Overcast skies and a moderate breeze greeted the competitors at the May 3 Bay Race held by the racing fleet of the Schooner Cove Yacht Club.
The race was a reverse handicap event where the boats started separately depending on their rating.
The slower ones started first and the fastest went last, in hopes that they will all cross the finish line at the same time, with the first boat across being the winner.
The first boat started at 10 a.m. with the rest of the fleet at varying intervals over forty minutes. The course took the fleet though a maze of small islands, around Cottam Point and into Northwest Bay where they rounded the navigation buoy at the head of the bay and returned home.
As they threaded their way through the islands and around the headlands, the boats were greeted by winds that changed speed and direction every few minutes.
This created a constant challenge for skippers and crews to get the best result out of any given situation.
Spinnakers were deployed when the wind was astern, then hauled down, stowed below and repacked to be ready for use again for the next wind change.
The next event, a single-handed race, was scheduled for May 18 after The NEWS’ long weekend deadline.
