AUGUST 22, 2017: WE MIGHT JUST HAVE SOMETHING HERE!

TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017

WE MIGHT JUST HAVE SOMETHING HERE!

It was a beautiful day on the bay as I approached the harbor, the tell-tale sign of a stiff flag on the Crow’s Nest confirmed we had wind.  Would it stay with us?  I did not think  it would, so we installed the 155 jib.  By the time we left the harbor, there were about 10 boats out and another 6  coming out of the harbor.  We called for a W2 course and gave a horn at 6pm for a 6:05 start.  There was easily 10-15 knot winds in toward the beach and it looked like 15 to 20 knots outside.

 

The start was like a cattle drive with multiple boats strung along the line.  Pair a Dice started on starboard a little down the line, but still had several boats coming up behind and windward to us preventing us from tacking over onto port.  Ultimately we were able to tack over and went inside until the wind started to dwindle and tacked out for more wind.  We had several crossing situations on our way to wharf. Once we had to duck Pacific Spirit as they were on starboard tack. At Wharf it was Makani and Equanimity, Mistress Quickly (SC27), Perfect 36, Pacific Spirt and Pair a Dice.  Nothing changed with this order until all of the boats compressed with the wind dying at Gov.  Just as it was fading from the northwest, the Easterly was starting to fill in.  Before long all boats were sailing in a building easterly breeze.  There was virtually no downwind run on this whole race!  At the finish, it was Mistress Quickly, followed by Makani and Equanimity (was it a tie?), Perfect 36, Pair A Dice, Aeolian, Pacific Spirit, Kicks, Nidariss II, Dreamer (Catalina 27) Odonata, Tara and Sea Quake.

With all of these boats coming out and finishing the race it seems people are finding out that WE MIGHT JUST HAVE SOMETHING HERE!

STUART ON MAKANI, LEADING THE WAY!
WE MIGHT JUST HAVE SOMETHING HERE

SHOOTING A MARK:

There is a trick used by more accomplished sailors in making it around a mark that is just to weather and you are not able to comfortably round.  Obviously do everything you can pinching up to the mark to try to round the mark. If you see you will not round it, fall off a little for more speed just before the mark, then use this speed to coast into the wind, sheeting in the main as you go up. Have the jib uncleated as it is critical for the crew to not let the jib back wind.  If the jib backwinds at all, it will stop the boat dead and you will fail.  Just as the mark is mid ship, trim in the jib to help drive you down around the mark.  Simultaneously turn down and release the main completely to prevent being pushed into the mark.  Shooting the mark requires exact coordination of the helmsman and the crew to accomplish, but it is much better than having to throw another two tacks to round.  If you fail and brush up against the mark, you need to complete a 360 to exonerate yourself.  (Thanks to Fred Molnar for help in explaining this intricate maneuver).

NEXT TUESDAY IS CATALINA BARBECUE NIGHT! THE CLUB AND BAR WILL BE OPEN.  BRING OUR OWN FOOD TO GRILL.

 

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice