So off we set, 9 Fusions and 5 Lasers with Sue and Gill keeping me company in the RIB.
There are 5 islands in Poole Harbour, if you ignore the small ones that disappear at high tides or appear at low tides. We had been round Brownsea before and also round Long Island and Round Island before (although they are one island for 99% of the time so you have to around both, you can’t do one without the other.)
The tide was up, the wind was a good strength and a good direction, so let’s go for 3 islands. Brownsea, Furzey and Green.
Pinch and inch to save a mile
Nice easy fine reach to Brownsea castle, with a few having to put in a few tacks - if only they had pulled their sails in…..Hence the saying “pinch an inch to save a mile” – pinching is sailing a little bit close to the wind and if you pinch by just 1°then over a 100 meter sail you will be 1.75 metres closer to your goal (see diagram with workings….). That can make quite a difference when sailing, a real difference.
Now for the contoversial remark!
Then an easy run down the back of Green Island which gave us time for handing out the chocolates and time for me to say to all and sundry that the only reason that Jo is leading is “because she weighs less than you all”. An innocent remark I would have thought. Sue and Gill ( Todays Chocolate hander outers) put me straight on that, pointing out that that could be taken more than one way. Apologies ladies, but I can’t promise it won’t happen again.
At the back of Green Island we had to make sure that we made way for the tourist vessels as they did their circumnavigation of Poole Harbour then a collecting point at Pottery Pier at the west end of Brownsea and a lovely reach back to Parkstone Yacht Club for tea, coffee and biscuits.
In your dream’s ladies!!
Time for a quick race - the first of the season before we go in. “Oh no, not us Lasers” said Jo, Kay, Karina and Emma, “we have ‘things to do’”. Yeah right. So just the 9 Fusions and 1 Laser for the race.
Know when to "bang a corner"
So, Sarah got an absolute flyer of a start and decided to “bang a corner” which is always a good tactic IF YOU ARE COMING LAST and have nothing to lose. If, however you are leading, it is the last thing that you should do. As Sarah found out. Not quite from first to last, but nearly.
So, a win for Yvonne (yawn).
