SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
CONFUSED SEAS, WINDS
AND COURSE
The wind in the bay for the week had been very robust to say
the least. Checking Sailflow in the morning,
it looked like the prediction was possibly for more of the same. When I got to the harbor after 5pm, it looked
like the wind was starting to die. As we
left the harbor, it looked like there was enough wind for a race, but it was
coming from a very South direction. This
normally would call for a course to Mile and back, but with the dying breeze
and confused seas bashing through the waves did not seem appealing. We finally decided on course Whiskey 5:
Start, Wharf Finish. We gave a 5 minute
horn and in the 5 minutes to start the wind seemed to die even more.
The start was excruciatingly slow. Many of the boats headed outside on Starboard
tack. Was there more wind outside? On
Pair a Dice we rode the waves inside just outside the kelp. All kelp was
indicating a current headed toward shore probably from the south wind influence
on the water.
It seemed like the excruciating start was only a precursor for
what was in store for the rest of the evening.
The confused seas with waves coming from 3 different directions was
further compounded by a very light (6 knot) breeze that seemed to shift 30
degrees every two minutes. Driving in
these conditions was interesting as the crew was offering advice like a chorus:
“YOU’RE PINCHING, YOU’RE LUFFING, YOU’RE PINCHING…..” To add to the misery it seemed like we were
sailing along in a transition zone that was stalking us like a predator which we
could not outrun. We finally shortened
the course as the sun was setting. The finished was accomplished by rounding Wharf
mark. There were only 3 boats that ultimately finished: Wildflower, Pacific
Spirit and Equinamity. I never thought I
would enjoy the sound of diesel as much as I did that night motoring back to
the harbor!
Dealing with Frustrating conditions:
As with any sailing, it is all about paying close attention
to conditions and your boat. Where is
the wind? Can you get to it? Better yet,
where will the wind build? For a while,
we felt we were doing well on the wind coming off the beach, but ultimately fell
into the quagmire of the inescapable transition zone. In very light wind and
waves, you do not want waves directly on your bow. Pay attention to sail trim and boat
heel. Obviously Pair A Dice did not get it right this evening
since we did not even finish. It was interesting at the Crows Nest commiserating
with the other sailors over the very strange conditions we experienced.
Other regattas:
Do not forget the mid winters starting the third Saturday of
November. If you can, it would be
interesting to sail down to Monterey to observe and cheer for the Santa Cruz
competitor for the Veeder cup on the weekend of September 24 and 25.
See you next Tuesday,
Barry Keeler
Sailing Pair A Dice
No comments:
Post a Comment