MASSA Silver Fleet Championship spring 2023

Sailing Center Chesapeake hosted fourteen teams for the MASSA Silver Fleet Championships at Chancellor’s Point, MD. The earlier forecast of afternoon thunderstorms had shifted to evening but a chance or rain and changing breeze remained. The first course was set with a southerly orientation and a light 3-5 knot breeze. Racing started by 9:30. Twenty-degree oscillations were observed and spread the fleet out. In the first race of the second rotation about 20 seconds after the start a persistent right shift to the west skewed the course for all competitors into some reaching legs. The course for the fourth race was reset for the approaching rain squall which was bringing sailable breeze. The third rotation came out and was able to get in two races in the light rain. After the squall passed it took the breeze with it and racing was abandoned for the day at about 14:00 with 6 races completed. Several protests were heard and adjudicated ashore. There was one equipment failure requiring replacement that caused a missed race.

Teams returned to find “fresh conditions” with breeze from the north at 9-12 knots with occasional whitecaps. Race Committee ensured marks, gates, and the signal boat were firmly anchored. B fleet started things off. The stronger breeze resulted in longer legs and teams fought to find their lanes and tack well. A single capsize self-rescued and raced on. The breeze settled in steady out the north in the middle of the river. The breeze lightened during the day and the course was shortened. Two more jib malfunction required the boat to return to the shore for repair. The boats only missed the race in which the failure occurred. A single protest was dropped. Fifteen races were completed before 1400.

Observations by the PRO: despite being a championship, tempers were kept in check and competing teams were complementary to their opponents for well sailed races. Nearly every boat thanked the RC as they finished. A lead boat contacted a gate and while they were not observed or protested by other competitors, they displayed a Corinthian Spirt and exonerated themselves with a circle. Well done!

The following chart shows the relative rank of the teams as of the race indicated. Note that the races are ordered by number, then division, which may not represent the order in which the races were actually sailed.

The first place team as of a given race will always be at the top of the chart. The spacing from one team to the next shows relative gains/losses made from one race to the next. You may hover over the data points to display the total score as of that race.