Small boat fleet, from the left (in boats): Emilio (Bandit 22 LTE), Lilita (Bandit 22 LTE), Niem (Bandit 22 LTE), Red (Bandit IF), ViV (TMS Star Class), Max (Bandit 22 LTE), Max and Wyndi (TMS Star Class), Sirius (Bandit IF), Cilian (Bandit 22 LTE), Rugger (Bandit 22 LTE), Theresa and Toni (Bandit 22 LTE), Moon (Bandit 22 LTE), Sea (Bandit 22 LTE), and Zimtzicke (Bandit 22 LTE).
On the Race Committee Boat: Cryptic. On the dock: Daenerys, Tamarushka, Henry, and Asher.
Calm to slightly choppy seas, with a great fleet turnout, highlighted this weeks North Sea Open Regatta. The North Sea regions were generally well behaved as three DNFs (Did Not Finish) were recorded on the day. All three DNFs, one occurring during the small boat portion and two during the big boat portion, were the results of skippers crossing over region corners. The two DNFs during the big boat portion were the direct results of a particularly nasty corner rounding, around the northern tip of the island in the Ziziphus region, amongst a pack of six of the fleet at that point. The crowds that gathered along the beaches of the islands in the Ziziphus and Genip regions, and along the Poseidon Centre Spectator Pier and small race dock in the Eden Jakana region, delighted in a rousing display of fleet racing from this weeks skippers.
This weeks small boat fleet, sailing on the North Sea CCW (counter-clockwise) course, was made up of a majority of ten Bandit 22 LTEs. Two Bandit IFs, and two The Mesh Shop (TMS) Star Class, one sailing crewed and one single-handed respectively, rounded out this weeks small boat fleet. Meanwhile, the big boat fleet, sailing on the North Sea Roundabout course, was made up of a majority of four TMS I-Mocca 60s. Three WildWind Open 60s, and one TMS One Design 65 rounded out this weeks big boat fleet.
Big boat fleet, from the left (in boats): Niem (TMS One Design 65), ViV (TMS I-Mocca 60), Sirius (TMS I-Mocca 60), Moon (WildWind Open 60), Max (TMS I-Mocca 60), Sea (WildWind Open 60), Zimtzicke (TMS I-Mocca 60), and Rugger and Lilita (WildWind Open 60).
On the Race Committee Boat: Cryptic. On the dock: Daenerys, Tamarushka, Henry, Theresa, Aikolicious, Caethes, Toni, and Asher.
Race Director: Cryptic
Assistant Race Directors: Daenerys, and Tamarushka
Wind: SW (225°) 18kts
Note:
Did Not Finish (DNF) = number of finish +1
Did Not Start (DNS) = number of start +1
Today’s winner was Moon (moonglownight Resident), with Zimtzicke (Nicole Myhre) second, and ViV (vivipezz Resident) in third place. Congratulations to all of you. Thank you to everyone who came to sail and spectate and the SLCG for helping with race duties.
Race Notes:
ViV (vivipezz Resident), Sea (filax Carter), and Max (Max Starostin) all finished tied with 8 points. Rule A8.1 of Appendix A, Scoring, 2021 – 2024 World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing is used to break this tie:
“If there is a series score tie between two or more boats, each boat’s race scores shall be listed in order of best to worst, and at the first point(s) where there is a difference the tie shall be broken in favour of the boat(s) with the best score(s). No excluded scores shall be used.“
| Skipper | Best Finish | Next Best Finish |
| vivipezz Resident | 1 | 7 |
| filax Carter | 2 | 6 |
| Max Starostin | 3 | 5 |
With the race results rearranged in best to worst finish order, per A8.1, the tie breaks in ViV’s favor with having a first place finish over Sea’s second, and Max’s third place finishes as their best.
North Sea Racing 
Exciting racing today at North Sea. The first race went perfect for me: clean start on the bell slightly ahead of the pack and good speed upwind to build my lead over the B22s, so much that I managed to stay ahead to about halfway. Then their much superior speed downwind drew them all over me, with boats passing leeward and windward in quite a frenzy way. I then was on my own to finish the race at ease, getting a good rhythm on the final 2 reaching legs. The second race proved more hectic from the get-go: a start within the fleet, but I pulled up on the first beat southward, and managed to tack in good position towards mark 1. I rounded 3rd behind the 2 OP60s, in a close duel with Max. I was slowly getting clear ahead of him at the end of the run, but hit the corner NE of Ziziphus island and got unseated. Managing to get back on-board with a botched cam, I nearly fouled Sea, I think, then mooring to fix the cam, I stopped facing SW, head to wind. BAAAD idea on the I-moca: one cannot restart the boat quickly enough so I decided to pull out of the race. Too bad, I think I may have had the speed on the final 2 reaching legs to catch up the 2 OP60s. But we’ll never know that for sure. Anyway, fun day at the office, with 2 thrilling races despite the 2 very uneven outcomes. Thanks y’all for racing fairly and making this the entertaining sport it is. Big thanks to Cryptic and her friendly crew. Until next time, Cheers!
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