The Cayard Chronicles - Fleet Shuffles Its Way Through a Shifty Race 3
2004 Star World Championship Day 4
Gaeta, Italy April 28-May 2

We finally got Race 3 in today. We got out there at 1000 for an 1100 start. The wind was light and so we did not get started until about 1500. We had a nice breeze at the start---15 knots from 130---but that quickly dissipated.

We did not have a great start but got clear air quickly and were looking very strong on the right about halfway up. The wind went a bit left and 15 boats got us from that side. Then in the last 500 meters of the beat I got in the middle and there, with all the chopped-up air, we dropped another 10 boats.

Down the run I think we just held our own. Up the second windward leg, the fleet split as there was not a clearly advantageous side. Halfway up that leg it looked like Peter Bromby was winning the race easily and that we had passed 10 boats. But that breeze; a left shift, disappeared and the righters came out OK. We rounded the top mark still about 20th and went very well down the last run and finished 15th.

Mark Neelman (NED) won the race, his second, and had a nice lead on the World Championship. However, he was OCS, as were a number of others. There was another OCS in front of us so we moved up to 13th. Torben Grael had a good race---third, I think---and Bromby was up there as well. Freddy Loof was about eighth and is probably still leading the championship. Ian Percy finished in the top four as well.

I have not gone to look at the scores so I can’t tell you how we are doing, but it wont look decent until we get five races in and get to discard that last place we got for breaking the mast on Sunday.

We are still one race behind schedule and I am sure they will try to get two in tomorrow so we will have an early start . . . if there is any wind. The forecast is not for wind. The pasta is good, though.

Paul Cayard