AUGUST 30, 2016: HEAVY LOAD, LIGHT WIND

August 30, 2016

HEAVY LOAD, LIGHT WIND

As I approached the harbor, it was very apparent the Santa Cruz Eddy was in full force and the Easterly was filling in.  My normal crew had the boat all ready to go and we had more than enough crew with a few visitors topping us out at 8 people on the boat.  As we left the harbor it looked like the Easterly was trying to fade just a bit.  We called for a conservative course of B4, staying inside for the Easterly.  We called for a 6pm start and the 5 minute horn was blown at 5:55.  As we were sailing around before the start, it looked like there may be more wind a little ways off shore.

The buoy end of the line was definitely favored and as the wind seemed to be dying during the 5 minute count down, it took a lot of concentration (and luck) to get a proper start.  Pair a Dice was lucky enough to be one of the first over the line along with Homer on Equinamity (Hunter 34).  As we all sailed to the first mark, it appeared that Homer fell off more toward the beach.  Was he looking for more wind inside?  As we rounded Blacks, it looked like his judgment was correct because he was just ahead of us for the rounding.  After rounding  Blacks, Homer seemed to head more toward the beach again but then turned for the outside.  Was there more wind outside?  We watched closely but thought it was not worth going outside and decided to basically rhum line it to Gov, aside from dodging kelp patches.  The kelp was showing a westerly current was in effect, which made it easy to sail west and we managed to not pick up any hitch-hikers along the way. 

At Gov we squeaked around the mark just ahead of Homer.  Trying to avoid the inside (westerly) current, we sailed outside.  Homer sailed inside for cleaner air, while we sailed further outside.  We were definitely splitting tacks with him.  The game for all of us was to not sail into a light wind area.  When we finally converged again, it was going to be a very close race.  Pair a Dice had to throw one more tack in to clear the mark and, in the lightening breeze could not get our speed up enough.  Homer squeaked ahead of us for the finish.  What a great race!

At the finish it was Equinamity, Pair A Dice, Andiamo, Kicks, Perfect 36, Nadaris II, Aeolian, a Catalina 27 and Odonata(Santana 22).  We had a great barbecue at the club.

Racing Mode:

Recently I competed in the Big Brothers Big Sisters regatta.  When I got home that night, Lisa asked me who I sailed with that day.  When I told her, she pried me with questions: ‘How is so and so? Where are they going for vacation? What about so and so?’  I sheepishly told her I did not know.  She said “How can you spend a whole day with your friends and not find out what they are doing?”  I answered “when we are racing, we are RACING!  Every bit of conversation pertains to tactics, boat speed and how to increase it!” 

It is interesting seeing different attitudes as different personalities come aboard a boat.  Some people get right into “race mode” and do everything possible to improve the boat’s place in the race.  Other people are more fascinated with otters, seals, sunsets, conversation and basically anything but racing.  Obviously there is a happy medium.  We all enjoy the ocean and sailing, but are you and your boat in “race mode” or “casual sailing mode?”  The difference may have a reflection on your standings.

I am Looking forward to next Tuesday.

Barry L.Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice