A fun start to the race. Came out in the top 3.
Lost ground to the others as seasickness set in for many of the crew. Variable local conditions meant frequent sail changes and a lot of work.
It's important to balance response to local rapidly changing conditions vs. energy expended. In the long game, playing it conservative may be the winning strategy.
While flying the spinnaker may be faster, it costs time and energy to set up and take down, so unless we expect to fly it for more than a couple of hours, it may be better to bob along under white sails for an hour or 2 - very frustrating for a "round the buoys" racer like me, but I'm starting to see the rationale.
The HUGE spinnaker needs to be tied in a bundle with a series of wool ties that pop open once the spinnaker is hoisted and the wind fills it. This is done each time the spinnaker is taken down after use in preparation for the next time.
- taken from my bunk while off watch