Racing Day 4...
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9:30 AM Awaiting the first reports for today, but I have a question... Where are the Puerto Rico teams?
9:45 AM Seems the Puerto Rico teams had to head home yesterday due to some issues at home. It is cold in Monterey, but it hasn't stopped these guys before... I mean, they have been at the Madcatter right?
Steve Leo is in the lead... of the capsize contest with 3 overs.
Greg Thomas reports that the AP is up. It is overcast and cold, but not foggy. Just variable patches of wind out on the bay.
11:15 AM Ed Muns reports that it is still overcast with no breaks. They are still under the AP flag. Chase boats are fishing and the signal boat crew is playing cards.
12:35 PM Still holding... Jacques reports the sky is still socked in, although some clear sky and sun can be seen to the east over the coastal mountains. The fog is slow to back off leaving them with chilly conditions and light wind on the course area. Some are playing with Ed Nolan's electric skate board called an "Exkate" does something like 20mph! Has a cabled, hand held control. Jacques also related the beauty of the area and the abundant sea life. He says they yell out to seals and birds as they are screaming along... the seals dive under just as they go over. (Monterey has some of the most beautiful coast line in California with large kelp beds, rocky shores and beautiful sandy beaches. The water is clear and cool to cold.)
1:00 PM I was peaking at the web cam and noted what looked like a mark boat powering by with the weather mark in tow... Called Ed and YEP! He had just dropped the AP. The wind is light, but they are setting a course. OFF THE BEACH!!!
1:35 PM Ed says the weather mark is 1.1 NM from the start. They have tied both weather marks together (the 17s can have a shorter weather leg by setting one of the marks closer). The mark is in 180 feet of water. Swell is 3-5 feet and there is little chop. Wind is about 8 Kts and building slightly. Still Overcast.
2:00 PM Tigers are off! Course is a 2 (A,C,A,C,A,Finish) wind is light at 6 knots, but now 8.5. 20s next to start.
Note: If you watch the web cam, you should see the boats, soon, coming in from the right and going left to the weather mark. I can see them now... a bit blurry!
2:20 PM 20s off at 2:07 followed by the 17s at 2:14. The 17s are on a course 1.
First Tiger roundings: Double trapped and flying hulls at the weather mark... 1406 Christiansen/1456/1242/1073/1471
2:35 PM
20s 1st rounding 925 Collins/7/735/933/11
17s 1st rounding 6478 Hill/6187/319/5919/5680
2:55
Tigers 2nd weather mark rounding 1406 Christiansen/1456/1471/8/1317
20s 2nd weather mark rounding 925 Collins/735/7/11/841
3:10 Race #12 Finishes (1st race today)
17s- 6478 Hill/5919/6187/6481/5680/02/319/6338/6387/583
Tigers- 1456 Thomas/1406/1471/1167/1308/1242/1281/1317/1325/1073
20s- 925 Collins/735/7/11/841/111/638/922/877/933
3:20 There is a fairly close race for 1st in the Tiger fleet:
1 Tiger 1456 Greg Thomas Jacques Bernier 13 Points
2 Tiger 1471 Jeff Alter Teri McKenna 19 Points
With this last race Thomas moves further ahead, 14 to Jeff's 22 points (8 points).
Just one point seperated the first two Hobie 20s yesterday...
1 20 925 Phil Collins Bev Collins 16 Points
2 20 735 George Pedrick Gene Harris 17 Points
Collins took the first race today... now 17 points and 19 points for George Pedrick (former Hobie dealers "Seabird" of Berkley California)
3:40 PM They are all off on race #13... Tigers are already visable in the webcam nearing the weather mark. Note that there is a large pile of rocks in the lower left of the web cam screen... there are about 5 Sea Lions sunning on the rocks. I could also see that there is one Tiger with a big lead... #1471 Jeff Alter has already rounded.
The course is 1... A,C,A,Finish
4:00 PM Race 13... 1st weather mark roundings:
Tigers- 1471 Alter/1281/1235/1073/1167...1456 Thomas... Yikes!... This could bring the top two teams very close if Thomas can't move up before the finish... Greg and Jacques already have a 5 for a throw out.
20s- 841 Leonard/925/111/11/877...where is Pedrick?
17s- 1534 Myrter/5680/6388/6478/6326
4:53 PM Jacques called (Tiger 1456 Thomas)... They are on the beach. That is it for today. They pulled out a 2nd. That moves them up a point against Jeff Alter for the day.
More results soon...
Finishes Race #13 (Top 10s):
17s- 5680 Borg/1534/6388/6187/6478/6481/5843/6312/02/6338
Tigers- 1471 Alter/1456/1281/1406/1304/1325/1299/1066/1167/8
20S- 925 Collins/841/111/933/877/735/638/929/922/7
That is it for today! See the event site for complete results and scores later tonight.
Tomorrow is the final day!
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Competitors Sail number lists:
H17 -
http://www.hobie3.org/tiger/hobie_17.htm
H Tiger -
http://www.hobie3.org/tiger/hobie_tiger.htm
H 20 -
http://www.hobie3.org/tiger/hobie_20.htm
Live webcam:
http://www.mbayaq.org/vi/vi_aquarium/vi_monterey_cam.asp
Live feed from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can't see who, but you can see the boats going by while they are racing!
A few images of the beach from Jeremy of Surf City, Santa Cruz.
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=996
Go to the event website for full results, scores and photos:
http://www.hobie3.org/tiger