Given that I wasn't allowed to look beyond the jib and kite for 98% of the weekend I can only share what I remember and did get to see. My crew Huw owns OPUS Express 27 which we have raced extensivly over the years in the Express fleet and Ocean races. Ben was our Express 27 competition for years and has raced many "Many" races in other fleets Farr 40's being his most recent gig.

The SD NOOD   What a weekend!!

Kelp was the main subject of discussion from day 1. The UFO racing team scrounged up scrap junk between the SD yard and a friends boat yard near by. Our first kelp stick ­ an old broken fiberglass antennae with the knotted line attached was found to be dysfunctional at best. Later it broke so we went back to the drawing board. A little more scrounging we found some old PVC Pipe about 9feet long and looped some heavy gauge wire through the end which had a cap on it. The wire loop would vibrate in the water flow and between that and stabbing at the kelp it seemed to work well. Keep in mind that crew #1 had his head under the water while working the kelp stick while Crew #2 sat on the deck holding #1's feet so he didn't go all the way overboard. A hat leash is recommended when doing this.

So on to the racing. Friday was light maybe 5-8 knots of breeze. A large portion of the fleet got off to a good start in both races, between the kelp and light air most of us had speed   issues at some point along the way. Steve's Silver Found speed going up the left side of the course and was really putting on a good show with Geoff's Ricochet and Mike's Red Viking all right there. Clifton and I (UFO) kept crossing tacks and it was clear it would be a tight race between the two of us with Jeffrey's Comet looking for a chance to pounce on us. We were pretty lucky on UFO as Friday we managed to duck and weave around all the kelp and didn't suffer the kelp wrath many of the other boats in the fleet suffered. The trick - drive like your drunk!

Saturday
Team UFO re evaluated our rig tension (to tight)­many other boats came to the same conclusion also. First race we managed to get a pretty good start protected our spot and came off the line right with the core group. We managed to pull away with a big lift as did Red Viking.  We chased Red Viking around the course with Silver and Ricochet really putting on the pressure as we approached the final stretch to the finish. Red Viking got us by 5 boat lengths or so for a 1st .

2nd race! Our start plan unraveled as we found our selves way early with Ricochet under us whom isn't about to give us an inch. In the end both of us ended up over early. We lucked out and had a lane to go back right away, Ricochet had traffic to contend with and lost some time getting back to the line. From here on out the UFO motto was sail our Asses off and try to get back into the game. That's when we saw Red Viking come to a dead stop and back down to shed one of the largest kelp collections yet. We closed in on Red Viking and proceeded to grind away at their lead. Then in the last up wind leg our knot meter went to zero and it was our turn. Kelp! My crew Ben yells at me keep driving don't stop! He tells Huw my other crew to grab his ankles and over Ben went.  We sailed way out to the right side of the course not to the Lay line but close. After a good 8minutes or so Ben was able to knock the monster kelp loose. We tack back to the starboard tack it wasn't looking good with the rest of the fleet who went left and were a long way up the course. Though soon we discover that we have more pressure, stayed on the lifted
tack longer and actually had a chance to finish in the top 5 or so boats! We closed in on Red Viking and took a slight lead then Clifton comes up on port and tacks right under our bow. Ben says we need to tack he is going to kill us! I noticed we had a little speed on Clifton and said no we are sailing over him hike! And a few nail biting moments later we make it over Clifton about 20 or so boat lengths from the finnish then Ben notices that the line is squewed slightly and says tack back to port and we might get Red Viking before they cross. We nip Red Viking by maybe ½ a boat length. Thinking we had 5th place we were pretty happy. Only it turns out we took a 3rd place! What a day!

Sunday
Five points between us and Silver going into Sunday we need to keep silver behind us or at least stick with him. First race we get a crummy start, hook some kelp, then have lots of speed challenges with the washing machine wave conditions. Silver takes off and gains
back 3 points! On Top of that John Andrews found the afterburner switch on Cinderella story and is smoking around the course! Ahhhh! This is going to be a very tough day! The Last race ­ The committee boat end is favored by about 10-15 degrees if I remember right. Earlier Ben had taken note that there was quite a parade of boats that tend to start their approach from the Barging end of the line. So during the 40 minute wait for the slow boats to finish we to 4 mock starts from both ends of the line setting up about 2 minutes below and just inside the line sailing up to it at full speed checking our timing. Ok we can do this.. The last start we set up and sail up to the committee boat end where at least three boats are reaching down and around the committee boat Silver being the first we encounter. We take Silver up to the committee boat once with a few seconds to go then again as they continue to barge I glance down and see that our stern quarter just touches them and I turn down to avoid more contact. Ben our tactician goes ballistic! I didn't even know I had a protest flag on board and after warning Silver and only getting grief in return he had the flag up. Silver did their turns which later didn't seem to matter as they took off and we dragged kelp around the course. We managed to fight our way back up the fleet with one exciting leeward rounding which is one my most interesting so far. We round only to find Enigma ripping along on Starboard and we do a rushed tack to avoid them. Just as I have the main trimmed I see another U20 on full surf, Kite flying, headed right for center Enigma, All I hear is yelling- the kind that sounds like something really bad is going to happen. I didn't even take a second look I yell gybe to the crew and we spin out of there hard Huw is literally hanging on by his finger nails feet airborn from
the low side as we spin. I'm not sure how Enigma got out of it but Dave told me later that he was practically running to the other end of the boat for self preservation at that point. Whew need to love the little U20 when it comes to maneuverability!

Man what a weekend! Great racing! Seems everyone had a smile between the bouts of Kelp disease.

Great weekend everyone!
Trent

Results follow: