Queen Island Race…courtesy of Dave Christianson

Once the spinnakers went up after rounding Slate, and Borderline and Black Knight established themselves as unassailable leaders, the seesaw battle back in the pack really began. Very light breeze downwind can test the resolve of the hardiest racer, but all crews kept their laser focus. Vindur caught and passed Aftica, who went low to stay out of the way of a hard-driving Auberge. In the middle of the pack, generously not using their a-sym to maximum advantage, was Kitchen Party.

Vindur was brilliant going south along the shore, finding wind and then heating it up toward Palisades and getting there first. But the other boats chose to go inside the 10 footer on the rounding and gained back some ground. Auberge then smoked it upwind, pointing like a Yanmar. They won the duel to round Whiskey, which gave them the honour of being the first to become completely becalmed.

As the wind proceeded to come from five directions before eventually settling on SE, Auberge and KP battled it out, until all but KP abandoned in the calm before a very large storm. Eventually, even the Vogans had to agree discretion was the better part of valour, especially with the highest mast in the surrounding fleet.

The rain was a great ending to a fabulous day of racing and camaraderie.

Final positions
1) Borderline
2) Black Knight

DNF
-Kitchen Party
-Vindur
-Aftica
-Auberge