Re: SIPR 2019
Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 8:38 pm
We were pleased to complete again, after several retirements. Good runners makes a lot of difference, but runners who don't get seasick makes ALL the difference!
We gained some and lost some at times. At times we sailed past a bunch of stationary boats, and at others they sailed past us! Tides played a few games, with adverse currents where there should not be, and helpful where they should not be. But the low windspeeds might have been to our advantage, as when there was a breath, those others overtook us (as they should against the slowest boat in the fleet). But when there was a chance to exercise some local knowledge, and eke something from apparently windless skies, (assisted by my giant oars), we gained a few places.
Lost a few right at the end, when we washed our spinnaker in the sea, lost the halyard which then fouled the furler, meaning we had to complete the last mile under main only.
I suspect the YB trackers were on 30 min updates, as they showed a few anomolies at times. And their placing was wrong. Looking for the tracker closest to the finish line, when our runners carried ours to Ben More summit, we magically got to the top 5 apparently.
It was great fun, if hard work. Now my hands have think skin from oar handles, and the rest of my skin is thick from ignoring the comments of competitors!
We gained some and lost some at times. At times we sailed past a bunch of stationary boats, and at others they sailed past us! Tides played a few games, with adverse currents where there should not be, and helpful where they should not be. But the low windspeeds might have been to our advantage, as when there was a breath, those others overtook us (as they should against the slowest boat in the fleet). But when there was a chance to exercise some local knowledge, and eke something from apparently windless skies, (assisted by my giant oars), we gained a few places.
Lost a few right at the end, when we washed our spinnaker in the sea, lost the halyard which then fouled the furler, meaning we had to complete the last mile under main only.
I suspect the YB trackers were on 30 min updates, as they showed a few anomolies at times. And their placing was wrong. Looking for the tracker closest to the finish line, when our runners carried ours to Ben More summit, we magically got to the top 5 apparently.
It was great fun, if hard work. Now my hands have think skin from oar handles, and the rest of my skin is thick from ignoring the comments of competitors!