We borrowed 63 a little tentatively tonight, as the forecast was for 15-30kts out of the NE complete with small craft advisory. When we got rigged and sailing it was actually a wonderful night, around 8-12 but with some odd angle large swell.
A downwind start had me completely lost as to the right call, but Jacob had no problems. We were caught out above the line, and Jacob sailed from course side @ 1:30 or so, luffed us up and had his pick of timing as to when to start. In talking with him after it's clear what to do now: Jacobs plan was to sit on starboard, below and outside the pin layline, then sail up and enter clean. After he saw us high of the line though, it was an easy call to sail up and sit below us. Quite a learning move for me, and Jacob executing perfectly.
Downwind I was looking forward to practicing the wingonwing sailing, and I felt we were a touch faster downwind doing it, but not by enough to pass on the .6mi downwind leg which was mostly stbd. Seeing this, we gybed and went to a 2 sail reach, and then gybed back about 10 lengths separated as Jacob matched our gybe but not our angle. I was hoping that coming back with waves (due to the odd angle) would be faster. It worked (barely) as we came back with a piece of 63 who was still on port and low, and were able to force them to gybe into a nice fat overlap. We held them to port layline, and the second that Jacob went up for separation we gybed and led in easily.
After the bottom mark we tacked to match Jacob, and couldn't quite hold on to our good position and had to tack away, but it was into much better pressure and angle and we had a huge lead by the top mark.
We switched drivers and put Katie on helm, and had a nice downwind run included a circle to clsoe things up.
On the upwind we gave it away a bit with too many tacks, and ultimately leebowed 63 badly, and they were able to sail us past the finigh so that we had to go gybing. It was textbook good sailing by 63 once the boats were close.
I really got a lot of of this night, picking up good starting and boat on boat tactics. I feel that the boats are relatively even in heavy air, even though we have 88 better tuned for the light (according to a month agos) racing. I might have the edge driving and trimming up, and Jacob is better on tactics, starting and position. Good recipe for improvement, as I think we're both learning and getting better, as we race hard on beercans but still want to keep things close so we get lots of action.
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