The Hot Rum Series was looking to make up for time lost to weather delays. Light winds of 0 to 10 knots were the order of the day as the racing fleet of Schooner Cove Yacht Club held races four and five of the winter series.
At the beginning of race four the breeze was almost non-existent and the crews were hard pressed to get moving at all. The wind increased by the time the boats rounded the first mark and they were able to deploy their spinnakers for a downwind run to the next mark at Amelia Island.
Before rounding they dropped the “chutes” in favor of windward sails. After many tacks into the wind, they reached the finish line in just under one and a half hours.
The competition was so tight that there was a tie for second place.
RACE FOUR
1. Shingebiss (Neal Berger) 1:13:52
2 After Five (Andrea Boudreau) 1:23:15
2. Calais (Ralph Hunter) 1:23:15
4. Freewind (Richard Hudson) 1:35:23
The next race was favored with a little more of a breeze. It was a crowded start line when all boats tried to be in the same place at the same time. After the claustrophobic beginning, the boats spread out as they made their way around the course, finishing in less than two hours.
RACE FIVE
1. Freewind (Richard Hudson) 1:35:24
2. Shingebiss (Neal Berger) 1:38:02
3. Calais (Ralph Hunter) 1:40:33
4. After five (Andrea Boudreau) — did not finish
The final race of the Hot Rum Series will take place on March 23.