26 February – Regata Galeria Mayor 2 – Pollença
ffinally slipped her lines and set out for the course, accompanied by sister boat fuego fatuo. A brisk wind was blowing from the east, and we pulled the mast forward to keep the main flat. The shifts weren’t major, and we weren’t too sure which way to go up the beat.
5 minute gun, get to the end of the line, then sail dead downwind to check the bias – coming up, coming, coming, committee boat ! pin! – too close to make a call. 4 minutes, time to make up our minds – middle of the line on starboard. Back off to the committee boat end – a bundle of boats there. Stay underneath and get out to the right. 2 minutes, gybe round and start to come back. Bang! the 1 minute – unfurl the jib.
50 seconds – go for the middle of the line, past the rib, slow down. 30 seconds – keep the bows up to block out the others. 20 – speed dropping, start to come down and move slowly along the line, nice space below. 10 seconds – who’s that? Wight Flyer below and moving into the gap. Bang! – we’re off at speed, but Steve is pushing us up, can’t live here. Clear lane to windward, slam tack and pass astern of Flying High. She tacks with us. Decision made, we’re going for the right side.
Header, sail into it with Flying High on top. She tacks, and we follow as soon as we’re clear. Heading for the middle of the course, where’s Wight Flyer? Martini? Both off to the left, leading the rest of the fleet, heading into the seaplane base. Will we cross? Possibly. Tack! Flying High is coming back – we stay below and head out right. Good lift, but Flying High is on the inside.
Lay line, Flying High goes for it and we follow a couple of boat lengths to windward. Martini and Wight Flyer coming in from the left. Flying High isn’t laying and tacks before crossing them; tacks back and around the mark. We slip in between Martini and Wight Flyer. Gybe and pole out, mast back, spinnaker up and set in no time. Here come the girls in fuego fatuo – we pass close astern and head down the run.
Catch the waves and surge off downhill – but the others are doing the same. As the separation grows, difficult to know who’s ahead. Time to gybe and come back for the bottom mark. Get there with Martini ahead, then us on the inside, Flying High third. Drop and gybe, mast bend on, haul in the main as we turn upwind. Stay off to the right again, while Martini tacks off.
Looking back, Flying High must have a problem – she’s off to the harbour, leaving Wight Flyer third, and – no fourth place! The rest of the fleet are still halfway down the run. Steve also heads to the left, leaving us with a dilemma – stay out or come back with them. The wind lifts us – we say stay out.
Tack on the lay line and take a look. The other two are tight together on the beach and look to be well back. As they come out they seem to be pointing higher. No! they get to the mark first, more than 50 metres ahead. Now we have to do it all again; load the guy, pole on, kite up.
Big wave, weight back and we surge down at speed. Already made up a boat length. Pole back as the apparent drops, down the wave, pull on the sheet, power on, accelerate down the wave, let the pole forward slowly and enjoy the sleigh ride as the main goes slack. 10 metres made! Bows up, pole back a bit as we hit the bottom.
Its working, and halfway down we sweep past Martini, now just Wight Flyer to go…
Pick a wave, surf away and close the gap, again, and again. 100 metres to the finish, she’s still ahead, and going as fast. A fast surf and we come alongside, finish just ahead. Another gust, and we both take off towards the invisible line. Our bows come alongside their mast as we point down the wave, faster and faster and pulling ahead at the last minute.
But we’ve run out of race course, not enough time before the line and as we crossed she was still a half a bow ahead. So we content ourselves with a second in this one – which is still enough to see us on top in the series.
A great afternoon’s sailing, and really close racing – that’s flying fifteen in Pollença.
| 1 | ESP 3728 | Wight Flyer | Stephen Parry / Philip Parry | |
| 2 | GBR 4014 | ffinally | John Walker / Stephen Babbage | |
| 3 | GBR 3382 | Martini | Rafa Benitez / Pilar Caseres |
Up next:
26 Mar Pollença ff class regatta
16 Apr Pollença ff class regatta
5-7 May Palma Palma Vela
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By Stephen Babbage
