 2nd on the water behind Rhapsody. Sadly the gap was 5 seconds to small and Total Obsession Too pipped us on handicap to claim 3rd place.
From Rhapsody
A much shorter course is set this time. A beat to a laid windward mark, a downwind leg to Mcmurdo, (now renamed Naomi House) followed by a beat back to the line. It is twice around but we reckon on a shortened course unless the wind builds. The IRC boats have the same course and we start together.
We find ourselves on the line just by Condor with 2 minutes to go, Roy reckons we can loop round Condor and should be back in time for the start - it works well and we cross the line by Condor and realise that we are leading the fleet, IRC boats as well. The beat goes well apart from misjudging the lay line and having to put in an extra tack near the mark, still we are the third boat round - only Electra and another IRC boat in front of us. We round the mark and hoist the kite with a bear away set on starboard but soon gybe onto port for the run to Mcmurdo. It is slow going, particularly the section just past Condor on the way down to Mcmurdo. Here the GPS registers SOG less than 1knot. We see Electra in front, they are sailing reaches to maintain their boat speed, however we decide to go straight for the mark. By now we can see the effect of the east going tide, this means we sail higher to counter the tidal set and therefore faster. We surge up to a SOG of 1.5 knots. We maintain our lead and round the mark ahead of Total Obsession, the nearest club fleet boat. We do not tack immediately but when we do, we realise that we should have done so earlier, as Total Obsession has almost made up the gap. Looking at the GPS plot shows that we sailed into a header without realising it. Note to helmsman - watch the compass! After passing just ahead of Total Obsession, we have a reasonable beat to the finish, pulling out nearly 4 minutes on Total Obsession by the time we cross the line. The course had been shortened as expected and we finish ahead of the rest of the club fleet - line honours! Watching the others finish, we have hopes of a first place on handicap, we think that Scallywag is the only possible threat. As it turned out we were indeed placed 1st with Scallywag 2nd.
Conclusions
A mixed fortune day's racing for Rhapsody. We feel we should have made more of the big lead we built in race 5 but were very happy with our performance in race 6. Thanks to the race officials on the committee boat for managing to run 2 races in extremely challenging conditions.
All up, a good days racing. It certainly exercised the grey matter. And finally I'd like to echo Roy's thanks to the officials. A good few crews made it to the club house for an enthusiastic recollection of the days events over a pint or 3.