Slow boat to China (or at least R8)
2004-07-29

Ugh, I am soooooooooo tired this morning. I really didn't want to get out of bed... but I did and here I am in the wilds of Connect1cut busily working away. Sigh...

Last night was a contributing factor. We stood on the dock and looked and the windless leaden sky and debated the merits of sailing vs drinking beer on the deck. Beer was winning, but it wasn't raining and we really couldn't come up with another reason not to race so we did.

The start was half way down the bay and we managed dispite to get there on time. The race committee optomisticly set a 3 mile windward leeward course (up and down then back up) but it was soon apparent that nobody was going to sail that many miles.

They started the race in about three knots of true wind. For a big heavy boat like us, not good conditions. Factor in the fact that we are only sailing with a 135% genoa on the furler and it looked ot be a long night. On the plus side, a clean bottom and a past record of sucess in the light stuff.

We hit the line right at the gun and began working left where the only traces of breeze were. We milked the few patches that appeared nicely and eventually got a fairly nice lead. Boats that were late at the start or went right early just disappeared. Some boats still hadn't hit the starting line more than 15 minutes after the gun. It would be a night of brain tiring patience.

The tide was running out and the left side kept us behind the light house, a major plus. Eventually we had to go right and we did along with the Ba1tic 37. He banged the right side heavily and we stayed more in the middle. The breeze was down to a knot or so and the Race Committee had now decided that the course was going to be shortened to the windward leg only, a one mile leg.

The Baltic and I tacked back into phase and when we converged, they were ahead by a couple of lenghts. The finished got the gun and when they did what little breeze went with them. We were showing double zeros on both the speed and wind instruments. The tide, now ripping at a full two knots was pushing us nicely backwards and the finish that was oh so tantilizingly close begn to fade away.

I should have anchored and waited for breeze, but the idea of gettng the anchor out and setting it just wasn't that appealing. We milked the little cats paws of breeze that came our way and tried to get right where we figured any building breeze would come from.

The only boat our class left in the running hit right before we did and got their own personal vien of wind. They got to where we did 45 minutes before and died just like we had and began to drift back. We kept going right, and right and right. It started to rain and boats started dropping out. Of the 12 in our class, only five would finish. I was determined to be one of the finishers.

Finally we saw a little breeze coming in from the right. As soon as it hit we tacked back for the finish and the boat speed started to rise, 1.1, 1.5, 2 knots!!! We finally topped out at 2.6, blinding speed. Not... but we were moving. The boat ahead of us started moving too, but lots more slowly. They finally finished as the wind puffed out and we coasted towards the line. We finally heard the horn, started the engine and headed for home.

Persistance, or perhaps stupidity had gotten us a third. Not great, but in a crap shoot, you play the hand you are dealt and next week will be another week.

Later world,

Ron

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