The McAllister Creek Race this year set up one of the best racing duels I have seen in 25 years racing on Puget Sound. I thought your readers might enjoy the race notes I send to my crew after every race.
At the start, two boats evenly matched Courageous a J-35, Flying Circus an Express 37 level rated at PHRF 73 each. Both approached the down wind start with similar tactical thoughts, stay left for clear air. The boats started evenly.
Courageous, we, held a slight edge on starboard and were able to hold course. We were able to move out enough that Flying Circus could not take us up and at the first cross we were ahead.
We followed Flying Circus to the left with a loose cover but I gybed back as soon as I was relatively certain that we could clear Doffelmeyer. We were the left boats and I did not want to lose contact with the boats on the right. As the Circus reached across she looked like she could cut us off but did not. We were able to sail well into the Bay before turning right. (A trap in Toliva Shoal is coming down on Doffelmeyer on starboard with a number of other boats that force you to the beach and a gybe to port. At that point you are coming off the point on port with all of the boats on the left with rights on starboard). We did not lose anything to the boats on the right by staying in the middle. We had better air and the river, as fast as I have ever seen it, did not make up the difference for those who went right.
Past Doffelmeyer, the great circle route was the way to go, about 1/3 of the way across to keep good winds and current, before committing to the move to Dana.
Moving up to Dana passage we kept a loose cover on Flying Circus, off the port hip, and seemed to do well moving in the middle third of the bay. I did not want to go too far left and risk the back eddy rips at the point leading into Dana. Moving into to Dana Passage it is important to watch for the rip on the ebbing tide. It makes a large J around the Briscoe point light, the river is about 10 yards south of the center of the rip and 10 yards north can be a mean back eddy.
Into Dana we held middle to left of the middle third, following the edge of gyres, which seemed to be rotating favorably. Foredeck crew watch for circular flat spots in the water about 100 yards across and see if you can see the favorable edge. Winds are shifty here, as the southwesterly down Dana becomes the Southerly out of Henderson Inlet. The Southerly was puffy but did not affect us as much as the lighter boats. We held left of Itsami but moving right to get the good winds out of Henderson without getting the Johnson Point Shadow. To this point we were keeping Flying Circus on our port hip 6-10 boat lengths back, sometimes more sometimes less, as the winds were very irregular and everyone enjoyed different puffs and lulls.
At Johnson we prepared to do a take down and went to a jib before the mark, as I wanted to move right to get to the good air past the Johnson point light. The wind as a beat beyond the mark and we have to be careful. It is to our advantage to be right, as we needed to go right at the mark. As you get close to the Johnson Point marker, however, the wind goes light, lifting around the point and the southerly from Henderson fighting the southeasterly from Nisqually. Flying Circus held outside and had speed on us nearly catching us boat for boat but much farther, 5-10 boat lengths, outside. We did reach the new wind first and gained as we were able to turn up about 30 degrees form our prior course, 90 -125, which was the lay line to the mark. NB: on McAllister the right turn was the right move. The Synergy, which held high around JP to keep wind, had to tack about 1/4 mile on port to make the mark while we made it on starboard without tacking.
While the wind was shifty we increased our lead on the weather portion of this leg and were able to lay the mark, though just barely as 30 degree wind shifts were the order of the day and more than one crew made rasty comments about the snakes trail wake following your skipper. With the wind that shifty I believed it paid to follow the wind up slowly use the speed from being slightly off the wind, and fall back quickly when the header hits. More work for the trimmers but much less rudder work and better overall speed. Our leg out on Flying Circus is proof of that.
On the way back we were more than a minute ahead of the Circus at the rounding She stayed off shore 10-20 boat lengths more than we did and slowly reeled us in. Again sailing faster but at a wider angel to the mark while we were slightly slower (lighter winds?) but also on a more direct line to Johnson Point.
At Johnson point the hole was again apparent at the end of the point and you had a choice go wide and keep relatively stronger air, though nothing like the McAllister side, or cut the mark more closely and get to the wind out of Henderson sooner.
We cut thought because crew saw good wind coming out of Henderson and we were able to get to it quickly. Flying Circus went farther out on the rounding and much higher coming out of the mark and closed within 5-10 boat lengths. Flying Circus held higher going into Henderson while I could see right down the south shore of Dana and saw no reason to continue to go farther into Henderson. We sailed south of Itsami but were close to the middle as we entered Dana, Circus again on our hip 20 boat lengths back. Advantage Courageous.
As we entered Dana the winds were very shifty and a mixture of headers and lifts were the order of the day. But on balance a progressive header, the counterpoint to the lift when heading east bound. Circus held high while I footed off trying to get through the confused air and into better air in the middle of the passage. As such we followed the Synergy to the right and wound up on the right shore about 2/3 of the way through and had to tack. Circus held better winds in the middle. We crossed ahead, but just barely as Circus was on port and had to bear off to pass behind. Advantage Circus.
We tacked just short of the tide line and ran the river now inbound. This is strongest at the edge of the middle third. We were to weather, Circus to leeward but slightly ahead, no safe leeward. We were making 8.2 over the ground and holding our own until the tide line went left. We dropped out of the river and speed dropped from 8.2 kts over the ground to 6.8 kts. while Circus continued in the river for another 30 sec to a minute, long enough for me to lose sight of her. With a slight lift, Circus got safe leeward and then ahead 3-4 boat lengths. We could not go up, there was a hole behind Boston Harbor bluffs. Following in bad air would put us farther behind. We footed off to get clear air and pulled even but about 4-6 lengths to leeward as we approached Boston Harbor.
At Dofflemeyer the southwesterly in Dana becomes more of a southerly in Budd Inlet, meaning the southerly boat will be inside on a big lift. I did not want to give the Circus that edge so we tacked to starboard just before the point and carried the leg all the way to the point. The Circus tacked to cover, but tacked away about 10 length from the Point giving us inside position and clean air but still 6- 10 lengths back. We tacked to port heading at Tamoshan. As we cleared the Boston Harbor buoys, Circus crossed clear ahead on starboard and tacked back to port for a close cover. We tacked to starboard and she followed and we immediately tacked back again to port taking the long lift to the middle of the bay. Circus held on to build her speed before tacking back to port. She still held her lead but now we had clear air and clean lanes.
I am a firm believer in using the quick second tack to break a close cover rather than living in bad air. The clear air and clean lanes allow you to rapidly make up the lost time and most boats will not follow but do what Circus did.
As we crossed the middle we tacked again and while crossing had closed some of the gap, less than 6 boat lengths. Circus tacked to cover and we immediately tacked back. Circus did not follow choosing again to build speed. We crossed once again with no change of position, possible minor edge to western boat, likely slightly better tide. The second time we tacked off the shore, Circus was having a problem and we passed her with both of us on starboard tack. I footed to get speed and clear ahead while she came up but as we closed we were a boat length to weather and about 1/2 boat length in the lead-she was definitely in our bad air.
Circus tacked and I tacked as she crossed out wake to keep us between her and the committee. We had an override, but were able to pull it out before Circus was able to break cover. Circus tacked back to starboard and again I tacked as she crossed our wake to keep her in bad air and under direct cover. By now were within 100 yards of the finish on the committee boat side and the committee end very favored. Circus made one last tack. Again I waited until she crossed out wake, about a boat length and 1/2, and tacked for a final cover. We were in a good position because we would nearly lay the finish while Circus could not and we were between Circus and the committee.
As we came out of the tack to cover on port the J-lock broke and we lost the jib. Attempts to fix did not work and we lost speed. We had to break cover and tack to build speed and reload the sheet. As we tacked back Circus was able to cross clear ahead and finish about 1 boat length ahead and to weather.
While I hate to lose the race, I must say it was a great race. Every one pushed hard to the finish. Each of us gained at a time of error on the other boat and there were not many of those. We had the misfortune to make the last error but that is how races are decided. I also need to congratulate the entire Flying Circus crew who worked every bit as hard as we did, never quit, and were rewarded with the win. Great race on their part as well.
To my crew: you all sailed a great race, as did the Circus. I trust we will have another chance at her, but you should all be proud of your work. That day was racing at its best.
Our congratulations to Flying Circus: a great race and a great competitor.
Sandy Mackie, Courageous