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Great Fleet 7 race yesterday

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/03/2006 : 12:40:06

Well, Sunday April 2 was the grand practice race to help us get ready for Newport-Ensenada, test all systems, exercise the crews, and have some fun!

The day was bright and sunny, winds were 12 knots and gusting higher all day. Seas were 2 to 3 feet with some bigger swells. It was a perfect day. We had 4 boats: my fin keel standard rig with Charlie (sterngucker) one of our C250 owners on board, a fin keel tall rig (Sea Fever, owned by Bill, with Sel as crew), Gary Norgan's Classical Cat (89 wing keel tall rig, with Susan on board), and our old pal's Ken and Fernando on their S2 28 footer (which at PHRF 164 owed us 17 minutes on this course). Problem is, the S2 is a dog with blown out sails and can't beat my C25 scratch in any wind so we were racing 4 pretty even boats.

The race was 16 miles - Start Finish line was the Mission Bay red buoy and the South Jetty. The only race mark was SD1, a red and white buoy 8 miles downwind.

Without a committee boat or anything, I hove to on the line and called the start over the radio. We got all boats sailing for the line, then I tacked through 180 degrees and we were off! It was a beam reach start, turning into a downwind run because we could not run straight to the mark because of land and extensive Pt. Loma kelp beds. All 4 boats were very close. Classical Cat and the S2 were going very high, close reaching offshore. Sel and Bill on Sea Fever were running low on close to a straight line to the mark. I was in the middle trying to get to a point were we could get the spin up. In the early miles it was to close to call if I was in the lead or Sea Fever.

After about 3 miles and a quick lunch I decided to go up spin. I went to the bow and ran all the lines. I'm getting good at this. It was pretty windy and bumpy. I decided to drop the jib BEFORE going up with the spinnaker even though that is slower. We got the spin up OK with no problems, but we lost control of the windward sheet. It whipped out of the blocks, through the pole, around the forestay, and the whole sail was streaming downwind. By the time we got the whole thing sorted out, under control, untangled, and full and pulling the boat we were way behind. No one else had or used their spinnaker. I was really surprised that the S2 did not go up with their Asym (later, Ken said he was just too lazy - well that's what a practice race is for!!!!).

Sea Fever had a commanding lead, but with spin up and strong winds Indiscipline was seeing low speeds of 7.5 and up to 9 knots surfing downwind. It was really fun. Soon, the S2 and Classical Cat were well behind.

With all the trouble going up spin, I decided to douse when we were a mile from the mark. Sea Fever was well around, several minutes ahead. We were next, then the S2, I never did see Classical Cat round - since Gary chose to fly only his 110 this windy day they were well out of it downwind. This was too early, as we doused without problems but it cost us some more time on Sea Fever.

Soon, Indiscipline and the S2 Endeavor were neck and neck heading upwind steeply heeled. I was flying my laminate 155. We were heeled to 45 degrees and beyond. Charlie was a rock of a seaman as he went below, got us beers, took photos, and also repacked the chute all while standing on his ear. Sea Fever had about a 1/2 mile lead. He tacked out, soon followed by Endeavor. I knew I would not make up 1/2 mile by following them so I proposed to Charlie that we take the risky, shallow, inshore route and try to short tack in shallow water (20 - 30 feet) staying inside the kelp and running back just under the cliffs of Pt. Loma. I knew we could take about 3 miles off our course doing this, I also knew that there was one spot we had to cross where the water was only 10 feet deep (can't do this on a big wave day). I was exploiting my extensive local knowledge as I've mapped and charted this route before in calm conditions.

We forged a lead. We had to throw in a tack once when we saw a big wave breaking to seaward of us! Sel saw what we were doing and came tacking inside. He knew we would run away from him with this tactic. Ken and Fernando decided to take 1 long tack offshore and try to lay Mission Bay from there. This was not a good idea.

The rest of the race turned into a tacking duel between Sea Fever and Indiscipline. We were faster, they were pointing higher (too high, I think they were pinching too much). In any case we were on starboard and almost had a collision. They had to give us a penalty turn! Then we blew a tack and did one ourselves! Overpowered, I tightened outhaul, cunningham, and really flattened the main. Later, they pinched around a big 100 acre patch of kelp, we had to throw in a tack to get around. Both boats were then racing for the line. With about 3 miles to go I was a couple of minutes behind. We were jamming through the little kelp patches, and gaining on them. In the end, Sea Fever crossed the line 2 minutes and 1 second ahead (they were giving us 96 seconds). So we lost. The S2 came in about 20 minutes later. We didn't see Classical Cat for several hours.

It was a ton of fun, nothing broke. I already improved the spin sheets so they can blow through the blocks again, and we did get a little tear in my old old old 155 laminate which I patched already. The group had a very nice Greek dinner at the place by the harbor.

Today I have a pretty good rope burn on my thumb and I'm wanting to go to larger spin sheets than the 3/16 I've been using.

Indiscipline 1978 FK SR #398

Edited by - on

Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2006 : 20:54:50

Sounds like you had a great day Jim. Sunday was a great day sailing I was out in San Diego Bay doing the Charity Bay Race. By the end of the day we were seeing gusts up to 19 MPH. It was interesting doing a buoy race on a Catalina 36. With 8 buoys in a 13-mile race it seemed that every time we got everything set up we were at another buoy. We had 3 spinnaker legs so it kept things interesting. At the end of the day we were 2nd across the line but because we were racing Southwestern Yacht Club handicap the Catalina 36 had to give everyone else time including the J boat which was in front of us. I was a fun day and talk about practice we had plenty of that!

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2006 : 23:27:08

Going to be in the Gerry Brown this weekend? I'll be on Charolette Anne, Ericson 38.

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tmhansen
Captain

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USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 04/05/2006 : 01:47:45

Jim, sounds like a fun day. I enjoyed the way you told the story - Thanks.

My plans for Santa Barbara this week have been scrubbed due to rain, rain, and more rain these past few weeks. Oh well I got the boat all srubbed up and ready to go at the next opportunity.

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 04/05/2006 : 19:25:38

Jim I won't be going out this weekend, I have to work Saturday and Sunday. My next planed outing is on the 19, which is the start of the Sunset Series out of Marina Del Ray. I will be going out on Merit 25 every Wednesday night through September in that series.

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