Weather was supposed to be 10 knots with gusts to 20 at 2 pm, for which we scheduled an Impromptu race in the Round Bay Sailing Association fleet.
At 1 pm it was 10 gusting to 18, but by 2 p.m it was 16 gusting to 22. By 2:30, it was 18-20 sustained with gusts over 23.
Luckily I was able to get two experienced bowmen from a 39-footer in my fleet and from a 46-footer, plus a mainsheet trimmer who skippers the 39.
Put my spin up for the very first time before the race, and successfully jibed. Very heartening to see our boatspeed rise from 5.5 mph without spin to 6.5 with spin, increasing to 7.6 mph in the gusts. That's why we got a spin!
Was 3 minutes late to the starting line since the roller furler inexplicably wrapped the line all around the drum, making it so we couldn't get the jib out. One of our crack bowmen went forward and figured it all out, allowing us to get back to the starting line and head upwind. Caught up to the Beneteau First 27 that had started about a minute before us at our first crossing with them and they never caught us from there. The trimiran had a harder time starting than we did, but they started going over 12 knots upwind, so not surprisingly beat us to the windward mark.
Put the kite up after our mark-rounding, and headed back to the start line. A gust blew us over, putting the main in the water (on starboard tack) and causing the spin to fill and starting pulling us over. Dropped the spin halyard and got her back down below. And then couldn't get the jib out. But managed to run downind with just the main and go 6.3 knots -- which was plenty. In true wind consistently over 20.
An exhilirating day, and proof that the boat is a pretty stable platform in the breeze.
Also got a good list of things to improve/fix. Ranging from the vang and backstay hardware that was installed backwards, needing a stronger mainsheet system, a higher barney post, and a better angle for the mainsheet trimmer. Also need to tape up the leading edge of the fairleads, since the jib sheets were consistently catching on them.
But a fantastic first kite run, thankfully with experienced crew.