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MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/13/2002 : 03:24:30

Well the Admrial and I got to the lake yseterday with 104 degree temps and no wind. The discussion was do we want to go out and cook in these conditions. Casey the five year old found his friend Eric and his dad jumping of of grandpa's boat. After much discussion and an occasional light puff Ed, grandpa, decided to come with us. Casey stayed with Eric and his dad eagerly preforming CANNON BALLS into the still waters as the boats ghosted by. I steared wide and the lot of them still managed to soak us.
Since we were in our discussion on weather to go or not we missed the captains meeting where it was decided that the order of starts was changed. We were a few minitues away from the start when the horn sounded and our group went off. Ed said, "oh yea, they changed the order"
Needless to say we were a little late with the start. All the way through the race we were just a little behind. On the last long (not too long) leg of the race we found a great little breeze. I was on the bow and we decided not to set the whisker pole because the wind was from a different direction than normal. All of a sudden it seemed the voices in teh distance got lowder. We looked up as we overtook and passed a large group of boats trying to keep their jibs full with poles set. As they saw us passing most changed sail positions and started to move. They were sailing along us, we even passed a c22 with brand new $2k sails and a teflon bottom, and 8 of us hit the last mark at exaclly the same time. What a mess. We steared wided of hte mark to avoide the crunch. Unfortunally this allowed a few of the others to get a little lead on us, but we felt great with what we had accomplished. We even passed one of the guys that was flying a chute.

Cool

Matt Loeffler
E.C. Rider
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2002 : 00:20:49

Matt great job: Keep us posted as you progress. Its always fun to read someone elses adventures. Ruth and I will be off on our yearly trip next sunday. Its been warm here in Puget Sound but the wind has still been great. We were out three times last week and I only got the helm once. My wife often gets butterflies if the wind is up and she feels calmer if she has control of the helm. Steering up in the puffs. Its hard for me to not grab the helm and steer hard onto the wind and go faster. After an hour or tweeking sails she will settle down and we are off for some good sailing. I wonder sometimes if a good stiff belt would get her sailing faster. Oh I mean of liquer of course.

Doug&Ruth
Wind Lass
Tacoma Wa.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5913 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2002 : 12:36:31

Matt,

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>8 of us hit the last mark at exaclly the same time. What a mess. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Your story reminded me of a similar incident that happened several years ago. We were running downwind, and about 8-10 boats formed a line perpendicular to the course, beam-to-beam. They were so close together that each boat couldn't get past the bow wave of the boats on either side. I was quickly overtaking the line of boats from behind. In about the middle of the line, there was barely enough space for me to steer my boat into, so that's what I did, pulling in the mainsheet and jib so they didn't touch the boats abeam of me. Like all the other boats in the line, my boat was captured and held back by the bow waves of the other boats. When the line of boats reached the next mark, the boat nearest the mark peeled off and rounded it, and then the next nearest boat peeled off and rounded it, and so on. The outside boats were far behind and to leeward by the time they were able to round the mark.

Since then, I have thought about it and decided that I could have handled it in a better way, if I had thought of it. Instead of steering the boat into the opening in the line, I should have put the helm over, steering the boat to port and reaching across the sterns of all the other boats. With the additional speed gained by reaching, we might have been able to gain an inside overlap on the first boat in the line, and been entitled to room at the mark. In that case, we would have been first around the mark. If we couldn't get an inside overlap before the two-boat circle, then by being just behind the first boat, we could find enough of a gap to round the mark between the first and second boats, or perhaps the second and third boats. In that situation, with all the confusion, someone was bound to leave enough space for us to slip between his boat and the prior boat.

After we pulled into the line, I thought we were irrevocably committed to staying there, but since then I have figured out a way that we could have backed out of the line, so that we could reach across the sterns of the other boats, as described above. If I had tossed my yacht bucket off the stern, with line attached, we would have backed right out of the line, and then we could have reeled in the bucket, reached across the sterns of the other boats and headed for glory.

Douglas, as your wife accumulates tiller time, her steering skill will increase. Her sailing anxieties will decrease, because she will feel more in control of the situation. It's always hard to watch someone else learn something, because we feel we could do better, but the more time she has on the tiller, the more quickly she will learn. Each time you go out, it takes her an hour to re-acquire her helmsmanship skills, because her skills haven't become ingrained habits yet. Sometimes she still has to think about what she is doing, instead of acting instinctively. Because you are giving her lots of tiller time, she will develop her instincts very quickly. It won't be long and you'll be a well-oiled sailing team. (no pun intended.)

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

Edited by - Steve Milby on 07/15/2002 13:32:54

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2002 : 14:01:55

Steve: Not that Ruth needs a lot of time or experiance yet. Ruth is a good sailor. We use to race catamarans and she took first place in the Newport regata. We have a tall rig and when the wind comes up to 12+ the boat becomes a little tender. Once we have built some speed and Ruth settles down she does fine. Its just those few anxious moments that get to me. I want to take control but know I should sit still and be quiet so she can get the feel of the boat. Ruth doesn't go out as often as I do. We will howerver be spending the next week on the boat. By the time the week is up we wont want to come home. Each time we have wanted to just head North and get lost in Canada for a few months. Three years until I retire and we can do just that.

Doug&Ruth
Wind Lass
Tacoma Wa.

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2002 : 01:35:23

Brigitte and I went out today with the intent of loading the boat on the trailer for the anual trip to Hunnington Lake, Ca. Unforutnatly we had a late start; movie last night, kids off to day care, etc. We both had Dr.'s appts at 2 and 2:30, and getingt to the lake we decided lets go sailing and put the boat up after the dentist.
It was a beautiful day, high 90 low 100's, light wind and Brigitte spent about 90 + percent behind the tiller. We went over sail trim and I think she understands a little more on why I am always adjusting the sails or turning up or down. I need to get my teltails on the jib to help her figure that out too. The guy we got the boat from didn't use them.
Got her to the docks about 10 minitues from her appoitnment so I buttend up slightly and then went to mine. 3:30 was kind of late for her to stay and help with the boat so a couple of the everpresent sailing people helped out putting the boat on the trailer and then dropping the mast. I forgot to bring the digital camera to take photos of that for you, but will try and remember while we are in the mountains.

Matt/Brigitte Loeffler
E.C. Rider
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2002 : 01:35:42

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2002 : 01:35:59

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/17/2002 : 12:57:10

Is this the internet version of Ground Hog Day?

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.