Professor Thaum

Interrim challenge: The Pilots' Association Racing Cup, Era II - RESULTS POSTED

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The Pilot’s Association, in conjunction with Duke Alexander Prio, would like to thank all the entrants for the inaugural P.A. Racing Cup.

Races will begin Monday, with the first group race in Class 1 and the first race in Class 3. The next day will see the first group race in Class 2 and the second race in Class 3. This schedule will be repeated for two more days, as weather allows. One more day of activity will see the final race in all three classes. This will produce a total three races in classes 1 and 2, and five races in class 3. Points will be awarded 6-5-4-3-2-1 in order of finish of each race. Cumulative score in all races will determine class winners. In the event of a tie in points, a one-race tiebreaker will be sailed between the tied entrants. Additionally, a final race among the three class winners will be held to determine an overall sailing champion.

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Class 1, Race 1 of 3

Welcome to the first race of the PA Cup! Our first event is the first of three races for class 1 vessels. Entrants include De Neushoorn, an Eslandian ship under the command of Jacobus Vandermeulen; A’chua’s Catamaran, piloted by A’chua, a native of the New Haven Seas; Sangiovese, a Sea Rat vessel bankrolled by Oilskin Johnny; Exocet, a Sea Rat catamaran piloted by the clumsy Callaghan; Marlin, a catamaran crewed by Captain Itzcali and two of his fellow native pearl fishermen; and Oleon’s Orion, a small, two-masted pilot boat.

The native pearl fishermen in their catamaran Marlin expertly anticipated the starting gun and out-maneuvered the other native catamaran and the Sea Rats’ Sangiovese to be first across the starting line.

Working the first leg of the course against the wind, the Sangiovese proved fastest, nimbly tacking to out-pace the field and round the windward mark with an early lead.

The next leg of the course took the contestants on a right angle to the wind, and Sangiovese again proved fastest in the group, although De Neushoorn nearly matched the leader’s pace to the jibe mark. Meanwhile, Callaghan fell overboard from the Exocet and fouled the Marlin.

Running downwind, Sangiovese continued to set a fast pace and led at the leeward mark, but Marlin recovered from the interference from Exocet and made up ground. Orion also caught a good breeze, and rounded the leeward mark in second place, just ahead of Marlin. Meanwhile, problems with De Neushoorn’s jib saw it drop back to fourth. The Exocet finally looked at its best sailing with the wind and caught up to A’chua’s Catamaran, as the native from the New Haven Sea has so far looked out-matched.

Another beat to windward saw all the vessels struggle to find good winds, and the field spread out searching for a magic zephyr. Sangiovese increased its lead slightly, while Callaghan struggled to stay out of the water and caused Exocet to fall to the back of the field. Orion, Marlin, De Neushoorn, and A’chua’s Catamaran sailed in a tight group but avoided fouling each other.

One more run downwind to the leeward mark before the finish saw Sangiovese continue its strong performance, keeping the rest of the field far behind. A’chua finally looked like a contender, gliding his catamaran atop the waves at breathtaking speed, and the New Haven native rounded the final mark just ahead of De Neushoorn. Orion had trouble with an uncooperative leeboard rounding the mark and fell back to fourth. Further back, Callaghan again fell overboard from the Exocet, practically slowing his boat to a standstill on the critical final leg with the wind.

Turning to the finish line, Sangiovese crossed as the winner before all but A’chua’s Catamaran had rounded the previous mark. The New Haven native, having found his form, finished at a blistering pace for second. Orion passed De Neushoorn for third place as the Eslandian vessel lost its jib, which also allowed Marlin to sail past before the finish. Callaghan and the Exocet eventually brought up the rear of the field, with a time nearly twice that of Sangiovese!

Points in class 1 after race 1:

Sangiovese               6
A’chua’s catamaran   5
Orion                         4
Marlin                        3
De Neushoorn           2
Exocet                       1

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Class 3, Race 1 of 5

After PA Cup officials have had their lunch break, we are ready for the first of five match races between the two class 3 contestants: the Aqua Fina, a ship we are assured is NOT associated with the pirate Bluebeard in any way despite its numerous skull-and-sword images and blue-and-black color scheme; and the Golden Rat, a Sea Rat entry proudly flying the black from the stern.

At the start, Aqua Fina gained a slight advantage as they started the initial windward leg.

Aqua Fina immediately displayed excellent maneuverability, out-tacking Golden Rat several times to take a strong lead at the windward mark.

Sailing a reach to the jibe mark, Aqua Fina’s sails filled to full capacity, while the battle-worn jib sail of Golden Rat repeatedly lost its wind. Onlookers watching from Alexport’s shore muttered disappointingly about a runaway contest. But as the ships turned to run with the wind, the crew of the Golden Rat ran up a new jib sail and she took off. Meanwhile, the age of Aqua Fina’s mainsail was looking suspect, failing to hold its wind as Golden Rat closed to within shouting distance (or was it shooting distance?!) at the leeward mark.

Beating to windward again, the maneuverability of the Aqua Fina again proved superior, and Golden Rat struggled to keep pace in the tacking battle. However, after the turn to run with the wind a second time, Golden Rat again proved the faster boat in a straight line. Aqua Fina rounded the final mark in the lead, but Golden Rat was closing fast.

Turning to the finish, neither ship was particularly fast, but Aqua Fina maintained its lead to cross the finish line first. Both crews commented about needing to repair their sails, and some bystanders reported hearing comments about loading ammunition for the next race, but we cannot substantiate that rumor.

After one race in the best-of-five series, Aqua Fina leads Golden Rat 1-0.

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A strong performance from A'chua. I am well satisfied. As long as he can keep this up, he will do his people proud.

As always, we can rely on Callaghan to be a complete bonehead!

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I wonder how well received Captain Sasha Bohen's tactics will be. Or the fact that a Royal Cousin will be aboard the Glittering Wind for the race.

Edited by gedren_y

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A fascinating race to follow! You had me sitting at the edge of my seat!

I will be setting up a voting thread for finding the favourite builds soon(tm) and you will all be asked to vote:)

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Class 2, Race 1 of 3

Welcome to Day 2 of competition for the Pilot’s Association Racing Cup. This morning’s event is the first of three races for class 2 vessels. Entrants include Arkham Chaser, a Sea Rat cutter captained by young master Iauln; Glittering Wind, entered by the Crahaish Triuri, a cutter of Oleon design captained by a Corrie ex-pat and flying Eslandolan colors; Spirit of Sir Edward, a Sea Rat sloop from the stable of Oilskin Johnny; Idol, an Oleon sloop out of the Eltina shipyards; Jinn, a lateen-rigged dhow of mysterious ownership history captained by an equally mysterious Corrish gentleman “privateer”; and Lydia, a fanciful Corrish dhow with added headsails.

Jinn got the best of Glittering Wind and outmaneuvered her to cross the line first at the starting gun. Jinn tacked masterfully as the contestants beat to windward, with Arkham Chaser covering her nicely. Glittering Wind also proved nimble in the tacking battle against the wind. Idol, Spirit of Sir Edward, and Lydia lagged behind. Jinn just beat Arkham Chaser around the windward mark.

For the next leg of the race, the vessels headed at a right angle to the wind toward the next mark. Jinn continued to pace the field, pulling away slightly from Arkham Chaser. None of the other vessels proved faster than the others on this reach, with their positions unchanged.

After rounding the jibe mark, the contestants got their first run downwind. The gentleman privateer captaining Jinn appears to be in complete control, getting maximum efficiency from his sails. Arkham Chaser is fast, but young Iauln can’t quite keep pace with the man in the bowler hat. Glittering Wind and Idol both show well on this run with the strong wind, but can’t close. The Spirit of Sir Edward lost some time struggling with their jib sail as they rounded the leeward mark, allowing Lydia to close up on them at the rear of the field.

On another beat to windward, Arkham Chaser apparently found stronger headwinds and suffered badly. Glittering Wind’s crew came alive, tacking brilliantly to beat Arkham Chaser to the jibe mark and close on Jinn. The rest of the field spread out, tacking to and fro to find favorable winds to no apparent effect.

Running another leg with the wind, Jinn once again leapt to life. Her sails filled perfectly, and her gentleman captain guided her swiftly over the waves. Glittering Wind continued her fine performance but still fell back a bit. Arkham Chaser met disaster when the jib sail tore and young Iauln had no spare. Idol beat him to the leeward mark, and Spirit of Sir Edward and Lydia closed quickly. But all four were well behind Jinn and Glittering Wind at this point, fighting among themselves for third place, as none would be around the final mark before the leaders crossed the finish line.

On the final reach to the finish, Jinn maintained her lead over Glittering Wind to win comfortably. Spirit of Sir Edward found a beneficial breeze and sailed past Idol and Arkham Chaser to finish third. Lydia, last at every mark, brought up the rear.

Points in class 2 after race 1:

Jinn                          6
Glittering Wind         5
Spirit of Sir Edward  4
Idol                           3
Arkham Chaser        2
Lydia                        1

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Great write-ups! I shouldn’t be this excited about a randomizer and building blocks... Way to go.

Also, good showing for Johnny (placed 1,2,3 so far :pir-laugh:)

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Class 3, Race 2 of 5

A little fog has rolled in around the far end of the course, but PA Cup officials have decided that this afternoon’s race between Aqua Fina and Golden Rat can proceed as scheduled.

At the start, Golden Rat out-maneuvered Aqua Fina to cross the starting line first. Yesterday Aqua Fina was clearly superior when tacking into the wind, but today the crew of Golden Rat have upped their game, reading the wind well and tacking crisply. Aqua Fina looks sluggish today, and at the windward mark Golden Rat had opened a sizable lead.

As they reached across the wind to the jibe mark, however, Golden Rat struggled to keep their sails set properly. The crew of Aqua Fina look sharper on this leg and cut the lead in half.

The course near the jibe mark is in fog this afternoon, and it is unclear what happened next. A loud BOOM was followed by a piercing CRACK, and Golden Rat cleared the fog running downwind with sails full. Spectators waited for what seemed forever for Aqua Fina to appear. When it did, it’s main spar was in splinters and the mainsail was strewn across the deck. The crew struggled to replace the spar and set a new mainsail, all the while watching Golden Rat sail away with the wind. Golden Rat was already rounding the leeward mark before Aqua Fina had affected repairs.

As Golden Rat worked their way to windward again, they tacked wide to avoid coming near Aqua Fina as they passed each other heading in opposite directions. Aqua Fina had barely rounded the leeward mark to begin their tacking beat to windward when Golden Rat again disappeared into the fog around the jibe mark.

With Aqua Fina tacking into the wind, they made sure to run near Golden Rat as it emerged out of the fog on its downwind run. Some observers reported hearing what sounded like small arms fire as the two ships passed, and Golden Rat appeared to lose control of its sails. As far as officials could tell through the fog, Aqua Fina rounded the jibe mark cleanly and immediately caught a strong breeze, and started to make up ground quickly on Golden Rat.

Rounding the final leeward mark, Golden Rat appeared to have an insurmountable lead, but hit a patch of dead air and was nearly stuck in the doldrums! Aqua Fina rounded the leeward mark and tacked away from Golden Rat’s position, staying in a fair breeze. As the ships neared the finish line, Aqua Fina was closing fast, but Golden Rat found a breeze in the nick of time and crossed the finish line a mere boat length ahead of Aqua Fina.

On shore after the race, there were wild accusations from both crews, claiming each had fired on the other in the fog, and the crews nearly came to fisticuffs. However, as the officials could not see any of the events that occurred in the fog, the results stand. After two races, Aqua Fina and Golden Rat are tied at 1 win apiece.

In addition to the events on the water, a third vessel seeking entry into the competition arrived in Alexport today: Mayu, a class 3 junk crewed by settlers of Loti origin in the service of the Oleon Foreign Legion. PA Cup officials conferred for some time, and we have heard that the new entrant will participate in the rest of the class 3 races starting tomorrow, albeit at a disadvantage to the Aqua Fina and Golden Rat in scoring, as the first two races still count.

With all the excitement, ticket sales for tomorrow afternoon’s race are selling at premium prices, and the local bookies are busy recalculating how to handicap the new field!

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Just now, Captain Braunsfeld said:

:cry_sad:  De Neushoorn finished last ..... :cry2:

Nope, just next-to-last. You still out-sailed the boneheaded and clumsy Callagan in the Exocet.

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Will the Jinn Dhow able to maintain its lead? I'm impatient to read the results of the next race.

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3 hours ago, Bodi said:

Will the Jinn Dhow able to maintain its lead? I'm impatient to read the results of the next race.

I am crossing my fingers! These are excellent, and surprisingly fascinating write-ups!! :D

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Class 1, Race 2 of 3

Welcome to our continuing coverage from Alexport of the Pilot’s Association Racing Cup. This morning is the second race for class 1 vessels.

Oleon’s Orion is the only vessel to handle the morning’s choppy waters well at the start, timing its approach to the starting line perfectly. The other entrants all struggled, and the boneheaded Callaghan in the Sea Rat catamaran Exocet fouled the Eslandian De Neushoorn before they had even crossed the starting line.

Orion continued its strong start and tacked expertly to work its way up the course to the windward mark, but the native pearl fishermen in the catamaran Marlin matched them turn for turn. Amazingly, Callaghan recovered from his disastrous start and actually displayed some strong seamanship to keep the Exocet close to the leaders. The first race’s winner, Oilskin Johnny’s Sangiovese, was a close fourth at the first mark. Farther behind were De Neushoorn, which was slow to recover from Exocet’s interference, and A’chua’s catamaran, which appeared to spend more time dodging other boats than working upwind.

Turning on a right angle to the wind for the second leg of the race, Callaghan stayed in his boat for a change and guided Exocet past the leaders to reach the jibe mark first. Sangiovese caught up with Marlin, and the two vessels were side-by-side around the mark, only a boat length behind Exocet. Orion was slowest of all the vessels on this reach and fell to fourth, only a half length ahead of De Neushoorn, which had worked its sails well to recover from the poor start. A’chua had picked up a little speed in his catamaran, but trailed far behind the pack.

With the first downwind leg of the race, Marlin sprung to life. Her sail stayed filled as her native crew glided her across the top of the waves, and they beat all others to the leeward mark. Exocet was right behind, as Callaghan continued to display mariner qualities nobody suspected he had. Orion and De Neushoorn raced each other evenly, with Orion better managing the turn around the mark with the aid of its leeboards. Sangiovese was right behind them, being careful not to foul. Far behind, A’chua’s catamaran capsized, and he was not yet to the leeward mark as the others worked their way back up course for the next leg of the race.

Tacking his way against the wind, Jacobus Vandermeulen maneuvered De Neushoorn beautifully to catch up to Marlin. Callaghan fell back to third in Exocet, but only trailed by a length. A bit further back, Orion struggled against the wind and nearly fouled Sangiovese, which lost precious speed avoiding the collision. A’chua remained far behind after getting his catamaran uprighted.

On the final downwind run, Marlin’s native crew again expertly glided her atop the waves and pulled several lengths ahead of De Neushoorn. The Eslandian completed the downwind leg just ahead of Orion, which was able to cut just inside of Exocet rounding the leeward mark. Sangiovese struggled keeping its sails from losing the wind, and A’chua sailed the best he had all morning to get within hailing distance of the others.

Sailing for the finish, Marlin continued as if she was still full with the wind, and the native pearl fishermen celebrated as they crossed the finish line with a convincing victory. Orion was again slowest when reaching across the wind, and Callaghan was just able to sail Exocet past her for second place. De Neushoorn again had problems with its jib, as it had in race 1, and fell to fourth. Sangiovese and A’chua’s catamaran brought up the rear.

With the win, Marlin now leads all vessels in class 1. Sangiovese is tied with Oleon’s Orion for second. Exocet and Achua’s catamaran are tied for fourth, and De Neushoorn is in last place. But all contestants remain alive to take the championship when they race for the third time on Friday.

 

Points in class 1 after races 1 and 2:

Marlin                         3+6=9
Sangiovese                6+2=8
Orion                          4+4=8
A’chua’s catamaran    5+1=6
Exocet                        1+5=6
De Neushoorn            2+3=5

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Class 3, Race 3 of 5

This afternoon’s class 3 race will have a new look, as there is an added competitor. Joining “not Bluebeard’s” Aqua Fina and the Sea Rats’ Golden Rat is Mayu, a junk crewed by settlers of Loti origin in the service of the Oleon Foreign Legion. There is no fog on the course this afternoon, but that might not matter, as tensions are running high enough between the crews of Aqua Fina and Golden Rat that they might not care about hiding their actions from PA Cup officials.

Aqua Fina timed the start well, and Mayu cut across Golden Rat at the line, forcing the Sea Rat entry to turn away at the start.

The race quickly turned into a grudge match, as Aqua Fina struggled going into the wind, and Golden Rat quickly maneuvered to stay on Aqua Fina’s course. Both flailed about in light winds, and Mayu took advantage of the private contest to methodically tack upwind and beat both ships to the windward mark.

Turning to cut across the wind, Mayu was faster than either of the veteran racers and beat them to the jibe mark by a couple of lengths. Aqua Fina was just a bit faster than Golden Rat, but the ships remained too close to each other for comfort.

Running on the first downwind leg of the race saw the pirate foes come to life. Both crews worked their sails to nearly maximum effect, sailing past Mayu as if it were standing still. Halfway through the race, however, there still had been no literal fireworks, much to the surprise of the betting crowds, despite Aqua Fina and Golden Rat staying in close proximity to each other the entire time. Aqua Fina rounded the leeward mark a length ahead of Golden Rat, with Mayu another length back.

Another leg beating to windward saw Golden Rat cover every tack by Aqua Fina. The Sea Rat crew had clearly decided that they would not let Aqua Fina separate from them. Mayu's crew looked much sharper on their tacks on this leg and maneuvered past the rivals to lead around the jibe mark, but Aqua Fina and Golden Rat were close behind.

Running downwind for the final time, Mayu’s crew worked her rigid sails well and stretched her lead to two lengths. Golden Rat managed to pull alongside Aqua Fina and was close enough to board her, but no such action was forthcoming, to the disappointment of some bettors on shore. Aqua Fina’s crew just managed to turn inside Golden Rat at the final mark as they turned for the finish line.

And that turn inside was key, as it took the wind off Golden Rat’s sails, and she drifted as her sails fluttered uselessly. Aqua Fina’s crew worked her sails to full effect, powering into the reach for the finish. Mayu’s crew worked to find the best angle to the wind, but by the time they had, Aqua Fina was sailing past. Aqua Fina held on to cross the finish line a length ahead of the newcomers. Golden Rat finished well behind, tail between their legs.

This marks Aqua Fina’s second win in three races. Golden Rat has a win in addition to today’s third-place finish. Mayu has today’s second-place finish and two more races to show what they have.

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A heavy fog has settled in over the racing course this morning, but PA Cup officials assure us that the racing schedule will commence as soon as the fog lifts.

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Class 2, Race 2 of 3

The fog has finally lifted and Pilot’s Association Racing Cup action can resume! The first race on today’s schedule is the second race for class 2 vessels.

Tuesday the gentleman in the bowler hat piloted the dhow Jinn to a strong start and victory, but today Oilskin Johnny’s Spirit of Sir Edward has outmaneuvered almost the entire field to cross the starting line first, with only the fanciful Corrish dhow Lydia keeping pace with the Sea Rat sloop. Arkham Chaser is last to cross the line, as young master Iauln appears to be having some trouble with his vessel.

Tacking into the wind for the first leg of the race, Spirit of Sir Edward is in fine form, and the crew of the sloop is crisp in their maneuvers. The gentleman in the bowler hat has recovered from the rough start and is matching the Sea Rat sloop move for move. Lydia, the Oleon sloop Idol, and Crahaish Triuri cutter Glittering Wind all struggle on their beat to windward. Arkham Chaser appears to be in trouble, as young Iauln continues to struggle with tangled rigging and is barely making any headway.

Around the windward mark, Jinn begins its reach across the wind and powers past Spirit of Sir Edward into the lead, despite the fact that the Sea Rat sloop is sailing well. Lydia pulls away a bit from Idol and Glittering Wind, but Arkham Chaser is practically dead in the water and has fallen far behind the field.

Turning for the first downwind run, the gentleman in the bowler hat maintains his lead as almost all the ships run well with the strong breeze. Only Lydia falters as her multiple sails fail to hold the wind, and she falls back to fifth. Young Iauln has finally resolved his problems, and Arkham Chaser springs to life, nearly catching up to Lydia.

Around the leeward mark, the contestants turn back to windward again, or what they expect to be windward, but the wind has shifted, and instead of a tacking battle, the vessels are now reaching in much more favorable conditions for this leg of the race. Everyone makes great time up the course except for Idol. The shifting winds have caught her crew by surprise: her headsail is ripped, and the jib has swung across and knocked a crewmember overboard! Even Arkham Chaser is able to catch Idol as she drops to sixth.

The final downwind leg is not nearly as favorable with the shifting wind, but the gentleman in the bowler hat continues to guide Jinn smoothly and increases his lead to a nearly insurmountable margin. He is quickly around the final mark and headed for the finish before the others are anywhere close. The nearest competitor, Spirit of Sir Edward, has hit a becalmed patch and can do nothing but prey for a friendly zephyr. Glittering Wind, Lydia, and Arkham Chaser all close to within shouting distance of the Sea Rat sloop. Meanwhile, Idol is now far back, having stopped to rescue its overboard crewman.

At the finish, the gentleman in the bowler hat slowly guides Jinn to a second consecutive victory. Spirit of Sir Edward finally found the breeze they were looking for and made up a lot of distance on Jinn, but had to settle for second place. Glittering Wind continued her strong race to finish third, three lengths behind the Sea Rat sloop. Arkham Chaser caught up to Lydia and were side by side as they crossed the finish line, but the fanciful Corrish dhow beat out young Iauln for fourth place by the length of her bowsprit. The dejected Oleonder crew of Idol made no effort to repair their torn sail during the race and accepted their last-place finish.

With the win, Jinn would appear to have a commanding lead for the PA Cup, but the gentleman in the bowler hat has not clinched victory. Idol, Arkham Chaser, and Lydia have been eliminated from championship contention, but Glittering Wind and Spirit of Sir Edward can still beat Jinn for the title.

Points in class 2 after races 1 and 2:

Jinn                          6+6=12
Glittering Wind         5+4= 9
Spirit of Sir Edward  4+5= 9
Idol                           3+1= 4
Arkham Chaser        2+2= 4
Lydia                        1+3= 4

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Class 3, Race 4 of 5

Today’s race for class 3 vessels finds all the crews quite serious in their preparations. Aqua Fina has a chance to clinch the title, but Golden Rat can tie for the lead with a win today. Meanwhile, the crew of Mayu wants to show they have what it takes to beat both ships despite getting a late start in the competition.

At the start, Aqua Fina and Mayu maneuver reasonably well to cross the starting line at the same time. But Golden Rat misjudged their speed and had to turn away to avoid a false start before the gun, costing them precious time.

As the ships begin their tacking battle to windward, all look crisp, and no one ventures far from the others for fear of finding unfavorable winds. The crew of the junk Mayu drops their oars in the water to help them maneuver around the windward mark just inside of Aqua Fina, and Golden Rat rounds the mark only a length back.

Reaching across the wind, Mayu performs magnificently. Her crew succeed in taking the wind off of Aqua Fina’s sails for a bit, and Mayu pulls cleanly into the lead. Golden Rat is also able to take advantage of the move, pulling up alongside Aqua Fina. Mayu rounds the jibe mark first, a length in front of the pirate rivals.

Mayu appears to have no weaknesses today, as she pulls out to a three-length lead on the downwind run. Aqua Fina and Golden Rat continue to sail side by side, and spotters on the shore claim that each ship has sent snipers into their shrouds! This could get interesting.

Rounding the leeward mark and beating to windward, the tacking battle is much slower this time. Aqua Fina covers Golden Rat’s moves and takes away her wind, edging ahead. Some onlookers report the sound of musket fire from Golden Rat, but to no apparent effect. Mayu rounds the mark two lengths ahead of Aqua Fina, and the Sea Rat vessel remains only another length back.

On the final downwind run, the winds have calmed, and the pace slows. The crew of Mayu is forced to row as they desperately try to find a breeze. Golden Rat is in a similar predicament, but appear to have found the gentlest of breezes to move them forward. Aqua Fina tacks wide of the others and finds the wind stiffening a tiny bit. By the time all ships make it to the leeward mark, Mayu’s edge over Aqua Fina is down to a length, and Golden Rat is two more lengths back.

Turning for the final reach to the finish, Aqua Fina loses its breeze, only for Golden Rat to find it. Mayu makes moderate time approaching the finish as Golden Rat picks up speed and powers past Aqua Fina. The sound of musket fire from both pirate ships is clearly heard. At the finish line, Mayu just holds off Golden Rat; another 100 yards and it would have been a different story. Aqua Fina crosses in third.

With Mayu’s victory, now each of the three competitors has won a race. Aqua Fina leads with two wins in four races. With one win each, Golden Rat leads Mayu on points for second place due to the earlier races. The class 3 competition will come down to the final race tomorrow, or possibly even a tiebreaking sixth race this weekend!

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Class 1, Race 3 of 3

The air is crisp and clear this morning in Alexport, and we have a full slate of races in every class of the Pilot’s Association Racing Cup competition. First onto the water are the class 1 vessels in their final race. At stake is the class championship, as well as a berth in a race between the winners of each class to determine an overall champion.

Marlin, a catamaran crewed by Captain Itzcali and three of his fellow native pearl fishermen, currently leads the standings in class 1. Sangiovese, a Sea Rat cutter bankrolled by Oilskin Johnny, is tied with Oleon’s Orion, a small, two-masted pilot boat, for second. Exocet, a Sea Rat catamaran piloted by the clumsy Callaghan, and A’chua’s catamaran, piloted by a native of the New Haven Seas, are tied for fourth. De Neushoorn, an Eslandian sloop under the command of Jacobus Vandermeulen, is in last place, but only 4 points back. As a result of the tight standings, all contestants remain in contention to take the championship with a win today.

A’chua outmaneuvers Sangiovese to cross the starting line first. Orion finds itself blocked by the other vessels and has to turn away from the start line to avoid a collision.

Capt. Vandermeulen displays excellent seamanship on the opening leg of the race, tacking De Neushoorn sharply working against the wind, and is first to round the windward mark. Callaghan in the Exocet is not far behind, and the Orion recovers from its poor start to shadow Exocet around the mark. A’chua failed to maintain his lead at the start, but he and the others beat to windward efficiently, and the entire field is fairly close at the end of the first leg.

Reaching across the wind, De Neushoorn’s sails are full, and Vandermeulen has his little sloop slicing cleanly through the tops of the waves. Exocet keeps pace with the Eslandian vessel, and observers on shore continue to be amazed at Callaghan’s seamanship. Marlin’s crew constantly adjusts the trim of their sail to great effect, sailing past Sangiovese, A’chua’s catamaran, and Orion to trail by only two lengths at the jibe mark. Orion is right there with Marlin. Sangiovese is sluggish and drops back to a distant fifth, and A’chua struggles with the choppy sea and falls to the back.

On the first downwind run of the race, disaster strikes De Neushoorn. For the third consecutive race, its jib tears, and Exocet and Orion take full advantage and speed into the lead. Marlin also edges past De Neushoorn at the leeward mark. A’chua’s catamaran sails better with the wind, but can’t make up any ground on the leaders. However, A’chua is able to get past Sangiovese, whose headsails have fouled, slowing her considerably.

Beating to windward for a second time, Oleonder seamanship is on display. Orion outmaneuvers Exocet in an excellent tacking battle to pull ahead by two lengths at the mark. Marlin’s native crew works furiously but still loses ground to Orion. A’chua again tacks efficiently up wind to move into fourth place, but can’t make up time on Orion. Vandermeulen finally recovers in De Neushoorn to stay right with A’chua’s catamaran. Sangiovese’s struggles continue, as the headsail rigging finally rips, and the little cutter falls far behind the others.

On the final run with the wind, everyone is quick to catch the stiff breeze, and there are few changes in the running order. A’chua edges a bit further ahead of Sangiovese, which finally gets it rigging repaired, and both sail past Marlin, which struggles with the choppy sea on this run.

Around the leeward mark and heading for the finish line, Orion’s crew trims her sails well and sets a strong pace. Callaghan, struggling to keep up in the Exocet, reverts to form and falls overboard. Orion cruises to a comfortable win, well ahead of the other vessels. Meanwhile, A’chua keeps the speed he found on the downwind leg and races past the floundering Callaghan for second place. De Neushoorn nearly passes Callaghan as well, but the unmanned Exocet manages to pull him across the line just ahead of the Eslandian sloop to hold onto third. Marlin continues to struggle in the rough waters but holds onto fifth place. Sangiovese finally reaches the finish in no apparent hurry to conclude the race.

With the victory, Orion’s total rises to 14 points, and the Oleon pilot boat takes the win in class 1. Marlin and Achua’s catamaran tie for second with 11 points, with Marlin given the edge for its win in race #2. However, both win the accolades for a top 3 finish overall, and the natives earn considerable appreciation from the Halosians for their seamanship. Callaghan’s clumsiness ultimately cost Exocet a top finish. Sangiovese could never match the promise of its win in race #1, and Jacobus Vandermeulen, despite flashes of excellent seamanship, could not buy any luck (or a strong jib sail) for De Neushoorn the entire week.

Orion will face off with the winners from class 2 and class 3 Monday to determine an overall PA Cup champion.

Final points in class 1 after three races:

Orion                          4+4+6 = 14
Marlin                         3+6+2 = 11
A’chua’s catamaran   5+1+5 = 11
Exocet                        1+5+4 = 10
Sangiovese                6+2+1 =  9
De Neushoorn            2+3+3 =  8

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Excellent writing Capt.Wolf, Mayu has made a good start but was nearly beaten by her two rivals on the last lap, luckily she was able to cross the finish line first. Idol wasn't so lucky today, I just hope the dude who fell overboard could find a place to take a hot bath.:pir-grin:

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Class 2, Race 3 of 3

This busy day in Alexport continues with the third and final race for class 2 vessels.

Wednesday the Corrish gentleman in the bowler hat piloted the dhow Jinn to a second consecutive victory. Oilskin Johnny’s sloop Spirit of Sir Edward and Crahaish Triuri cutter Glittering Wind have traded second- and third-place finishes in the first two races to stay in contention for the championship. Idol, an Oleon sloop out of the Eltina shipyards; Arkham Chaser, a Sea Rat cutter captained by young master Iauln; and Lydia, a fanciful Corrish dhow with added headsails, have all failed to finish in the top three of the previous races and have been eliminated from championship contention, but still have a slim chance to finish in the top three of the class standings.

Young Iauln times the start perfectly and crosses the line first in Arkham Chaser. The others all do well to avoid any potential fouls, with only Idol having to make any defensive maneuvers.

Beating to windward, Lydia, Glittering Wind, and Idol all prove nimble in an exciting tacking battle. The dhow Jinn also handles the maneuvering well. Young Iauln loses his advantage from the start and falls behind the pack, and Spirit of Sir Edward rounds out the field as they reach the windward mark in a fairly tight group.

The Oleon crew of Idol trims her sails efficiently for the run across the wind and pushes into the lead. The Corrish gentleman keeps his dhow close behind. The other vessels begin to spread out on this reach, with Lydia, Glittering Wind, Arkham Chaser, and Spirit of Sir Edward trailing behind in an apparent line of battle to the jibe mark.

Running downwind, Idol really stretches her legs, with her sails broad and full. Only Glittering Wind can come close to matching her pace, and she catches up with Jinn. Lydia’s crew struggles with the proper trim for her many sails and fails to use the wind to full effect. Arkham Chaser also struggles, but stays just ahead of Spirit of Sir Edward. Idol rounds the leeward mark far in the lead.

Into the wind again, all but Lydia perform well. Idol puts in a workmanlike job to maintain her lead, although the field closes the margin slightly. But Lydia’s rigging has become increasingly tangled, and the crew spends much effort solving the problem.

Running with the wind for the final time, Idol appears to have no weakness today, again showing speed unseen in the rest of the field. Only Jinn can remotely keep up with her. Glittering Wind is a distant third. Arkham Chaser and Spirit of Sir Edward collide and foul each other shortly after beginning the downwind run and lose precious time with the wind while unfouling their ships, allowing Lydia, having finally fixed her rigging, to pass them.

Idol slows on her final reach to the finish, but crosses the line before anyone else rounds the leeward mark. Glittering Wind catches a fair breeze and closes on Jinn, catching the gentleman in the bowler at the line to take second place. Lydia came alive once her sails were trimmed properly and passed Spirit of Sir Edward shortly before the line to take fourth. Arkham Chaser never appeared to recover from the collision on the previous leg and finished last.

Although Idol’s crew sailed a magnificent race, the win was not enough to put them into the top three of the final standings. Jinn’s fourth-place finish proved enough for the dhow to take the class 2 title. Glittering Wind’s second-place finish (her second of the week) fell two points short of catching the gentleman privateer. Spirit of Sir Edward held on for top three honors in the class overall.

Jinn will face off with the winners from class 1 and class 3 Monday to determine an overall PA Cup champion.

Final points in class 2 after three races:

Jinn                          6+6+4 =16
Glittering Wind         5+4+5 =14
Spirit of Sir Edward  4+5+2 =11
Idol                           3+1+6 =10
Lydia                        1+3+3 =  7
Arkham Chaser        2+2+1 = 5

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Captain Sasha Bohen had already figured out that a third place for the Jinn would give her a points lead no one could match. A fourth place would have given her the points that only the Glittering Wind or the Spirit of Sir Edward could match with a win. Congrats to the crew of the Jinn for their hard earned first place standing.

Edited by gedren_y

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Class 3, Race 5 of 5

The day in Alexport concludes with the fifth and final race for class 3 vessels.

Aqua Fina has won half the races in class 3 competition and leads in points as well. Golden Rat has to win this race to have a chance at the cup. Mayu’s only hope is to win and convince the judges to disregard the first two races, in which they had not sailed.

With shadows lengthening over the harbor in the late afternoon, Aqua Fina and Golden Rat timed the start perfectly, crossing the line side by side. Mayu misjudged her speed and was forced to turn away before the starting gun.

Beating to windward, Aqua Fina immediately tacked away from Golden Rat, but the Sea Rats remained on their previous course. Mayu pursued a course close to Golden Rat. As all three ships began their tacking battle into the wind, it became apparent that Aqua Fina had found more favorable winds on their side of the course, and she quickly surged ahead. Golden Rat and Mayu changed course to take advantage of the better winds, and then disaster struck. When Golden Rat tacked next, she cut in front of Mayu, but Mayu’s crew did not react in time. The ships collided and their rigging fouled. As both crews struggled to separate the ships, Aqua Fina sailed to an immense lead.

By the time Golden Rat and Mayu reached the windward mark, Aqua Fina had already completed her reach to the jibe mark. The race had become a lopsided affair; only drastic action could change the outcome. As Aqua Fina ran downwind, Golden Rat reached the jibe mark. Mayu had not recovered as well from their collision and could not trim her sails properly, losing more time and distance.

As Aqua Fina rounded the leeward mark to begin another leg into the wind, Golden Rat began her run with the wind. Their paths would take them past each other in opposite directions. The crew of the Golden Rat loaded their guns and prepared for combat; the crew of the Aqua Fina, realizing what was about to happen, did the same. As the two ships passed each other, both belched out a broadside of smoke and lead at the same time! Sails were torn and rigging damaged, but both ships sailed on. Mayu continued to trail behind Golden Rat, being careful to stay out of range.

Aqua Fina turned to begin her final downwind run, and Golden Rat rounded the leeward mark to beat to windward. The ships would pass each other one more time. Both crews reloaded. Aqua Fina had the weather gauge this time and attempted to maintain a safe distance, but Golden Rat tacked to a course better for an attack than a race. The broadsides roared out again, and the ships sailed on. As Aqua Fina ran to the final mark, Golden Rat tacked and fired her other broadside, but to no effect. Aqua Fina fired one stern chaser as a taunt to her pirate rival. Mayu had tacked far away to avoid the fireworks and fell farther behind Golden Rat.

When Aqua Fina crossed the finish line, her sails were in tatters, but still held enough wind to propel her to victory. Golden Rat was just rounding the leeward mark, also the worse for wear, but still seaworthy. Mayu was just beginning her final downwind run, hopelessly behind from a combination of damage from the early collision and caution to stay out of the fireworks. After all three ships had crossed the finish line and a red sun hung low in the evening sky, PA Cup officials retired to a yard office with the ship captains. After a lengthy discussion, officials decided that the extracurricular activities of the crews of Aqua Fina and Golden Rat had not impacted the contest and announced the results would stand: Aqua Fina was the winner of the race and, with 3 wins in 5 races, was the class champion.

Aqua Fina will face off with the winners from class 1 and class 2 Monday to determine an overall PA Cup champion.

Final standings in class 3 after five races:

Aqua Fina      3 wins
Golden Rat    1 win
Mayu             1 win

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