WE FOUND NORTH HILL BELL!

Not many can remember going this long into the season before racing around North Hill Bell.  Anyone remember BX2P? A magnificent evening racing with sunshine, breeze and a massive ebb tide that turned the right side upwind into the favored side.  From our vantage point on the RC boat, we are always fascinated by the handful of boats that seem to squirt out in front.  On this night it was Salud, Patriot, Ursa Minor for the first 3 legs, building up several minute leads in their respective classes.  On the final leg, Wild Horses did their usual come from behind speed game.  Those four were the first to cross the finish line.

In class four, the Melges 24s put on a great match race show.  Leda led at leeward first as the two rounded nose to tail.  Eclipse went right and Leda left and when they got back to the finish line, Eclipse grabbed the gun, 19 seconds ahead.   Then the computer got a hold of the times and with the summer penalites, well, it's anyone's guess.  Only Ursa Minor and Wild Horses held on to take the Summer wins.  But, there were few complaining because we got a good one in the books.  If you weren't happy about last night, you have to ask yourself why you do this sport!

One sad note.  On the return to the harbor, Banshee, the winged goddess, sufffered a catastophic failure as her spinnaker pole snapped, clipping the forestay, and when the chute refilled, the carbon fiber mast came down in 3 pieces!   No word on if and when repairs will be effected.  Tough luck, Tom!

Here are the results.   Fleet results and Overall Results so far will be posted later.

The Donzo WNRS  Summer # 2   July 20, 2011   Course 4 N   Wind 5-11  210