SSA Opening Day and Race

Several 505 Fleet 40 (SSA) members were at the SSA Opening Day Brunch. This year the Board of Governors took running races a little more seriously, and convinced BoG members Sean and Ramsey to actually run them. The course was between the end of the dock and the green can, out to a mark off of David Taylor, down the Severn River channel to the big red mark, back up to David Taylor, down to red, up to David Taylor and reach back to the starting line.

There were two 505s, and about four Lasers and four Jet 14s. A J22 was registered but did not start. Bob teamed up with Candice, while Ali grabbed club manager Mike Higgins as a guest driver.

All the pre-race wind checks and maneuvering were for not, as the wind kept shifting and then just about died off after the start, leaving the fleet drifting. At one point both a Laser and a Jet 14 had drifted past Higgins/Meller, but they found a puff, got going, and opened up a bit of a lead as the entire fleet had to fight their way upcurrent to the first mark. Higgins/Meller hoisted their kite, but had to douse it again quickly, as the wind shifted around more to the south, putting them on a port tack favored beat. A minute later Ali was on the wire, and the boat was planing upwind. A fabulous one tack wire run down gave Higgins/Meller a big lead, while Clough/Patterson powered through a Laser into second place.

Despite some scares, Higins/Meller managed to avoid splashing or hitting the steel mark, and planed up and then back down, opening up more and more. Clough/Patterson retired after hitting the mark and deciding that they were not prepared for the freshinging breeze.

Higgins/Meller finished about 9 minutes ahead of the lead Laser, and corrected out to just over two minutes ahead, to win the opening day race.

It is not clear how eager Mike Higgins is to try 505s again ;-)