Admiralty Cove #2--Race Report

The weather was sunny and warm at the Saturday morning race start.  Surprise served as the committee boat, and there were six other boats at the line:  Haiku, Asterix, Shoreless, Optiminium, Thalia, and Lyric-WR.  Winds were light and variable, and it was a slow downwind race to the cove.  At times things were so slow that some boats, being carried by the tide and not the wind, were caught facing the wrong direction.  As the finish line approached, the wind picked up, making for an exciting ending.   All of the boats crossed the finish line within 10 minutes of each other.  Surprise was first across the line, followed by Asterix, Haiku, Optiminium, Shoreless, and Thalia.  Lyric was the first boat to anchor in the cove, and Haiku went out to play in the wind, testing a new sail.  High Noon showed up for the beach fire and to join the second leg of the race.

The wind built through the night, and conditions for the return leg were much different than the previous day.  Winds were a fairly consistent 10-15 kt from the SE all the way to the finish.  Asterix served as the committee boat for the seven other boats racing.  The return leg was almost twice as fast as the day before.  Boats were strung out all across the Passage as they tacked back and forth to Marmion Island.  High Noon was the first to finish, and passed the other racers when they flipped around and headed back to Auke Bay.  Next were Surprise and Shoreless, within 2 minutes of each other, with Haiku just behind them.  The last pair of boats finished close as well, with Thalia edging out Optiminium by a minute and a half.