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Blues Xtra (X302)
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Blues Xtra at the Dartmouth Regatta 2001
With a definite feeling of déjà
vu, for the second year running we found Blues Xtra, our 30ft
X302, tacked on the bottom end of IRC2, with the daunting task
of taking on seven X332s, four J92s, an X99, an X372, an SJ320
and a First 38 in a competitive fleet of 24 starters. But with
her proven Banks Checkmate Kevlar Main and AP No.1 Genoa and
new Banks Series 2000 spinnaker, Blues Xtra had already won
the Dartmouth Spring Regatta from the Banks-powered First 40.7
Fandango and sewn up the Royal Dart Y.C. Summer Points series
so we were all up for the challenge once again.
Race 1 on Thursday was a testing windward/leeward in a streaky
12 to 16 knot breeze. Blues Xtra got away fast from the middle
of the line and was able to cross everyone to windward to get
out right and up tide. We were looking good but tacking under
an X332 at the windward mark was not the cleverest thing to
do. We touched the mark earning a 360-degree penalty. Getting
in phase with the stronger breezes moving down the course was
the key to success in this race. We couldn't quite get it right.
Papillon (First 38) with new lead keel and light displacement
won with Peanut (X332) second. Blues Xtra was a satisfactory
fifth.
Race 2 took the same format as the previous day but the freshening
breeze was going to suit the stiff X302 better. Several dark
squalls ran down the course during the race and when they did
there was only one place to be – where it’s wet and
where there's 28 knots of breeze! Blues Xtra tacked left into
one squall with her No.1 genoa set to get a real lift up to
the windward mark and reached up into another flying her Banks
spinnaker to surf down with it to the leeward mark steady as
a rock. We earned the first we got that day! Papillon was second
with X-treme (X332) third.
The coastal race on Saturday started quietly in 10 knots of
breeze and was going to be very tactical. With a poor start
we resigned ourselves to being buried in the fleet but the decision
to stay far right on the second beat when most of the fleet
went left saw us perfectly placed when the wind backed and freshened
to lift us up to the mark on port. We finished joint fourth
with Peanut, behind three of the asymmetric J92s, which had
all revelled in the four close reaching legs that made up the
second half on the race.
The morning of the final day saw us holding second place overall
but needing to beat Papillon by three clear places whilst Peanut
and Jazz were both capable of snatching the series. Aggressive
tactics put us right next to the committee boat at the start
of the three-lap trapizoid race. It was then a case of keeping
our air clear, keeping boat speed up and sailing our own race
while the X332s enjoyed some one-design racing out in front
with Papillon amongst them. After two laps we were just under
one minute behind of Peanut on corrected time as she led the
fleet around. We rounded the leeward mark for the last time
with the bigger boats halfway to the finish. The breeze was
freshening to 18 knots and backing so we held port tack right
up to the nearest lay-line. A short tack and we crossed the
finish line and reached back into the river to find that not
only had we won the race but Peanut and Exabyte (X332) had pushed
Papillon into fourth place to give Blues Xtra the IRC2 series
trophy by 0.5 point from Papillon. Peanut and Jazz filled third
and fourth places with Hazy Rhythm (MG346) fifth.
Peter Johnson, Blues Xtra
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