First Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mille Onde scored her first victory on Saturday, January 16th in the first race of the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing Club! Thanks to the fine crew of Larry Palmer, Liz Roberts, David Harper and my darling co-captain Risa K Scott.

It was an interesting race to say the least. I misjudged the start and we were last of five boats over the line. Mille didn't take kindly to being last and started to stretch her sails as we close hauled to the first mark. By the time we rounded the first mark we were in second place to Platform 9 3/4 a Hunter 38. If we could mark their progress we could beat them on corrected time.

As we headed for the second mark, we were presented with a bit of a challenge - a freighter was headed out from the Port of Long Beach and seemed intent on not altering course to let us pass her bow. As much as we did not want to duck her stern and get caught in the wind shadow of her hull, we made the right call and dropped behind the stern. Between the ship and the wind lightening a bit we bobbed around a bit as we tried to make the second mark and did finally round it still in second place.

The leg to the third mark was a broad reach which normally is a fairly fast and comfortable point of sail, but with the wind continuing to lighten, as is often the case in Long Beach as it approaches dark, we continued to mark Platform but didn't make any real progress on them.

After rounding the third mark and starting the sprint for the finish line, we started to make some real progress on Platform as we headed dead down wind (ddw). Due to a combination of good sailing by the crew and Mille's ability to lay her main sail forward against the spreaders, we passed Platform for the win.

Thanks again to the crew - as always we had fun which is the most important outcome (winning feels pretty good too).

Next race is the second in the Winter 6 Pac series on Saturday, January 30th.