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Goal #1 accomplished

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/18/2008 : 06:20:19

It wasn’t pretty. It was downright ugly. In the unending quest for Iris to finish in “not-last-place” at the races, we met with a new low this Saturday when we were shanghaied three ways at once within spitting distance of the finish line.

It was very light wind, and the boats were barely moving, but I had an excellent start, and even managed to run a 30 foot Pearson flyer off the course at the start line, and to keep up with a 32 foot C&C for much of the first leg. Things were definitely looking up for the “not-last-place finish”

At the first mark, another Pearson flyer (and the fastest boat on the lake) dropped out of the race because “I’m bored guys, and like, there’s no wind”. My spirit soared as the winds dropped. I was single handling the boat, but the speed was so low (0.1 knots) that I was able to clean out the bilge while the boat drifted quietly along on the course (something I had been meaning to get to for some time).

After rounding the first mark, the fleet skirted the south shore of the lake, before coming back up to the start line, and we were still holding our own, and mixing it up with the other boats. We were in a very solid position of fourth last. Not too bad when there are only eight boats out there. Then came the three-way shanghai special.

Approaching the line, I was right behind a Grampian 26, sailing high to the wind on port tack. Below us, a Macgregor Venture was sneaking along on starboard tack approaching the finish line from the side. Way behind us (like 15 minutes) a big Beneteau was crawling along like a snail pushing a Cadillac with a flat tire. Although we couldn’t see the line through the Gramp, her skipper is really good so I figured that as long as I followed him, our handicap would put us ahead of him. Then tragedy struck. The Gramp was too close to the wind and was not going to be able to clear the start line. As I watched him fumbling around at the line with no speed, it was obvious I’d be in trouble if I continued to follow him. Quickly I tacked over to starboard tack and moved a little higher on the line. Meanwhile, the Macgregor moved in between me and the finish line.

Right of way rules said that I couldn’t cross the Macgregor's path, nor could I tack over cleanly to cross the line. I watched in horror as first the Gramp (shanghai #1) crossed the finish line, then the Macgregor carried us along up the line for a few minutes before he tacked over and crossed the line (Shanghai #2), and then we crossed the line. Suddenly we had gone from 4th last to second last, but it was a solid second last, since the Beneteau was still way behind.

I returned to the marina to celebrate my somewhat dampened victory, when over the radio came the news, the Beneteau has gotten within ten feet of the finish line and then quit the race (shanghai #3). They decided that DNF (did not finish) was better than DFL (dead f*&^ing last), which in turn gave us that ubiquitous title.

After crying in my beer, the corrected results came in - we beat one of the Pearson Flyers and the Grampian on corrected time, so we came in third last (fourth last if you include the Beneteau).

Thats Goal #1 down...

"Iris"
1984 FK/SR #4040
http://frosthaus.blogspot.com/

Take a minute to register your boat with the association!!
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/owner_questionnaire.htm

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5909 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 08:55:07

Good job! If any boat starts a race, but doesn't finish it, I generally consider that I "beat" him. Usually (but not always, of course), people don't drop out of a race while they still have a chance of winning it, or finishing well. They usually drop out when they have lost hope of improving their finishing position. Your good sailing is what <u>caused</u> them to lose hope of improving their finishing position.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I returned to the marina to celebrate my somewhat dampened victory, when over the radio came the news, the Beneteau has gotten within ten feet of the finish line and then quit the race (shanghai #3). They decided that DNF (did not finish) was better than DFL (dead f*&^ing last), which in turn gave us that ubiquitous title.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> That's one of the most unsportsmanlike, infantile, chicken sh*t things I've ever heard of a racer doing. His refusal to cross the finish line from only 10 feet away says that his sensitive little ego couldn't withstand the pain of finishing last, so he ungraciously dumped that consequence on you, who sailed a better race than he did. He needs to grow up and learn to accept defeat like a man. It happens to all of us. IMHO, by doing what he did, he finished less than last.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 10:50:35

Could you have luffed him up? If you can point higher he would probably have to tack away (or commit a foul) and then you would have a free shot at the line.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 10:51:35

On the up side, he brought in the race mark and offered us a tow when our outboard wouldn't start...

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 11:40:34

Good idea Derek - can you luff up a boat on the finish line? I thought that was a start line move. We were the leeward boat on starboard tack. I guess if we had luffed him, he would have had to tack over, and we could have crossed right behind him. Since we were only 90 seconds behind the next boat on corrected time, the trouble at the finish line meant we fell back by one spot. The Mac's PHRF correction is huge, so it wouldn't have made any difference to our correction relative to his, but it may have pushed us ahead of the C&C.

It was an unusual race for a lot of reasons. We usually run a modified olympic course (triangle and sausage) but for this one we ran a "half moon" which was a trapezoid starting up wind, rounding the far mark, and then reaching , running back, and reaching up to the finish line.

At the start the wind was out of the west, but after it died, it filled back in from the east so that the entire race was into the wind. The light winds and flat water really worked to my advantage in this one. I am quite pleased that we finished in "not last place" but a little embarassed at being beat by the venture. I should have been way ahead of him on straight time.

There's always next week...

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 12:51:37

You were the leeward boat on the same tack, so you can luff him until you are close-hauled. At this point he most likely would have to tack away as I'm sure that you can point higher.

Edited by - on

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