On Friday evening, Augsust 26, at least nine boats from NSC and BYC ventured out for the third annual Pinhey’s Point Sunset Time Trial to enjoy the sunset, and some racing in the dark.
On Friday morning, the weather weather was miserable with heavy rain, but by 1730, there was only a little light drizzle, and even that cleared well before the start window of 1830-1835. Boats started with a north wind at ~6-10 knots, meaning it was a close reach heading towards Aylmer Island. As the sun set, the winds gradually died and backed to the northwest, meaning many boats needed to throw in a few tacks to get around the Pinhey’s Point mark.
For a while, around 2100, with most boats between Pinhey’s and Aylmer Island, the wind dropped to almost nothing, but after ~45 minutes, the wind filled in from the northwest. Sailors almost didn’t mind the light shower that accompanied the new wind, which gradually built. The winds peaked at over 15 knots, just as some boats approached the finish, looking for P mark in the dark. Recording finish times and dousing chutes, while maneuvering to avoid Britannia Shoal just beyond the finish, made for an exciting end to a great evening!
Elapsed times ranged from ~3:30 to ~4:20. It was great to welcome a couple of new boats (J-70 “Irish Temper” and Viking 34 “Cariad”), not normally seen out for our Interclub racing. And congratulations to Kara & Martin Rutter, who are making it a tradition to celebrate their wedding anniversary by sailing the PPSTT with their two sons (and doing very well at it!). Check out the results.
Passing north of Aylmer Island during the Pinhey’s Point Sunset Time Trial, Friday, August 26, 2022.
