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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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round the Coronados race

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/15/2006 : 15:37:51

Yesterday I had a lot more fun on the race boat. We started well, at 11:10 am in sunny skies and light winds. There were about 60 boats in this race - 10 or so in our class. If I was racing my C25 I would have been in PHRF class 5, and there were only 5 boats entered in this class (including a C27 and C30). It was an inverted start with the slower boats going first. We were in class 4 and had most of the j120S and so on starting after us. Our competition included another Ericson 38, a 35, a Catalina 38 and many other boats. It was a 33 mile offshore race.

After the start from Zuniga Jetty we found ourselves on the port tack heading north. Light winds were almost directly from Coronado Island. We drove to north, the idea being to try to make North island with only one tack. Many of the other boats in our class went south. I was trimming main and genoa (we were a little short handed). Seas were forecast to 10 feet (never saw anything above 4) with rain likely for the afternoon. Winds kept building at 3 PM the rain came in and winds jumped to about 12 knots. We changed into foulies and pushed through the rain. It shifted from S to NW - so our call to stay north turned out to be favored.

Around 3:30 we were among the first 5 -10 boats nearing the island. We were the first in the fleet to pop the spinnaker. Soon, we were among 25 boats around north island and running for the middle island. Between middle island and south island is a gap about 1/4 mile wide. They gave me the helm in this area and I had to suffer running into a total hole where there was no wind. All the boats were drifting. A single boat in our class stayed real close to south island and got good air, he pulled way ahead. Soon enough we were out and drifting back towards San Diego under chute. Arond 4:30 I set up the GPS on the boat and got us a course back to the finish line. I also got the helm again for a while. Once again, the wind went to nothing. It was now getting dark and cold and we had light rain again. We drifted for about an hour then the rain passed and with it the hole in the wind. Chute was down and we had strong north east winds almost directly from the finish line. In a few minutes we were heeled to 40 degrees and blasting towards the finish at 7 knots. Due to some favorable shifts we were able to lay the finish on one tack and cleared the committee boat at 6:21 PM - 7 hours and 11 minutes on the course. Not sure how we finished but it was very nice to get home and in bed after a long, long day on the water. I am expecting to be 1 or 2 in class and don't know how we will correct out.

Next weekend in another round the bouys race in the bay, a race in the flats between San Diego and the Coronado Islands (Mexico) again, then a very long ocean race San Diego to a little island called Sugarloaf in Mexico - its a 65 mile ocean race Feb 4. I'm looking forward to this one.

Its good that the skipper and crew are learning about me and my abilities on the water - before long I'll be navigating and doing tactics for them plus getting my turns at the helm.

It was fun and I want to join the Cortez Racing Association and start taking Indiscipline in these races.

Indiscipline 1978 FK SR #398

Edited by - JimB517 on 01/15/2006 23:06:45

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2006 : 20:50:01

>"I also got the helm again for a while. Once again, the wind went to nothing"

Heh...you know what the answer to that is...

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2006 : 22:11:41

Results - 1st Place! Another boat in Class 4 beat us over the line but owed us time.

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2006 : 22:54:42

Great job Jim under some trying circumstances...combining cold, wet, tired, and windless. So who was shooting the moompitchurs?

Val on the hard DAGNABIT # 3936

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2006 : 21:44:49

Jim some of that is local knowledge. The two times I have done that race it has been the same in the gap between the two islands. We always leave the spinnaker up as long as possible and go along the south side. Even on the south side you will find no wind as you exit the gap but it is the best way through. The other spot which gets a lot of people is Ballast Point. The favored side coming into the bay is usually the north side along Point Loma but you will start slowing down about ½ mile before you get to Ballast Point. That is where you will want to get to the south side of the bay and go for the pier. If it is a out going tide you may get stopped completely just below Ballast point. It is the narrowest part and the current can be real strong there. Sounds like you are having a good time and doing very well. CRA has races scheduled for Saturday January 7/January 21/March 24. They are called the winter series and are not for the faint of heart. The first one is around the Coronado's, the second is around Sugarloaf (A rock off Rosarita) and the final one is around a buoy off La Jolla. This looks like a different race series than the one you are entered in. What boat is it you were on? Enjoy.

Edited by - Keith D. on 01/17/2006 21:50:51

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