It was a frustrating evening on the water. The winds were practically non-existent as fleets of sailboats inched, scratched, and clawed their way up the course. Halfway through the first leg, what little breeze there was shifted so dramatically that the upwind stretch turned into a downwind leg, with spinnakers suddenly flying.
Not long after, officials wisely decided to shorten the race to just two legs instead of the usual five—boats were going nowhere fast. The finish line was also moved, if only to bring an end to the slow-motion suffering that played out beneath an otherwise perfect summer sky.
With two boats crawling toward the finish, seemingly destined for glory, an unexpected wind rolled in from the shore. It breathed life into the bulk of the fleet still stuck far behind, rocketing them forward and closing the gap in minutes.
The sailors watched in disbelief—and for some, outright despair—as hours of slow progress were erased in seconds.
The rare phenomenon known as the rubber band effect had appeared: the lead boats stretched out ahead, only for the wind to snap the fleet back together. Victory, once within grasp, was suddenly and cruelly ripped away.
A Fleet
1 Gong Show 1:19:16
2 Bella 1:22:50
3 Berzerker 1:22:54
4 Bobsled 1:22:55
5 Mongoose 1:23:50
6 Northern Harrier 1:23:58
B Fleet
1 Rumba 1:20:35
2 Straight Jacket 1:22:13
C Fleet
1 Blade Runner 1:14:31
2 Andiamo 1:18:07
3 Ruby Tuesday 1:18:45
2 Final Mile 1:18:27
4 Felucca 1:21:05
5 Brigadoon 1:28:23
6 Air Aura 1:28:50
7 Gray Ghost DNF
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