Like last week, the breeze looked solid off the dock, but when we got close to the egg shells at Deer Island, the wind died. We fought a fierce flooding tide around Deer Island Light with very little breeze. When we finally made it to the committee boat, the seabreeze filled in at about 5-10 knots from 150 degrees, and we got started after the four classes of PHRF boats.

It doesn't get any tighter than this. Six boats were on the line, three of which were fighting it out for the fleet championship (Costa and Charles were tied, with Braverman one point behind). We had two great competitive races. Four boats tied for the day, with only the ISAF tiebreaker rules separating them at the end.

Both races were windward leeward twice around, at about 150 degrees.

The first race, the fleet split evenly with Woods/Leonidov, Costa², and Larson playing the left side, and Braverman/Rezac, Siljander/Decuto and Charles/Murphy playing the right. It looked like the right was going to make out big time, but at the top of the leg, a lefty came in with a little breeze, slightly favoring those who went left, with Team Costa leading the way. The fleet collapsed downwind with Costa still leading, but Siljander, Braverman and Charles had closed the gap.

Just after all the boats rounded the leeward mark, the boats behind got a huge lefty first which pointed them right at the windward mark, while the boats in front got it shortly after. The lefty didn't hold, but the fleet collapsed more with Braverman passing Siljander, and gaining on Costa. Braverman passed Costa towards the top of the mark protecting the left. Braverman held them both off downwind, and covered them going into the finish to win the race.

This put Braverman & Rezac and Team Costa in a tie for the Fleet Championship with one race to go.

In the next race, Costa, Braverman and Larson started near the boat. Braverman quickly fell into Costa's gas, and tacked off to the right to clear his air, just as the fleet got a lefty. Costa covered with decent lead. Woods lead going in to the top mark with Charles and Larson following. Costa, who sailed very fast and covered Braverman pretty tightly, extended the lead and rounded the windward mark with Siljander.

Woods extended his lead downwind with Siljander right behind. Braverman and Costa passed Larson and closed the gap on Charles. Braverman passed Charles the next downwind, and closed the gap on Costa, but couldn't pass him. Woods won the race with Siljander following and Costa in third.

Four boats tied with five points each for the Constitution Cup with Woods winning the tiebreaker by winning the last race.

Huge congratulations to Peter and Jessica Costa who win the Fleet Series, and the trip to the Star World Championships in Punta Ala, Italy in September, and Annapolis, Maryland next April. Neither trip are "all expenses paid" however.

Big thanks to Dan Mullane Jim Frasier and Hatch Brown for the races, and Joe Z and Mike Gahan for refreshing beverages, and a tow home.