JUNE 9, 2020

POST COVID WITH MIXED WIND

When I showed up to the harbor, I went through my normal procedure: check the flags for wind.  There was virtually no wind on any of the flags.  I was in the process of swapping from the 135 to the 155 jib when crew started showing up with reports of white caps clear to the beach.  We kept the 135 on which turned out to be a wise decision with the 19-20 knot winds. It was a northwest breeze.

We set the start line mark and notified the choice of course: Whiskey 1.  We were ready to blow the 5 minute horn at 5:55, but a few boats were still in the harbor so blew the horn at 6:00 for a 6:05 start.  We had about 15 boats out participating.  Pair A Dice set up for starboard tack start and  timed the line for a clean start right at the start buoy.

The wind was such that there was a lot more wind outside but more waves.  The water was smoother inside, but the wind decreased the further you went in.  This created a situation where all boat were tacking multiple times trying to thread the line up the middle.  This was exciting because it created as lot of crossing situations.  At wharf (Schuyler) mark, Tusitala was first around with  Patricia J, Avatar and Pair A Dice following.  

The downwind leg to Mile was uneventful but after rounding Mile, most of the boats sailed straight to Blacks, while Jason on Patricia J tried to capitalize on more wind outside.  The wind was still a strong northwest, but as we all approached Blacks, conditions got confused to say the least as we all entered the Blacks Point “parking lot”.  We thought we saw an Easterly start to build toward the beach, and Jason who was 60 yards ahead of us started showing that he was sailing on a faint Easterly.  Shortly we were all in a good Easterly and rounded Blacks, It was great to be sailing again but we weren’t there yet.  Right after rounding Blacks, we entered the same “parking lot” we had just been through which was a lot more challenging with waves on our bow.  I believe the race QS track shows us all moving backwards in the water!  It was an excruciating ten minutes of lack of control resulting in PAD conducting a rotating 360 degree turn.

When my worst fears of having to abandon the race were setting in, suddenly we were hit with an 11-15 knot NORTH wind which carried us all through the finish mark.  At the finish, it was Avatar 1:09.20, Patricia J 1:09.23, Pair A Dice 1:11.00, Sweet Pea 1:11.57, Pacific Spirit 1:12.08, Tusitala 1:12.14.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 4.04 Nautical miles.  Perfect 36 sailes also and finished just ahead of Pair A Dice but had no Race QS track uploaded.

RACE QS:

I encourage everyone to use the free Race QS app.  It is a free app that you download on your phone and it provides a wealth of information about your boat handling so you can improve.  It is also the only way to be included with your time in the blog and be recognized for you effort.

OBSERVATION:

This evening was a classic case of using observation to your advantage. At Blacks we observed that Jason sailing 60 yards ahead of us was sailing in a very faint Easterly and set our sails up for that point of sail.  Other observations that can be used are texture of wind on the water, flags and even birds sitting in the water (they usually float with their beaks toward the wind!). 

CROSSING SITUATIONS:

There were many crossing situations on this night.  I am out of practice on this point.  My crew knows that they can always point out boats close to us, but the responsibility falls on the skipper’s shoulders to be aware and yield when you should yield.  Before the 5 minute horn, we were sailing on port tack with all of the other boats and had about 3 boats visible off the port bow.  Suddenly we were hailed as a boat (unknown to us) was approaching on starboard but concealed by our jib.   This is embarrassing to me, but I point it out to emphasize the importance of keeping an eye out.  Usually, when sailing in crowded conditions before starts I will take quick little alters in course  that let me keep an eye out for all boats.  This tactic, while it lets you see the whole horizon, can be confusing to other boats.  If in tight quarters, it is best to steer a straight line so other boats can anticipate where you are going.

Kudos to Doug on Avatar.  He tacked onto port in front of us close to wharf (Schuyler).  I hailed starboard, but his boat accelerated and he cleared us easily.  Talk about knowing your boat!

THE POST RACE DANCE:

After we finish the race, Pair A Dice cannot “head for the barn” until we retrieve our start buoy.  This can be a challenge if other boats are sailing close to the area.  I appreciate comradery, but retrieving the buoy is more important to me than congeniality at this point.  Please give room for PAD to retrieve the buoy.  Thank you!

See you next week.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice