MExT long distance - day 1

Just back from the F16 Global Challenge and another regatta is awaiting....
Not just a regatta but a long distance event.

Saturday morning we arrived to subscribe to the event when we heard that the event was only open to Formula 18. This rule was to keep the boats close together on the water in view of safety....
After a short talk to the racing committee they agreed that also F16 boats could participate since we have almost the same handicap as the F18's.

Happy we could join, we rigged the boat and set off to the beach. The sea looked fairly flat (but nothing compared to last weeks Swansea bay) and the wind was blowing moderately (say force 4). The start was pretty close to shore with a short upwind leg. We had a good start and came about 7th at the upwind mark. After that we had to find existing buoys of which we had the GPS data.

The first buoy was on a reach and soon we had to retrieve the spinnaker since we aren't that comfortable (yet) in double trapping with the kite up. Most of the F18's kept there spin on and a fair part of the fleet overtook us.

Once arrived at the GPS marking, we couldn't find the buoy marked as first on our map. In fact there wasn't a buoy at all in the surroundings. Some teams headed out to the next way point, while others including us went looking for the first buoy...

After 45 minutes of sailing and searching, the committee boat passed by to say the 1st buoy was missing (someone had taken it overnight) but that the race was still on!! No thanks!

We sailed back and de-rigged the boat. Eventually the racing committee didn't issue any results for that day and announced free drinks for the entire evening! And to make up for their mistake today, to compensate, they announced they would add some legs to the next day's race...

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