Last Wednesday Night Race

We had our last Wednesday Night Race in Annapolis this week, and I jumped at the opportunity to get back out on the Esse. Driving sportboats is so much fun. It is rather unusual to have a northerly on a WNR but that is what we had, and our course called for a downwind start on port with a broad reach to the first mark. The two Esses and the Melges 24s jumped out ahead from the start, and started working on the sort of upwind leg. It was a long port tack with a short starboard hitch. We took our hitch early which was a good move as we picked up a puff and gained to within a couple of lengths of the other Esse. Another broad reach to the day marker and a fetch to the dolphin. We decided to go low and get away from the J35s that started 5 minutes ahead of us, and the other Esse went high, and tacked when they had enough water. We gained again on this leg, and approached the mark on the port tack layline just ahead, but they had a little puff that got them around the outside of a bit of a pinwheel well, we tacked inside and just behind and launched the spinnaker. We worked off a few Etchells that started 10 minutes ahead, kept a very high lane to windward of everyone and kept the boat moving. The other Esse did the same, but in the creek, they dove below an Etchells, not sure why, but it was the break I was looking for. We rolled over both to windward, they jibed away, and we did as well to cover, went to the other side of the creek, jibed back, went hot right at the bulkhead, and then ran down to the finish. We beat them bt just under a minute in the end, and it was lots of fun.

Great to get out on bigger boats sometimes. Packing the boat up today to head to the District Championships in West River this weekend. Keep llooking for updates.