Don’t Worry. I have a safe mark for Gull Point. Oops!

Day Lighthouse Race — Sunday 5/27.  Results:  DNF

The 16 mile Day Lighthouse Race started out in light-to-no air, upwind through the bay in about 3-4 knots of breeze.  The breeze picked up to 5-6 straight out of the channel, and we had to tack out the channel, in light air, on a holiday!  After we rounded G-1 we put the chute up on a Starboard tack because we can carry it at about 60 degrees in light air.

We headed for Gull Point.  I had two “safe marks” for Gull Point that I’ve used for the past couple years.  We were well to the right of my first safe mark when we hit the sand.  The wind and the waves on our starboard side drove us further into the sand.  After about 15 minutes it was clear we could not get ourselves out the normal way (lots of people heeling the boat over), so we started the engine.  That didn’t help either, so I called Lakeshore Towing.  While we were waiting for Lakeshore Towing we finally got the bow around, put Mark way out on the boom and finally got clear enough to get out.

We withdrew from the race and announced to the fleet that we won the first Groundhog award of the year 😦  Quite an honor.

By the time we got back to the slip a thunder cell blew through.  Providential?

Thanks to our Groundhog crew:  Kim, Mark, Andy, Rosemary.

Brier Patch Spinnaker Results and Recap

Results:  Race 1 = 5th, Race 2 = 3rd.

There was a big blue HIGH sitting right on top of us on the weather map, so the best we could hope for was an onshore.

The first race started a little after 10AM in the dying remnants of the offshore.  The results say that the wind speed was 4 knots.  I don’t know when that was!  Suffice it to say that it was true light air race during which everybody got their own race.  The distance was under two miles (the RC shortened the race to only one time around), and we finished with an elapsed time 1 hour and 41 minutes!  For most people it was a case of “Where were you when the wind died?”  The wind died for us as soon as we rounded the weather mark and got the chute up.  We literally sat there at the mark the for 10-15 minutes.  Then our private wind came up and we were instantly sailing at 4 knots on a close reach for about a 1/3 of a mile, and then the wind died just as quickly again.  We worked our way forward about at about a half-knot for a while until we sailed into the mother of all holes.  We sat in the hole for fully 15 minutes while we watched everyone sail away from us — they were slightly ahead of the hole when it appeared.  Finally, about 12:30PM the onshore kicked up (all 6 knots of it), and we sailed fast to the finish, but by then we were DFL.

The second race was a two-times-around race in about 6 knots of breeze.  We sailed well enough to beat a few boats.  We got a good start and did well on the upwind legs, and we got the chute up well enough and gybed it well enough on the downwind legs.  It was nice to beat the J-22 boat-to-boat.

Then we adjourned to the slip about 2PM for sandwiches on the boat.  Overall, however, it was a beautiful sunny day on the Bay.

Thanks to our long-suffering crew:  Judy, Kim, Mark, Andy.

(BTW — even though it was a beautiful day, the results don’t do justice to the real ugliness and frustration of light air racing in a boat that doesn’t go downwind really well.)

Brier Patch 2 Recap

Result:  3rd place

The conditions were almost exactly the same as last Wednesday — WNW 10 – 15 kts, some slight chop — but the course was nice long triangle.  The start was a downwind start and we were determined not to repeat last week’s mistake.  We got to the line on Stbd a little early, but a nice comfy hole opened up in the middle of the line — everyone else was fighting at the pin ends.  So we just parked and waited for the start, then quickly flopped to Port and headed for R14.  This time the wind was a little more northerly, so it was a broad port reach instead of dead down.  We took the high line with Entson and Serendipity and pretty much matched them in speed — the boats who took the low line (including Keya) did more poorly, and we three stretched out on them.  We actively trimmed and steered with the wind shifts and consistently held speeds from 5.8 to 6.3.

We were third around the mark, hardened up and stayed on Port.  A little ahead of us Entson tacked to Stbd right in front of Serendipity, causing a “moment” between them.  After about a quarter of mile we tacked to Stbd, just above Serendipity.  After about a tenth of mile the wind shifted and we were mightily lifted to the weather mark for the rest of the leg (about a mile).  After a short Port hitch we rounded second.

After rounding we got rolled by a couple of the boats from the B Fleet, but we kept trying to work our way to the high side.  Serendipity had clear air the whole leg to they stretched out on us.  Entson caught up with us, but we were able to hold them off and stay above them, so they were never able to pass us to leeward, and we dragged them all the way to the finish.  Once again, we actively trimmed and paid attention to the little shifts.  They had to give us room and we were able to keep our nose out in front so we finished 4 seconds ahead of them.  However, we still owe them time so they corrected over us.  Keya was on the wrong side of the course for two legs and finished 7 minutes behind us!  And we’re not sorry that they got a little taste of their own medicine 🙂

All-in-all, a great night of sailing!  Thanks to our crew:  Andy, Kim, Mark, Judy.

Brier Patch 1 Recap

Writing on my phone so this will be brief.  4-mile W/L.  WNW 10-15.   Beautiful night for sailing.  We sailed very well.  The only problem was that we got stuffed at the start by Keya.  Lost about 30  seconds and just never made them up.

Everyone stayed close on the downwind leg and we didn’t give up any more time.  Rounded R14 with Rakish.  Sailed well upwind and gained 55 seconds on Rakish.  But it’s early in the season so the other boats corrected over us and we took fifth.  But we corrected over all but four A-Fleet boats.  We’ll take that!

Thanks to crew: Judy, Kim, Andy and Mark.

First Race of 2012

Results and recap coming.   First a couple pix from the first night.  Some of the crew (Mark, Judy and Kim) folding the jib on the way back to the slip after the race.  Yes, it got a little chilly as the sun was going down…

And a beautiful Erie sunset af the finish!

Anticipation…

The first race of the 2012 season is tomorrow night.  Can’t wait.  I’ll try to post a brief recap on Thursday while traveling to Raleigh.

Sunday Shakedown Sail

The first race is Wednesday.  So we went up the mast to reinstall the wind instruments.  Then we got the main back on.  Then we went for a nice  shakedown sail in 12-18 kts of breeze.  Thanks Mark, Andy and Rosemary for the help and a fun sail.  It was a little chilly at times.  But, hey, we were sailing!!! 🙂