Plans for the NCC2012. I have just gotten back from a sail where I finally had some wind. It was 13 mph gusting to 18 and I was in fairly protected waters. I managed to reach 14.8 mph which is the new top speed for the boat. I learned a lot during this 2 hour sail. The boat is way more than I am accustomed to and it is a different kind of sailing that I will have to learn. I made a bunch of mistakes. It seems to be race horse and I am a rookie making all the mistakes and she is trying to buck me off.
So with that being said what are my plans for the NC Challenge 2012? It appears that the weather for the weekend is going to be fair, It is still 5 days away, things can change. Currently it is to be Lighter winds and clear. As I see it I have two choices. Take my time and the longest routes possible and with a few deversions like the cape and plan to finish Sunday by 10 am or race and finish as quickly as possible and after reaching the finish, and I have time, then plan to keep going until Sunday and see how much ground I can cover. I have slightly over two days to make the deadline at 10 am Sunday and heaven knows I need all the sailing time that I can get. The first choice is riskier about getting a NDF so I am leaning toward the second choice. Do the race and hope to finish earlier. My goal is to cover as much ground as I can in 2 days. Roger