The first two day regatta of the new year, the Manning Series is a good tune up for Midwinters. Day 1 reporting was skipped…we pick up on day 2.

Day 2. The moderate tide was flooding which produced a minor current; winds were, initially, a bit shifty and from the North! This placed the starting line along the shoreline just West of the finish line, setting the stage for down wind finish (finally, Lidos get to finish like their big brother America’s Cup boats!) The PRO set course 38 (W Cs Ds Bs Fs X V) with the windward mark being a temporary flag in the approximate area of mark V. The start was clean with Gaudio, Marshall, and a few others getting out in front immediately and tacking onto port towards the jetties and then back onto starboard in an attempt to lay the mark in two tacks. Most of the fleet followed suit. As everyone progressed to W, the wind lightened. By the time the majority of the fleet had rounded W, the wind was almost gone. The PRO was quick to shorten the course by eliminating the Bs Fs marks but this brought little solace to those now drifting on the current. The race went on and on, with the leader (Gaudio) rounding V about 50 minutes after the start. Just as the majority of the fleet was rounding V, the sea breeze finally filled in from the West at 8+ knots, making for a fast ride upwind to the finish. All in all, about 1 hr 20m for most boats to sail (drift) through W Cs Ds X V. Don’t ya’ love it.

After a break for lunch, the 2nd and 3rd races were started in more typical Alamitos Bay conditions. The PRO, anxious to see all 6 scheduled races started, used the appropriately brief course #14 (Cs Ds B Vs). With a steady breeze (enough for a light chop on the water) this race was perfect. Good starts and tactics dominated, with those keeping to the right on windward legs getting the greatest rewards.

Race five saw a good start with the fleet splitting to the right and left. Those that went right got to the windward mark and dominated the race from then on.

The last race, looking to be a repeat of race 5 conditions, got very exciting when Papadoulos, having gone right early and consistently tacking to cover those in pursuit, rounded Cs first. Babcock was right on his heels and Marshall just after him. The race up to B expanded Papadopoulos’ lead slightly but Babcock excellently managed the traditionally headed winds on this leg and was able to recoup any lost distance by the time they exited the channel back into the main basin. Once out of the channel, the drag race began to V. Very equally matched in boat speed, with Papadopoulos having led all the way and he being on the inside and clear ahead, one might of concluded that the race was all locked up. Not! Papadopoulos poorly executed a crossing through a flock of leeward starboard tack Sabots, ever so closely not colliding two of them. This major faux pas was immediately capitalized upon by Babcock as he took the inside advantage and put himself clear ahead. But wait! Papadopoulos doesn’t give up. He redoubles his efforts to keep downwind speed up and miraculously brings 5031 back into line and right up onto Babcock’s transom by the time he reached V. Papadopoulos rounds V and gets more height but is stuck in Babcock’s fouled air that can’t be escaped without tacking because it looks like the finish is on the lay line from V. Papadopoulos, thinking that Babcock will go for speed to the finish rather than cover a tack, digs in and tries to make the best of it. Alas, it was not meant to be as Babcock slowly widens the gap and takes the bullet! Good stuff!

Gabe Ferramola, who had a strong 2nd place, sat out the day while Mark Gaudio, having bullets for races 1 through 5, retired for race 6. This typically left Gib Marshall, Chuck Babcock, Tim Mulvaney, John Papadopoulos, Mike Clauss, and Jim Jackman at the front of the pack.