Friday’s Down The Bay Race (read my account of it here) kept my hands pretty busy. I was only able to catch a few minutes of video during the calmer/clearer times. In these shots you are looking at the backs of the waves, so it looks much calmer with smaller waves than it was.
Friday morning we set out on Excitation – a Farr-Dickinson 37 for the Down The Bay Race from Annapolis to Hampton in what would be an epic race. The forecast was for north west wind moving north and bringing the wind right down the bay making for a very fast trip south. Sailing the race were 30 boats ranging in size from a 24-foot J-24 to a 52′ TP52.
The race started just after 10am in Annapolis with winds in the mid-20’s and light drizzle. We got underway in the A2 fleet and headed down the bay on a broad reach under full main and #1 (our largest headsail). Many of the boats with asymmetrical spinnakers were able to carry them and they all just took off. Some of the symmetric boats were able to carry them as well. For the early part of the race we just cruised along rarely under 8 knots and with 1-2 knots of favorable current we averaged over 9.5 knots over the ground for the first 3/4 of the race.
Every hour we switched off drivers and main trimmers. They were both working hard keeping the boat moving through the 4′ seas in the early part of the race. We’d surf waves when we could and all competed to see who could drive for the top speed of the day. At first we thought hitting 11 knots was fast. Before long we were getting bored with only hitting 10 knots in a boat that rates 87 PHRF.
About 1/3 of the way into the race the waves stabilized a bit and the wind was down into the low twenties and we tried to put a small kite up. It was a bit squirrely and we just couldn’t keep the boat under the sail. Eventually we lost it, almost broached and wrapped the chute around the head stay a few times. After a few tense minutes trying to unwrap it and get it down we got it on deck and continued under main and the number 1.
By mid-afternoon we were approaching the mouth of the Potomac. The Potomac is a very large river with a lot of current that comes out of it and into the bay. Here we found the most confused seas and with waves now 4-6′ it was a handful to keep the boat going especially with random waves that would occasionally break into the cockpit.
South of the Potomac the waves got a little more regular and the wind stayed in the 25-32 knot range. Occasionally we saw low 20’s and up to 36. Through this part of the course we continued reaching along the rhumb line.
Last year at 5:30 am we were passing the Piankatank River (our normal FBYC sailing area just south of the Rappahannock River). This year we were there by 5:30pm and making fantastic time down the bay. As we got into the lower part of the bay the wind stayed steadier in the 28-32 range and the waves built to 6-8′ and even some 10′ for the final 20 miles down the bay before rounding a channel marker and taking a right turn to sail the last 9 miles into Hampton. It was this downwind stretch that we did some of our fastest sailing. Not because we were trying to push it, we weren’t – we were trying to sail conservative and safe, but because we had to sail the boat entirely by feel with almost no light to see the waves with. It just felt right to go fast.
At one point we just dropped into a 6’+ wave and it felt awesome with a nice trough to our right and I just rode it for all I could. It was just like sailing a dinghy down waves – except this was a 11,000lb 37′ boat. We had hit some 12 knots earlier – but on that wave I hit 13.46 knots through the water. What a rush to have such a big boat slicing across the water like that.
At the final mark to the finish we’d have to go from broad reaching to close reaching. With full main and number 1 genoa up we knew that would be a challenge – and it was. With no way to carry the genoa, let alone the main, we had a very difficult time getting the genoa down so we could finish under main alone.
The course record was around 13 hours set by a 60′ boat back in 1974. We finished at 30 minutes after midnight which was in 14 hours – just one hour off the record. Over 1/3 of the boats sailing finished under the old race record. The new record holder – the TP52 Irie finished in just 7 hours. They were at the bar just after 5:30 pm. That’s an amazing record that’s going to stand for a very long time. Full Results.
We docked shortly after 1 and it was a relief to all be back safe and sound and on dry land. We swapped stories with other sailors in the bar. Only 2 boats wouldn’t finish the race – one after a demasting. Eventually we all just crashed on the boat – exhausted from an epic ride we won’t soon forget. (Update: Watch some video of our trip here)
I’d like to thank owner Mayo Tabb for doing the race this year and having me and to the other crew who did a great job keeping us going in some very difficult conditions.
Tomorrow starts the 2013 Down The Bay Race and I’ll be racing on the Farr-Dickinson 37′ Excitation owned by Mayo Tabb from Fishing Bay Yacht Club. We’ll be sailing with 8 other boats in the A2 fleet among 32 boats sailing the race. They range from 24′ to 52′. Here’s the scratch sheet.
The typical wind for the Chesapeake Bay this time of the year is out of the south, sometimes the west and occasionally the east. When it blows out of the North it’s often not for long. This is a rare year that the wind will be blowing strong out of the North from the start of the race in Annapolis to the finish in Hampton. It’s almost certain that the course record of 13 hours by Running Tide, a 60 foot Sparkman and Stevens design owned by Al van Metre,
will fall this weekend. It’s possible half the A fleet might finish under the record. Either way it’s going to be a wild ride and we are going to have a blast!
The forecast for Sunday called for wind to come up and build in the mid-teens shortly after mid-day. We got exactly that and then some with gusts in the upper teens by the 3rd race. With the failure of the outhaul/cunningham base block screw yesterday I rigged the cunningham normally and rigged the outhaul the old way on the boom. Not as adjustable, but it’d get me through the day.
We were the first start of the day and I didn’t do so hot on the first one. I was coming to the first mark mid-fleet and the race committee abandoned us before the first boat go to the windward mark because a large fishing trawler was very close to the mark and on the rhumb line to our reach mark moving slowly.
We restarted and this time I had a good start and did well to hold my lane. I had reasonable upwind speed, but still not quite as much as those who could hold the boat down better. I rounded in 10-12, caught one on the reach, caught another on the run, and then picked up 2-4 more spots on the 2nd upwind where I picked the shifts well and held onto that for 8th.
In the 2nd race of the day I had another good start and held my lane well up the beat. By now the wind had increase a few more knots and I just wasn’t moving the boat upwind as well as others who sailed more in heavy wind. (It was probably some time last summer since I spent more than an hour racing in 15+). I finished around 12-13, but a few folks were OCS pulling me up to 9.
The wind built more for the 3rd race and by new we were getting some 2’+ waves rolling through. At that point I was just hanging on and just trying to keep the boat moving as fast as I could while trying to minimize tacking and slowing down. I played the downwind pretty conservatively to keep the boat upright and finished 10th.
By 2pm the RC planned one more race and I could see we were going to be getting rained on within the hour. I didn’t think another race was going to change my score much and I had accomplished what I came for which was competitive racing in wind and I decided I better get on the road so I don’t get back too late.
Traffic back was miserable in Connecticut. What should have been the first 2 1/2 hours took over 4. South of NYC everything cleared out and I got home at 1:30am. Overall it was a good trip. I got to sail a new venue, meet some new sailors and get some more competitive racing in before the D10 championship and ACC coming up in a few weekends. Thanks again to everyone at Wickford Yacht Club for putting on a great regatta and to the Northrups for the great place to stay.
Results | Pictures: here here here here here here here
Top photo licensed from Cate Brown photo.
We had great wind and racing for the first day of the Wickford Regatta & Laser District 7 Championship. We had 24 boats and sailed 3 races in 10-15 out of the south and overcast skies with temperatures in the mid 60’s.
I got out to a bit of a slow start and continued to feel better in the boat each race and put up better results each race. In the first race I was a little slow at the start and got bounced around a bit on the first beat. I was fast on the reach and held on downwind to end up 14th.
In the second race I had a better start, but still had a tough time on the first beat and rounded the first mark deep. I had a great second beat and picked off some boats and ended up 11th.
After finishing the 2nd race I realized that one of the heads of the screws holding the outhaul/cunningham block at the base of the mast sheared off and was only being held down by one screw. I re-rigged the outhaul so it was fixed and not deck-led to relieve some pressure to get me through the rest of the races.
As a result of fixing the outhaul and setting up for the start a little late, I didn’t have a good lane at the start and wound up tacking out early and ducking a lot of boats. That worked out pretty well when the wind started going right and I was able to pick the shifts to round top-5. Downwind I rounded 3rd and luckily went to the right gate (looking upwind) and went right upwind where we got a 30-degree righty, so I immediately found myself on the layline. I got out-ground in the higher winds, to round in 5th and then lost 2 more on the downwind to finish 7th.
The RC tried to start another race, first under P and then under I, but we general recalled both times and they sent us in as it was already after 4pm.
All in all it was a good day on the water and other than not being able to adjust the outhaul, I felt like I was getting into a groove and making the boat go well. Hopefully we’ll have another couple of races tomorrow.
This afternoon I arrived in Wickford, Rhode Island for the Wickford Regatta that’s also going to be the Laser District 7 Championship. I found the club and the beach across town where we are sailing out of and unloaded the boat and got to go for a practice sail in a dying breeze. In the evening I hung out at the club meeting some of the other members, sailors and volunteers and met the couple that is hosting me. This is my first time sailing anywhere on Narragansett Bay let alone anywhere in Rhode Island and I’m looking forward to a great Laser fleet and good racing conditions tomorrow!
Couldn’t have ask for much better weather for yesterday’s Spring Laser Regatta at Corsica River Yacht Club. The storms stayed away and we had a puffy 8-12 with temperatures in the 70’s and partly sunny skies. We sailed just off Ship Point a short sail from the club.
In the first race I had a great start at the boat and from there I just picked a couple shifts and was leading at the first windward mark by a few lengths. I extended just a bit around the next lap and a half and got the win.
In the second race I was lining up for the start and with 10 seconds left I pulled the tiller toward me to put the bow down and go for the start and my tiller/extension universal joint snapped. For years I’ve sailed with a Forespar extension for the very reason that it uses a screw-in speed lock universal joint that can be replaced very easily. I keep a spare and a pair of pliers in my life-jacket, so 90 second repair later I was off and sailing. I was able to catch up to the middle of the fleet and finished 7th.
In the 3rd race I had a good start, but caught a bad shift on the first beat and was 4th or 5th at the first mark. Carten Faubel and Nicholas Place just got out ahead of everyone and stayed there for the race. I slowly pass a couple boats and got up to 3rd.
For the 4th race I had another great start and just worked the shifts rounding the mark in first. I held off Carsten on the first downwind and subsequent upwind, but he had been so fast all day and he got just ahead of me on the 2nd downwind. On the last tack of final short beat the finish we dragged race and he got me by about 2 feet.
We started a 5th race in 6-8 knots as the wind began easing off, but a storm passed a little too close for comfort and the race committee abandoned it on the 3rd leg and sent us in.
With 1-7-3-2 I ended up 2nd behind Carsten and just ahead of Nicholas Place. CRYC did another great job and it’s always a fun place to sail. Thanks for putting on the regatta and having the Lasers!
Lighter winds and cooler temperatures for the final day of the Annapolis NOOD regatta. We gave it what we had, but just weren’t able to improve our score in the final two races. With winds up and down and forming lanes up and down the course, we just weren’t able to string enough pressure together to keep us moving. Despite the scores, it was still a fun weekend and I want to thank Craig & Susan Wright on Afterthought for having me along.
Photos above courtesy of Carrie Russell
With winds up and down it was a tough day on the water today. We’re still 3rd on points, but ceded a few points and are tied with several boats very close behind us. We’ll need a few good results tomorrow to stay on the podium. All in all our maneuvers went much better than yesterday, but we did find ourselves on the wrong side of some shifts making it hard to stay in the top spots.
Racing today was in anywhere from 5 knots all the way up into the mid-teens in the last race of the day with mostly sunny skies and temperatures comfortable in the 60-70’s. I’d have more pictures today, but the camera with all of the shots on it was left in the boat for the night.
This seemed to be the story of my day… more overrides on the winch in a day of racing than I think I’ve had in years of racing.
Here is a Spinsheet photo of us approaching a mark during racing on Friday (I’m on the low side about to ease the jib):
We had as good of conditions as we could have asked for on the first day of racing at the Annapolis NOOD Regatta. Sailing in the J/109 fleet aboard Afterthought we had a pretty good day going 3-2-5 and ending up 3rd in the 7-boat fleet. We sailed on the southern-most course by Tolly Point and had winds building through the 10-17+ knot range.
In race one we had a tough start and had to tack out. We were DFL around the windward mark. We enjoyed watching that on the big screen at the race party knowing we made some smart moves on the rest of the race to claw our way up to a 3rd.
In the 2nd race we got a great start and picked the first upwind well and just extended the entire race. Rush was just ahead of us and while we could almost hang with them, we certainly weren’t closing on them.
For the 3rd race we had another good start and for this race the fleet stayed bunched on the first windward leg. We were 3 or 4 downwind and then on the 2nd upwind we ended up on the wrong side of a shift and dropped to 6th. Picked up on boat downwind to finish 5th putting us into 3rd overall – 3 points out of 2nd and 5 points ahead of 4th.
Tomorrow we’re expecting a little lighter winds and a chance to move up a bit.
Some of the sailors from Fishing Bay Yacht Club.