Just because scores don't show on the results doesn't mean races weren't run. Regatta Network has some particular quirks when it comes to doing the custom scoring required by the round robin / gold / silver. It took some time to figure out how to evict the gremlins from the Silver Fleet scoring - and time for me to drive back home when I could sit down at a computer and figure it out.

With the exception of the first day, the winds were predominantly light (under 10 kts) - with a stiff current, which made things interesting.

The wind would be from the NE in the morning, then slowly die until the sea breeze kicked in about 2 PM from the SE.

Two races were abandoned mid-race due to the dying wind. The first was blown off when many boats couldn't make the weather mark in the light air / current - although some had just made it to the second (short) weather mark. Not a popular decision for those people (Wally), but it was the right thing to do.

The other race was blown off before the second start of the sequence when the wind started to go weird and we recognized the pattern. No harm, no foul.

Race 10 was abandoned after the fact when we tried to shorten the race at the second weather mark due to time limit concerns. The anchored weather mark / finish boat dragged anchor in the current until they were below the layline to the mark. Mass confusion resulted. In comparing the finish sheets from the WM boat and the Pin boat (who was sighting from the other end of the line), you wondered if they were scoring the same race. The only fair thing to do for all competitors was to throw the race out - which also took care of a half-dozen requests for redress seeking the same remedy. Of course, the guy who "won" that race was very unhappy and filed a redress request, seeking to have the race reinstated. Redress was not granted.

All in all, a very challenging regatta for both the competitors and race committee. Pensacola YC was a very accommodating host and we hope we can return sometime in the near future. "Maxine" was a great signal boat, but the fancy flag system had some of the same problems all flag systems rigged on halyards and athwartships have - flags on halyards go up slowly (unless they are on bungees) and the side-by-side flags obscure each other. We only used the flag system for the group color flags. All the starting flags were flown on poles from the foredeck (their flag system could not accommodate my 3'x3' heavy nylon canvas flags, either).

2016 Hobie North Americans will be in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, October 10-14, 2016