Three races today and a new series leader: Rán Racing

Conditions today were ideal for Key West: sunny, 12-16 knots, some small shifts to keep the game tactically challenging and the racing close all day. In the first race nearly everyone had a clear lane of the start, which allowed Interlodge to find an upwind speed gear no one else had to take an early lead and hold it throughout the race and take their first win of the series.

Race 2 had very much the same conditions, and the reigning World Champion Rán Racing finally put all the pieces together to get their first win of the series, but the win was not easy, with numerous lead changes throughout the race

In Race 6 a strong start and early lead by Azzurra looked as though they would replicate Interlodge’s dominance of Race 1, but a few shifts brought Interlodge, then Rán, then back to Azzurra into the lead on the five-leg course. Mark roundings were the most crowded of any race thusfar, but in the end on the final beat Rán emerged on top to take the race and a 1-point lead in the series.

Just as in last year’s races here in Key West, lobster pot lines caught some bigger fish: Azzurra, Hooligan and Quantum all managed to snag these lines today, Hooligan twice, with a resulting loss of places in each race.