Two weeks ago Team Triple P sailed the IJspegel with the Flying Tiger 10, but this week we finally could enjoy our own Farr30. On Saturday the boat was lifted into the water and rigged. In the afternoon we went out for a quick practice run with the other Farr30 'MummaDuck'. The decreasing wind however resulted in a short upwind leg, a spinnaker hoist and one lousy gibe before the wind completely died out.

 

Sunday there was a gentile easterly breeze starting with about 12 knots of wind. We had a reasonable start and rounded the top mark third. Downwind we had the wrong side and misjudged our gibe angle, so we lost considerable. With some nice boat handling and quite good boat speed we passed most of the bigger boats again, but the 'MummaDuck' was out of reach. At the final downwind leg the wind decreased to 6 knots; just sufficient to make it to the finish in the strong southerly current.

 

The second race we had a very close start, but somehow we were able to keep behind the line until the starting sound. With some good boat speed we could easily hold the right side of the course, which sadly turned out to be the wrong side. But the 'MummaDuck' went the same way so we rounded the top mark in tandem. Downwind was quite boring because we could reach the bottom mark without a gibe. Upwind we made far too many tacks and therefore lost connection with the 'MummaDuck'. The last leg was again one long downwind reach to the finish, resulting in a fifth place.

 

photograph by: Leo Eggink (IJspegel.com)