Trophy Series Race #1 and a mini-cruise
With storms all week and the 25-30 mph winds Friday night, I held off until Saturday morning before heading to the lake. I had to be in place at the marina by 10:30 a.m. for an officer's business meeting then prepare the race course for the first series race for 2012. As Vice Commodore, that duty falls to me. I was on the road before 7a.m. Weather looked good for the next 24 hours! |
| Thar be uh battlestar in me rear view!!! |
Angie was up in Chicago for a "girl's weekend" with family so I was going to solo-sail. I was up taking care of our ranch chores along with my folks' place and on the road before by 7am. After following a storm front for quite a while, finally it cleared up some when I beheld a battlestar namesake right behind me! Sweet!
 |
| Motoring to marina for business meeting... MWP sitting in cove watching boaters... |
I was rigged, minus some running rigging, and on the water in less than 25 minutes... not bad!
After the committee meeting, we held a skipper's meeting for the race. Winds were to be 10-12mph.
I decided on a three buoy race, roughly 5 miles although it was further due to having to beat into the wind on a couple legs.
Start line was from buoy #3 to anchored committee boat.
Race would proceed to #1 rounding it on port,
then to #2 (port),
then to #3 (port),
then back to #1 (port)
finally back to the line passing #3 to starboard!
It was a fun sail! Bob from Wind Dancer joined me to help inflate and set the three buoys out in the spalding pool then stayed on to sail with me! That was helpful, he manned the mainsail sheet, traveler and daggerboard while I took the helm and trimmed the Genoa.
 |
| 2012 MTLSA Trophy Series Race1 |
 |
| near buoy #3 |
 |
| Liz & Jeff on Wild Goose, off to a roaring .5 knot start/drift across the start line. |
 |
| Near buoy #3 |
As soon as Tom blew the five minute warning...the wind sputtered to a stop.
 |
| waiting for start time... |
It took perhaps 20 or more minutes to drift/sail past the start line to start our time.
 |
| very slow start...like a herd of turtles |
 |
| 5.7 knots! |
On easterly tacks, I tended to get up to 5.7 knots in the light, flukey winds. Westerly tacks were slow, 2-3.5 knots!
 |
| Galactica came in 6th. Not bad for my first race. |
 |
| DragonFly....she's big and very fast! |
This was my first real race so I was happy to finish, not cut off anyone and not embarrass myself hitting buoys... I almost came in 4th place but the final port turn on buoy #3 killed it for me. I was about to pinch off the corner and pull ahead of Endeavor and Mucky Duck who were tacking to make the buoy--but then the wind sputtered and I had to tack away less than a boat length from the buoy...
 |
| Race over, time to relax and socialize... |
a number of us converged for happy hour and...
 |
| Post Race gathering...Tom with a Dark and Stormy |
 |
| new main running rigging |
 |
| New clutches for mainsail running rigging and daggerboard |
The clutches worked well. I'll need to mark the daggerboard line so that I can tell the level of the DB.
Happy hour... We enjoyed fellowship, stories and recaps of the race while sipping our various brews.
 |
| Looking forward on the T37, Higher Porpoise. Galactica moored ahead. |
After we broke off to return to our boats to eat, I checked the weather online. It was to be clear until 8:30 to 9 a.m. so I decided to stay on the water for the night and cut out early. I was completely exhausted. On hind sight, I should have at least pulled her out and lowered the mast; but, it was a thrilling night other than lack of sleep after 3 a.m.
 |
| mifi internet and kindle... I used this to check weather forecasts... |
With my mifi hotspot and kindle, I can check weather sites, radar and NOAA charts on http://activecaptain.com/.
We decided to board DragonFly (about 10 or so of us) and go for a night sail.
 |
| Galactica, prior to night sail... |
 |
| A view of the marina as we sailed away...on the Cookie Cruise |
Dragonfly sailed in growing winds under partial genoa only. She's quite a boat which is well handled by the Stillwells. Suz kept baking batches of cookies which were so nice in the chilly night air!
I got back to my boat just before midnight. Winds kept building to the point that my foresail was strumming in the wind and vibrating the whole mast. About 3:30am, I grabbed a couple extra docklines and secured the forestay about a third the way up, to the base of the forward stanchions near the mast. I used taunt line hitches (from my old scouting days). This helped until all hell broke loose around 4:30a.m.. Winds were so strong that Galactica heeled and it sounded like a freight train! It hailed for a while and I got quite a thunder/lightning show. I didn't realize it until I got up, but torrential rain blowing sideways goes through the air space above the main companionway hatch. I had water spray up to the forward dinnette seat.
 |
| I fired up the kindle to see what was hitting me. Here is a screen shot! |
Around 5:30, I prepped the boat so that I could make a run to the ramp in between storm cells. Just as I was preparing to make coffee and oatmeal, the rain lessened. Radar showed a break between cells so I motored back to the ramp.
 |
| Galactica waiting in the light drizzle for me to get the tow beast. |
Here is a youtube video I put together highlighting various activities during this weekend's mini-cruise.
No comments:
Post a Comment