I believe Craig will verify what I am telling you about the line. After I set the port end I first started toward the starboard end perpendicular to the bridge (the course). But, knowing ALL the fleet would want to be there at the starboard end, I then headed 30 degrees farther south to set the starboard end, thus making the port favored. Craig even questioned why I was setting the starting line in such a way.
I can verify this. After Rick's explaination and looking at the course, I believe he did the right thing. The problem was that ALL the boats were to the East of the line and none were in the starting area 20 seconds from the start.
You guys are trying to treat this 120 MILE distance race as a normal buoy race.
You can't just have one race thrown out and do the next race. The next leg starts 70 miles away.
You can actually pass other boats by paddling and races have been won that way.
You can receive outside assistance and no be Disqualified instead receive a time penalty. This came about because a boat capsized in one of the channels a couple miles from the finish on the second day and would have destroyed the boat or endangered lives if outside assistance was refused.
Most of the races done down here operate the same way otherwise no one would put them on. The thing that bothers me was that Skip did not check to see if the other boat was OK. We were there but it is the right thing to do.
