August 16th was another picture perfect sailing day for Fleet 12. Race Committee Peter and Sally Schott and family, aboard Wavetop, set a course of Rp, 13p, in a 12 knot southerly with a flood tide. After a brief postponement, the first race got underway with Good News winning the start near the strongly favored committee boat. Good News, driven today by Boston College star Ben Spiller, out-dragged Bad News off the line, while Machbuster and USA 1575 paid dearly for starting in the middle. The two leaders continued on starboard into the adverse tide as the persistently veering breeze made a tack look too costly. Conundrum tacked to the Jamestown shore for separation as well as tide relief, but only lost ground for her trouble. Machbuster caught and passed Matt Dunbar’s USA 1575 on the right side, but USA 1575 was sailing with only two aboard on a day that called for more. Positions were unchanged at the Clingstone Bell, but Good News’ great windward leg was soon wasted by an hour glass, while Bad News had her typical speedy, flawless set. Conundrum and the others were just too far back to threaten the inter-collegiate battle at the front. The Marshall Brothers with Matt Gowell and Tory Allen crewing, controlled the rest of the race, and earned a well fought victory, threatened only by a freighter passing directly through the course on the run, having cut can 13.

The race #2 course was changed to Zp, 13P, as a result of the aforementioned shift to a southwesterly with perhaps another knot or two of building sea breeze. A reset pin created a square line and a closer start near the middle of the longish line. Once again, Good News and Bad News lifted off the others and staged another drag race. But with greater balance to this leg, there was more tacking on shifts and going right finally paid off some. As the fleet converged at Z, Good News led again, but Conundrum,with Alice Porter's nieces Holly and Adele crewing, was second, and Machbuster third. Poor tactics approaching the mark spoiled Machbuster’s good leg, allowing Bad News to pass her at the rounding, and another great set by the Marshalls cut into Conundrum’s temporary second place. Once past Conundrum, Bad News did her best to run down Good News, and the not quite fetch to the finish made it very close in the end. But Spiller made no mistakes, evening the match – BC 1; Conn College 1.

Today’s results put Bad News back in sole possession of first place in the series. Conundrum trails by just 4 points. Machbuster remains third, 7 points ahead of Good News.