Flying Fifteen Europeans at Pollença, Spain - Day 3
by Greg Wells 18 Sep 2014 04:03 PDT
14-19 September 2014
Another beautiful day but a testing one for the race team. At 2pm they set up for a 10 knot breeze from 050 degrees but during the start sequence the wind shifted 30 degrees to the left forcing a postponement. Eventually the wind settled at 350 and a good 15 knots. The course was relaid and after one general recall the fleet were away under the I flag rule.
Wells/Rigg worked the shifts up the middle and had a good lead at the first mark which they held to the finish. There was a terrific battle for 2nd place between Goacher/Evans and Lavery/O'Brien which saw Goacher/Evans slipping past the Irish duo on the final run to claim the 2nd spot.
By the time race 6 started the wind had dropped to 6 knots and shifted to 010. Half way up the first beat it was hard to tell whether the right or left was going to pay. David and Valerie Mulvin led at the first mark having worked the right side. Wells/Rigg were second round having worked middle right just ahead of Dave Tabb and Chewey who after a great start at the pin end had worked the left side!
On the second beat there was a massive gain for those boats working the left side. Wells/Rigg moved into the lead which they just managed to hold from a chasing Goacher/Evans who had pulled off a remarkable recovery following a poor first beat to finish second.
In third place were the Spanish team of Juan Manresa and Luis Valentin Fernandez who are sailing the oldest boat in the fleet and there were lots of cheers on the spectator boats as they crossed the line.
Tabb/Chewey were 4th and the Mulvins finished 5th which was by far there best result of the week so far.
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