Course:B4
Sails: Elliott/Pattison Sailmakers 169LP genoa and spinnaker, and Pandora main. Backstay at 3.

Starting line heavily skewed with pin end favored greatly. Nearly all boats starting at the pin end.

Two problems shortly before the start: main halyard in aft hole of headboard rather that the foreward hole; bolt rope at foot of main not fed into the slot in the boom. Some of the slides of the main were cocked to starboard and some to port, resulting in a sail that would not set smoothly at the luff. Took a number of minutes to drop the main completely and address the halyard misplacement. Raising the main with the wind slightly off the nose fixed the slide issue.l

Just before the start, having just fixed the issues with the main by heading into the wind at the pin end of the line, found Skybird to port headed for the line a two boat lenghts further from the line and headed to sail below us. From that leeward position, they would be able to force us high of the pin end of the line. Stalled the boat enough to allow Skybird to get clear ahead, instead Skybird and Where Egos Dare, a Frers 33 , both choose to start significantly closer to the boat end. That error cost Where Egos Dare the race. Where Egos Dare did not pass us till we were closing Mark "A". Due to the issues before the start and the immediate need to prevent Skybird from obtaining a position to force us above the pin end mark, did not think to start a track...too busy with operating the boat.

On a close reach from the starting line, led Skybird, Rinn Duin, and Ronin by a number of boat lengths at the Mark "A", behind the BC27 and the ANSS Need entry for 245 . At Mark "A", hardened up to closehauled. Once we were able to clear Y"A" with a good margin for error and windshifts, tacked to starboard following a number of Sonars and decided to continue to the corner: out of the ebbing tide, getting lifted often enough on starboard tack, Sonars ahead doing well and indicating possibility of additional lifts. Tacked to port at the corner, headed a bit high to counter the ebbing current to ensure that dow more tacks would not be needed. On port tack, had Ray, Heather, and Anabel on the windward rail with Rick trimming genoa. As we closed the mark, spoke about needing the spinnaker on deck. Rick moved to get the spinnaker without anyone replacing him to keep a lookout below and to trim jib. Asked him to return to trimming, as there has to be an active person looking out to starboard. Had to duck one of the Woodwinds, shortly before the mark. Rounded Mark "B", fell off from closehauled to a beam reach, ahead of some ten to fifteen lengths ahead of Skybird, Rinn Duin, and Ronin.

Slow to get the spinnaker up. Made the error of moving the spinnaker halyard before furling the genoa. Ended up with the spinnaker halyard in the genoa. Dropped the partially raised spinnaker on deck. Cleared the halyard. Furled the genoa till only some three feet remained at which point it snagged again. Freed that and hoisted the spinnaker.

At Mark "D", broadened to dead down wind, gybed and hardened up to head for R"8". The closer we got to R"8", the further the wind backed till we were sailing with the spinnaker on a close reach. Boat heavily loaded up, well heeled over, 20* of helm, very little main. Rounded up hard once when past R"4". Arrived at R"8" with a bit of height to spare. Same drill again...dead down wind, obtain a favorable lineto the next mark, G"1SC", gybe, and sail fast.

Wind past G"1SC" was unsteady to flukey. Markedly softer, thank goodness. At one point the windex did a 360* turn while we sailed with reasonably full spinnker and main past the of the docks of the Annapolis Yacht Basin. Doused a little early, perhaps two boat lengths, closing to within 45 seconds of the ANSS Tartan 245.

Snagged first by eight seconds. First time that Where Egos Dare has not won a Wendesday Night Race since 2025-05-08.

NO GPX formatted track. Estimated distance: 6.4, estimated average speed: 6.4kts, duration: 1:01