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While I usually sail on the Olson 40, String Theory, for Center Sound #1 Blakely Rocks race I helped out friend Erik Kristin with his J/105 Jubilee. 5 J/105s started in the only one design start of the day. The forecast leading up to race day started getting pretty consistent already several days ahead, forcasting S 5-10 shifting SW, then going N later in the day. While Puget Sound forecasts can be kind of a crapshoot, this one was correct with one pretty important variation observed on the water: a big easterly component to the wind before the Northerly filled in truly from the West around 3pm.
There was a big ebb running at the start, and while we waited around for the other starts to get off we observed how late everyone was getting to the line. There were a couple of pileups and if one didnt have clear air at the start on stbd one risks not making it at all. (The line was not square and on stbd tack you might barely clear the starting area.) We liked the left side and the left side of the line was favored, so we set up for a longish stbd approach leading our fleet and had a great start. We led the fleet out to the Shilshole breakwater but got our own private header and by the time we made our way past West Point in the slowly dying Southerly, we were in last place.
The windward leg from West Point to Blakely Rocks was very tactical. We pieced together a very trickly leg, mostly playing the middle or middle left, but mostly going for pressure. The J/105 fleet lost contact with each other for a while, with Usawi going way right, and most other boats middle or middle left. As we approached Blakely Rocks the Southerly was dying on the outside and the money was more towards shore, dead downwind of the rocks. This was a SW'ly breeze. It was extremely shifty. We again pieced together some breeze and followed Blue Martini around the Rocks, on final approach finally with our kite up. We rounded Blakely Rocks first of the J/105s.
A single gybe onto stbd became a tight reach due North to the next mark, south of the tanks at Edmonds. The SW'ly had transitioned to a difficult-to-define E'ly. The other 105s were within dangerous striking distance so it became a game of cover. We reached for a while but it wasnt easy to keep the kite going as the wind was E going NE. We played around with sailing under whites and sailing with the kite. With the kite we lost some height and we didnt like that so much, but in general we stayed on the W side of the Sound, unconvinced that Shilshole Bay held any promise. We basically just wanted to be between the next mark and our competetion, but werent keen on sailing into the huge holes and shifts that still were around, so sailed in the rougest water we could find. Half way up this leg it got quite light while we transitioned to a Northerly, which filled quite convincingly from the West. As we were the North-most boat in our fleet, and also quite West, we got the breeze first. Delerium was only a few boatlengths away however so it became a drag race up the Sound.
When we got close enough to see the next mark, we realized the RC was finishing folks there on shortened course. The N'ly was solid now, perhaps 8 knots but quite even carpet. We kept in the game and eeked it out in the end to take 1st in class.
Alex, sailing J/105 S/V Jubilee
There was a big ebb running at the start, and while we waited around for the other starts to get off we observed how late everyone was getting to the line. There were a couple of pileups and if one didnt have clear air at the start on stbd one risks not making it at all. (The line was not square and on stbd tack you might barely clear the starting area.) We liked the left side and the left side of the line was favored, so we set up for a longish stbd approach leading our fleet and had a great start. We led the fleet out to the Shilshole breakwater but got our own private header and by the time we made our way past West Point in the slowly dying Southerly, we were in last place.
The windward leg from West Point to Blakely Rocks was very tactical. We pieced together a very trickly leg, mostly playing the middle or middle left, but mostly going for pressure. The J/105 fleet lost contact with each other for a while, with Usawi going way right, and most other boats middle or middle left. As we approached Blakely Rocks the Southerly was dying on the outside and the money was more towards shore, dead downwind of the rocks. This was a SW'ly breeze. It was extremely shifty. We again pieced together some breeze and followed Blue Martini around the Rocks, on final approach finally with our kite up. We rounded Blakely Rocks first of the J/105s.
A single gybe onto stbd became a tight reach due North to the next mark, south of the tanks at Edmonds. The SW'ly had transitioned to a difficult-to-define E'ly. The other 105s were within dangerous striking distance so it became a game of cover. We reached for a while but it wasnt easy to keep the kite going as the wind was E going NE. We played around with sailing under whites and sailing with the kite. With the kite we lost some height and we didnt like that so much, but in general we stayed on the W side of the Sound, unconvinced that Shilshole Bay held any promise. We basically just wanted to be between the next mark and our competetion, but werent keen on sailing into the huge holes and shifts that still were around, so sailed in the rougest water we could find. Half way up this leg it got quite light while we transitioned to a Northerly, which filled quite convincingly from the West. As we were the North-most boat in our fleet, and also quite West, we got the breeze first. Delerium was only a few boatlengths away however so it became a drag race up the Sound.
When we got close enough to see the next mark, we realized the RC was finishing folks there on shortened course. The N'ly was solid now, perhaps 8 knots but quite even carpet. We kept in the game and eeked it out in the end to take 1st in class.
Alex, sailing J/105 S/V Jubilee
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