Team LUCIE went through two days of crew training and tuning the boat, we got accustomed to the local current and wind conditions and had some minor repairs at night and then headed right into the 6mR pre-World Championship regatta – The Westerleigh Cup.
The Westerleigh Cup was sailed in very light wind conditions with tide and current that was difficult to figure out. To give you an idea of the potential current the tide rise and fall is nearly 14’.
The first start of the Westerleigh Cup found LUCIE very eager to get started. So eager in fact that Lucie was over the starting line early and had to return to the starting line to clear herself and start again – this put her in last place! What a great way to start a regatta, NOT! Despite 20 classic 6 Meters in the Classic fleet, LUCIE fought her way back into the race to finish in 7th place. Not a bad result given her start. The second race went a little better for LUCIE. She got a good start, showed good speed throughout the race and was able to finish first.
Day 2 of the Westerleigh Cup had even lighter wind that started with a one hour Postponement ashore. The race committee finally got the fleet started in about 5 kt of shifting breeze. LUCIE came off the line just perfect, played the left side of the course and was able to finish 4th. The leader after Day 1, MAY BE VII, sailed by Dennis Conner, started prematurely but fought his way back to finish 11th. Day 1’s 2nd place boat was the renown “Goose” sailed by past 6 Meter World Champion Eric Jesperson won race 3.
After 3 races, the Olin Stephens designed GOOSE was still leading with LUCIE 2nd in the overall standings. The wind almost had died, AP went up, some waiting, more windshifts but finally by 2 pm the final start got off. LUCIE was able to get off the line and hold her lane. She fought hard with the Spanish entry BRIBON (helmed by HM Don Juan Carlos de Borbón). GOOSE unfortunately had an port-starboard situation with TOTEM and had to take a penalty turn which moved her back in the fleet. LUCIE struggled a bit on the last leg allowing the Finnish “Fridolin” to pass her but was able to hang on to a 4th place. That was just enough to give Lucie and her crew a hard earned 1st Place in the Westerleigh Cup in the Classic division, only one point ahead of MAY BE VII.
