Dis-mastery

A day of more Mediterranean conditions combined with bad luck, some bad sailing and some really great sailing.  What a day!

No Vagos turned up today but there was a good supply of Lasers (Keane, O'Toole, Walsh), the OK Dinghy and also Richard Tate - that sailor of every class - who was borrowing Alain Deladienee's Laser. He's now sailed RS400, Finn, OK Dinghy and Laser in this series. What else can he try? In any case it was a good fleet on a truly glorious day.

The first race started with Sheehy's OK Dinghy putting on a masterful demonstration of how to hold position on the start line.  Unfortunately for him, this demonstration took place well after the starting signal. Apparently irons and the piano are highly compatible.

Ultimately Race 1 saw a Keane horizon job  - but only after O'Toole's dismasting. Race 2 a multiway ding-dong battle to the finish. See below for the detail.

Race 1 - Results
(Note: Tate sailing Deladienee's boat)

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Back in Race 1 O'Toole was clear leader up the first beat. Keane was chasing hard with Walsh and Sheehy further back. Then Keane tried to start a seaweed harvesting business with his rudder and O'Toole's mast broke, upending the order. O'Toole was out, frustrated but still determined, and Walsh and Sheehy were back in touch with Keane.

Keane recovered and led around the windward mark with Walsh next and the OK Dinghy close behind. Sheehy was swallowed by the IDRAs and then Walsh discovered why you put a knot in the end of a Laser mainsheet. A race of disasters or mishaps for everyone. And Keane steadily extended his lead.

As the race went on Keane just extended more and more, sailing fast and finally leading over the line by minutes. Sheehy had recovered to take second while Tate almost caught Walsh on the line...but didn't. 6 seconds in it.  A clear win for the series leader.

Race 2 saw O'Toole appearing back on the course with a new rig and a determined look. Now that's commitment!

A tight start on a crowded line saw O'Toole lead initially with Keane and Sheehy next.  These two got a puff on the left about half way up the first beat while O'Toole sat in a lull on the right. Sheehy led around the mark only to have Keane sneak inside at the bear-away...it's becoming his trademark move.  Keane and Sheehy extended on O'Toole on the run with Walsh and Tate in battle slightly further back. Up the next beat Sheehy and Keane did an imitation of the old America's Cup racing. They met and tacked off three or four times before Sheehy sailed into a slight lull and Keane led around the second windward mark by just a few lengths. Tight stuff.

O'Toole, Keane and Walsh flew down the final run while Sheehy and Tate didn't. Keane rounded 10 lengths ahead of Sheehy who now had O'Toole just 2 lengths behind. Walsh had dropped Tate slightly too, but only slightly.

Keane was forced to loose cover up the last beat until Sheehy and O'Toole obliged by both sailing up the right. Keane led over the line by 27 seconds....ahead but not by enough... giving Sheehy the win on corrected time. 14 seconds.

O'Toole crossed the line seconds after Sheehy, but in silence. OCS in Race 2 and a dismasting in Race 1 making a very bad reward for huge effort on the day. We've all been there. It stinks.

Walsh led Tate home by 20 seconds after a tight battle - which was now for 3rd and 4th.

Race 2 Results

All in all a spectacular day's sailing marred somewhat by O'Toole's bad luck.  It wasn't a day to expect a dismasting.