Hospice Cup - Race No. 4 on Sunday, May 26, 2002
Race # 4 was a double sausage starting near Aquatic Park and Alcatraz with a windward finish near the south tower. Winds were steady at 20 with gusts to 28 knots. Just prior to the starting sequence Wind Dance folded the boom –( there is a warning on the national site to ease the vang prior to gibes and easing the back stay going down wind). The course was a classic flood tide with boats working the inside shore line to stay in flat water and avoid the heavy flood near the center of the course. We experienced better overall upwind performance by trimming for flat water on starboard and waves on Port. Several boats experienced knock downs on the way to the leeward mark – we noticed our boat speed drop from about 14 to 5 when the mast rotated from the preferred nearly vertical position to horizontal - the wind gave all of us a challenge heading to the leeward mark . Good Timin’ finished first followed by Zuni Bear, Nantucket Sleighride, Black Hawk and Bella Rosa.