Hastings Race 4

Sailing into Hastings on Friday evening it's great to see a few tri's in the water getting ready for Saturdays race, and someone to grab the bowline. Then down to the marina bar for tea, a sleep over on Frassld, a good breakfast then out for race 4 in a very light South Easterly. About 20 minutes before the start we got a 180 degree wind shift to the Nth West so its time to get the kite ready for down wind start at MS2 as we are heading South around middle spit. We give the Monos a 15 Minute head start as usual. The rain begins to fall and Skedaddle decides to skedaddle home so now we are 5. We have a fair start, get the kite up and settle in for a great ride down to MSSCM, then over the radio we hear that Knot Tri'ng has a woman over board so in a instant [With Teeth] drops their kite and head's back to the rescue well done Mark. The wind has built to 20 +Knt's now, and Mahalbangka calls it quits as well. So now we are 2. Mean while I am having words with the skipper of a mono about windward boats keeping clear, then its time to drop the kite. We then head Nth with the sheets cracked and the traveller well down, at 14 Knt's it didn't take long to pass the leading mono, now it was really pouring down so with one eye on the plotter it was lookout for Middle Spit and keep left of French Island From MSNCM it was a beat across to 35, it appeared Sknot was making up a bit of ground on us so once around 35 I decided to give the kite a go, but as we were being blown of the track it was down again, then we rolled out the Jib for a great reach back to the finish at 28 going over the line at about 17 Knts. It was a very slow motor up the channel to the boat ramp. one of BE's crew was still wondering what had just happened. Packed up, hot shower,hot snag and home.