Summer Series #4 — Report from Shields #138

As is his custom, Robin Wallace made the right decision to race despite the weather forecast and he handled the ship traffic very diplomatically. We felt very lucky to get the race in, win it, and not get drowned in the process, as was the case at ILYC after racing.

We had young George Winslow aboard who worked brilliantly with Ian MacKechnie, and they kept me going the right way. They saw better pressure on the left so we tended to favor that side. However, we played the shifts which were 10-15 degrees and went for pressure which was easy to see on the flat water, as the wind was puffy.

After one general recall, we had a decent start (for a change) in the middle of the line, even though we thought the pin was favored by 10 degrees. Three boats were over early, but two of them worked their way back to a top four finish.

Hope to see everyone out for the George Winslow Regatta on 28 July. The Navy will have John Bonds as PRO and he is excellent. Free party after racing on the base.

Chris Withers, #138