MAY 7, 2019: A COOL EVENING SAIL

May 7, 2019

A COOL EVENING SAIL

Predictions were all over the place for wind with some saying we would have greater than 20 knots on the bay.  Checking the Crows Nest flag, I could see it starting to droop a little so we kept the 155 jib on for the night. As we left the harbor, there was heavy overcast for a cool evening sail, there was also a healthy swell jacking up in the harbor entrance. From the entrance of the harbor to the start mark, we lost almost 5 knots of wind speed, but the northwesterly was blowing outside.

With the wind coming from 240 degrees (we are in Santa Cruz you know) we dropped the ball for the line and called for course Whiskey 3.  I did not want to get too aggressive and have boats negotiating the harbor entrance in the dark with such a swell running.  We had about 14 boats out for the fun, but only half of them had Race QS running.

On Pair a Dice, my plan for the start was to be at the beach side of the line with clear air for the first beat.  I accomplished hitting the line about 10 seconds late, but had Avatar directly in front of me, so did not get the clear air I desired. We all made our way tacking toward wharf mark.  The wind was very fickle, with pockets of good wind followed by lighter wind pockets.  It was not real apparent where the greater wind was by looking at the water.

At Wharf, Tusitala was the first around followed quickly by Avatar, then Pacific Spirit, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36 and Patricia J.  On Pair a Dice, we followed roughly a line directly to blacks, only altering course to avoid the bad wind from boats behind us. Remember to always look at the windex of the boat behind you to see if you are in their wind shadow.  If the tail of their windex is pointing at you, you can expect to see your sails sag a little.

At Blacks, once again Tusitala was followed quickly by Avatar, Pair a Dice and Pacific Spirit rounded together with Pacific Spirit claiming inside rights to “room at the mark”.  After rounding we had Patricia J and Perfect 36 in hot pursuit.  We all tacked over at different times toward the finish line.  At the finish it was Tusitala (50:29), Avatar (51.55), Patricia J (55:26), Pacific Spirit (55:51), Pair a Dice (56:25), Perfect 36 (57:04) and Kicks (1:05:10).  All time are elapsed and the course length was 3.23 miles.

SHOOTING A MARK:

Shooting a mark is NOT a second amendment right!  It is something I am still learning the finer nuances, but was able to accomplish on this night.  You use this move to get around the windward mark in a tight situation.  You have done all you can to round the mark and are very close but more than likely will bounce off the mark requiring a one turn penalty.  Shooting the mark requires incredible coordination of the whole crew to pull it off.  The skipper stays as high as possible and about 2-3 boat-lengths away from the mark falls off to get more speed, then turns directly into the wind.  The coordination of the crew requires the jib trimmer to completely release the jib just as the boat comes into the wind.  Watch for kinks in the jib sheet, because a back-winded jib KILLS the move by stopping the boat and the momentum you built up by falling off before the mark.  When the mark is mid-ship (and not before), the jib should be tightened to help pull the boat around and down. It is also important to release the main-sheet at the same time so the boat can turn down  swinging the transom away from the mark. It is critical to NOT pass head to wind if there is a nearby boat to weather. Shooting the mark is easier with heavier boats (more momentum) so works well with Catalinas.  It is a lot harder to accomplish in higher winds because the windage of the boat will stop you in your tracks.  From my experience, 8-15 knots is ideal.

 It is certainly better to properly call the layline so you do not need to use this trick.  Even if performed perfectly it is still a gamble, better to round comfortably. Still, shooting the mark is definitely a slick move to have in your bag of tricks.

THE RULE THAT NEVER SLEEPS:

Rule 14: Avoiding contact

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right of way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room (a)need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and (b) shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule and the contact does not cause damage or injury.

It is early in the season and I think it is important to emphasize this rule.  NOTHING discourages participation in our Tuesday night sailing more than boats crashing into each other.  Please do everything in your power to avoid collision.  Keep in mind we have many novice sailors learning about the racing rules so sometimes you may have to give up your “rights” to avoid collision. Above all else, if you see an impending collision with your boa DO NOT try to fend off, this is how injuries occur!

 Since we are engaged in “Beer can racing” there is no protest committee if someone does break a rule.  If a rule is broken and you witness it, please let me know about it.  I will discuss the rule in this blog, never implicating guilty parties.  We are all trying to learn about sailing and racing.

See you next Tuesday,

Barry L. Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice