Michael reports on his win at RIPS:
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And it all came down to the last race...
After 12 races over 5 days, 3 boats were virtually tied for 1st place on a net point basis: Wicked and Daisy with 24 points, closely followed by Blackadder with 25. Basically, whoever won the last race, or at least beat the other 2, would end up winning the regatta.
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In the last start, Blackadder luffed Daisy up on the start line, and both were over early, leaving Wicked to sail off with the rest of the fleet and take the win. A very close series indeed, with the lead changing several times during the regatta. The winning strategy for each race usually varied from the prior one, requiring competitors to closely evaluate the changing wind and current conditions before each start.The race committee did an excellent job with setting the race courses in the variable wind and current conditions, and getting off a maximum number of races each day.
The social events were fun and entertaining as usual, and the organizers did a nice job of arranging the post-racing festivities.
Two boats from Sylvan Lake made the trek to the event, namely MRS and Treachery, and it was a pleasure to interact with them on and off the water. Special mention should also be made regarding Terri Grey, one of Wicked's crew, who was sailing on a boat for only the second time in her life, and who did an excellent job getting up to speed in such a demanding situation.
Regards,
Michael Clements
