PATROKLOS Race, a 26,5 nautical miles coastal race from Voula to a mark laid off Patroklos island and back to Voula was the menu for OPTIMUM Yacht Racing Team today. Light winds prevailed with lots of patches and holes of wind scattered along the course. It took OPTIMUM-ASPIDA-SAXOBANK 04:13:15 to complete the course and although that translates to an average speed of almost 7 knots, there were very tensed intervals that the speedo was showing 0,00…!!! So we used sun cream to avoid sunburn and also to promote calmness on board…
“We had a fantastic leeward start at full speed in glassy waters and led the fleet out of Voula Bay. We kept extending ahead but we could clearly sea that the light breeze would die out and our progress would be halt. From experience we elected to “park” closer to the coast so when the new sea breeze fills in we would catch it nicely. However, that did not prove the case. The fleet pursuing, saw us parked and decided to try the off the coast solution which paid and cost us dearly. Finally, the wind filled in to us too and all the guys worked hard to recover. We turned the mark in Patroklos in 2nd place and the finishing line in 1st, knowing that on ORCi corrected time our chances for success were slim. So when the handicap scores came out, 7th place out of 13 boat teams looks average but I can assure you it could easily go worse…” says co-skipper Nick Lazos with relief in his voice.
Tomorrow, the 15-strong crew will try to keep improving as the racing schedule rolls and deliver OPTIMUM results. See you out there for more round the cans action and remember to stay tuned through our OPTIMUM fb page.