The cloud formations on the drive down to Gosport were spectacular with huge pillars of cloud over the English Channel in between crystal clear blue sky. It was a very special morning despite the lack of wind initially and a great opportunity for the photo above.
The early races were in calm conditions. I had the shrouds eased so they were almost slack, a tiny bit of prebend in the mast and the jib and main boom in their standard positions upwind. The jib leech had about 30mm twist compared to the leech line and the main had similar twist to the backstay. The only annoying thing was the jib boom always tried to move to the starboard side when there was no wind but nearly everyone else had the same issue.
The secret to sailing upwind in calm conditions is once you have speed, keep it and avoid tacking unless you have a zephyr of wind to push you round to the new tack. Movement creates apparent wind and this helps the boat accelerate further. Always keep the sheets eased so when you get that puff the boat will accelerate fast.
As the breeze came up (to a gentle breeze) the shrouds were tensioned, a smidge of kicker added and that was all that needed changing. I picked up a leaf in one race. It was close at the top and I scored a second place to Rob Dyer. Well done to Rob who had that tiny bit more consistency and maybe local knowledge. 3-1sts, 3-2nds to my 3-1sts, 1-2nd and 2-3rds.
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