A Wednesday Evening Race to Forget... Remember, no Forget

So, the summer pattern hasn't quite kicked in yet, but there have been glimmers of the usual wind patterns Bjorn calls, "the laboratory." Around here we're just used to it... so much so that when we head out in the morning for our racing we already have our jib leads set for heavy wind. Last Wednesday was shaping up to be such fun, but even under these predictable patterns and routines, the problems never seem to go completely away. One or two issues... no big deal, but when several come up throughout the race, well... here's the recap:
1. First start general recall, good we were over the line.
2. We lost the time somehow and were guessing when the guns would go off.
3. The good news, we nailed the line at the start at the heavily favored pin end and Mike, Peter and Wilson were OCS in an Ebb that was way stronger than the bible (tide book) said they would be.
4. Despite being the outside boat in better current, the south lifts on the shore made us 3rd to the windward mark.
5. Rounding became problematic for several boats, many hit the mark due to the strong current. We hit it because the main came in too quickly and I always seem to cut it closer than I need to.
6. In doing our penalty turn, I snapped the tiller extension on the inside edge of the cockpit, the lines got all fouled up and for way too long we had the traveller too high causing a bit too much weather helm and we were slow. Used a sail tie and traveller line to "sail", but this wasn't much fun.
7. After making the windward mark 4th and watching Wilson, Peter and Mike get back into the top, we repaired the tiller extension with two battens and black tape downwind, the wind began to fade as we were steadily approaching the leaders, who I found out later were sweating thinking about losing their once large lead.
8. Fred dives close into shore on what looks like a promising wind shift, I see him doing this and in anticipation head to shore thinking I'll get out of the current, be the first to the wind shift, pass them all, suffer though the dead spot behind the St Francis, round 6 and be back to the bar first.
9. Two problems: The shift never materialized, we were sailing the wrong course.
10. Now we are stuck behind the club watching everyone round X with no chance of catching anyone....

blink, blink... dam. 11th place out of 15.

Everyone gets a bad race now and then, right?