Thirteen skippers set up their IOMs for the first Medal Day of the year, while joint ROs Paul and Ric CB laid a course in Race Area D off The Esplanade.

The mid B rig, hot, gusty nor’wester forecast was spot on for the whole day giving us a long course with passing lanes up, and down wind, using the shifts.

We got through 13 races with regular breaks for yacht checks, toilet breaks, and lunch. Gary Jones was a sterling Assistant Race Officer calling the starts and recording the results.

Right from the first race, Colin proved the value of giving congested marks a wide berth with him and Paul well placed coming into the first mark on starboard. Paul, slightly ahead, had undershot the mark and ran out of room in the melee of converging port and starboard yachts. Colin sailed wide of the mark around the confusion and popped out in second place. Paul eventually cleared the mark, in last place.

Starts were on the button by all yachts, with Gary calling “Clear Start” but muttering “just” to indicate how accurate and fast all yachts were off the line at the signal. Rules observance and acknowledgement is improving. Vern G noted how quiet the racing was when he arrived after lunch. Our next improvement will be to hail the sail numbers of both yachts, twice and then, if nothing happens, “sail number protests sail number” twice.

Podium places went to Paul, Ric and Bruce with Laurie testing us all with excellent boat speed on many occasions.