Central Spring Open

Saturday, April 8:

The first day of racing saw strong winds of 18-20 knots out of the northwest with gusts up to 28. Racing was postponed in the morning, with the first start occurring at approximately 11:30AM. High winds lead to some difficulty on the water, with multiple capsizes occurring throughout the day and safety boats having to step in to assist. As wind speeds began to intensify around 3pm, racing was postponed until the decision was made to wrap up the first day around 4:30. A total of 5 races were sailed on Saturday, 3 in A divison and 2 in B. Columbia managed to stay upright and sail fast all day despite tough conditions, finishing the day with a 5th, a 7th, and a 9th in A division and a 2nd and 4th in B division.

Sailors:

A: Adam/Elizabeth

B: Nicholas/Antonia

Sunday, April 9

Sunday brought much calmer conditions, with a westerly breeze of 7-8 knots and gusts up to 12 knots. The first start was at 9:45AM, and A division hit the water first to complete their set from the day before. Only one race was completed before the wind died, causing postponement until 11:30PM when the wind picked up out of the southwest 'B' division was able to sail their set. Conditions changed throughout the day, with heavy oscillations and big shifts in pressure on the water requiring constant readjustments of the course. As the day proceeded, the breeze filled in a bit and wind conditions became steadier. In total, three A races and four B races were sailed. Columbia ended the day in 6th overall, with an 8th, 7th, and 6th in A division and two 9ths, and 8th, and a 7th in B division. A big thank you to Monsmouth for hosting the Central Spring Open as well as to Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club and its members for volunteering their time to help ensure things ran smoothly.

Sailors:

A: Calvin/Bailey

B: Isa/Elizabeth