Flying Fifteen Europeans at Pollença, Spain - Day 4
by Greg Wells 19 Sep 2014 02:14 PDT
14-19 September 2014
For race 7 the competitors lined up on the windward leeward course with a new wind direction from the south west. However, the wind strength was unconvincing and almost as expected veered from 220 to 320 and the race officer wisely abandoned at the start of the second beat.
The race was restarted with a good 10 to 12 knot breeze from 340. Alan Bax and Mark Darling flew up the first beat to lead handsomely but behind them a tremendous battle was taking place between 6 or 7 boats. Bax/Darling went on to win. Wells/Rigg rounded the last mark in 5th but found some extra pressure in the centre of the course on the final downwind and snuck into 2nd just ahead of Goacher/Evans and McKee/Weatherspoon.
Race 8 was started in the same wind direction but the it was dropping in strength. To do well it was important to try and stay in the lines of pressure but it was difficult to predict. Charles Apthorp and Gavin Tappenden looked good half way up the first beat but near the top mark they missed out on some pressure which came from the right and it was Wells/Rigg who squeezed round first just ahead of McKee/Weatherspoon and Apthorp/Tappenden. A tight race continued between these 3. Up the second beat McKee/Weatherspoon worked the right while Wells/Rigg and Apthorp/Tappenden worked the left. McKee was looking good until the approach to the windward mark when some new pressure came from the left and shot Wells/Rigg into a handy lead which they held to the finish. On the last beat a good tacking duel took place between Apthorp and McKee with McKee just taking 2nd right on the finish line.
So, going into the final race Wells/Rigg lead Goacher/Evans by 2 points and have a slightly better discard with a 6th versus an 8th. Hang on to your hats it's going to be a close one!
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