Shields 8/27/25, Start of the Fall Series

It felt like it had been weeks since we had raced. Last week was cancelled due to pesky hurricane interference, but as we gathered on the dock at Ida it felt like much longer had passed than two weeks. I was high energy and excited to get on the water, and our dinghy ride out to the boat was animated with high energy ribaldry and laughter.

It was a stunning night. A west wind, innocently blowing a light-- albeit gusty-- ten knots seemed to promise a relaxed race. As we got to the starting area the right side of the course seemed clearly favored.

There were two general recalls before a clean start. On trend, our first two starts were great: we had a clear lane, and basically won the boat both times with clean air. The third start we were boxed out, started second line and struggled to find clean air. All three were cutthroat starts, with aggressive yelling and boats barging, and the wind started to show its true colors as well, building more with each start. I prudently threw on my spray jacket and was very glad for it later.

Our first beat didn't win us any spots, and twice 222 leebowed us to great affect, forcing us to eventually tack away. We slightly overlaid the first upwind mark, but I called to keep it high and shoot around the mid-fleet pile up with speed, and that generally worked. The wind was blowing at this point and boats were having spicy sets. Ours was clean, but we were trapped between two boats who were both struggling with their kites, and rather than set and immediately gybe as the course called for we were forced to stay on stbd gybe-- sailing high and straight for the bridge-- for way too long because the boat under us was obliviously struggling with their kite and forcing us up. By the time they came down and gybed and we were able to follow suit, we were rumbling down the south side of the course and could only really make the right-- and not favored-- gate.

Though it ended with a (somewhat forced) choice that was detrimental to our race, the first downwind was epic-- Hawk was rumbling along and it felt like we were riding an avalanche, throwing up a massive wake that the lowering sun backlit with glittering droplets of spray. Because all of the other boats were staying course right and aiming for the left gate, our lane was completely clear, and we rumbled along fast and unchallenged.

The question of the night is, I think, should we have fought to get over to that left gate? It was clearly favored, and coming back up the right side of the course was clearly favored. But, we had been pushed so far south, and the lure of an unchallenged rounding and open side of the course was so strong that it didn't feel like we had a choice. After our picture perfect kite dose and gate rounding, though, as we smashed our way back upwind through rolling boat wakes and waves that smashed over the bow, and realized how much ground we had lost going up the left side, it started to seem like we should have fought harder to get over to the favored gate.

Our second spinnaker set was also clean and fast, but even looking around at the numerous boats who struggled to get their kites to fill it felt a hollow triumph as we were so far back in the fleet. Once again, our downwind was fast and we did pass boats, but we still crossed the finish (the race was only four legs) in the back half of the fleet-- we usually manage to average front half.

We didn't place well, but it was a wickedly fun race to sail. Sailing the shields in that much wind was epic, and from a bow perspective, it felt good that all of our sets, douses, and gybes were clean and well executed. Our crew work has gotten extremely tight which is gratifying.

Dinghying back to Ida, the sunset pulled out all the stops. A windy, epic and beautiful night on the water.