This morning looked quite promising except for the forecast. The wind was definitely blowing hard. The question was if it would stay below thresholds until after racing.
Sailing out to the start I was testing my abilities. It was more wind than I could handle. The only people that seemed to be OK were those that picked up a crew member and were pretty close to the limits on weight, near 300 pounds. Even they were having trouble.
I used an old trick and started on port at the boat. In heavy air boats tend to overshoot and slide down the line. Sure enough there was a good hole. I sailed to the right then tacked on a header to cover the fleet. Sounds like a normal description of a good start.
Really what happened was I was in a good sequence for a mid line start. But when I tacked I smacked my head with the boom so hard I saw stars. Glasses were gone. As I wondered if I was dead, the boat took off. When I recovered I was 20 seconds from the start and third row. I baled on that, circled around and looked for a hole to my right. Off I went to the right.
The race started in 16 to 18 mph wind with gusts higher. Survival was paramount. Don't break the boat, don't break the body, and don't break anyone else's boat or person. I succeeded in that. As I tacked to a layline though I pulled the vang tail through the mainsheet block which successfully uncleated the vang and locked up the mainsheet. I survived but the recovery took me below a layline and out of line. A 10-15 position went to 20 pretty fast. Plus it was easily now blowing 22-24.
Around the top mark I immediately picked up two boat as I launched into a plane. I was flying faster than any darn Laser could go. I was dodging and weaving, keeping the bow up, driving down in the flats. Then I hit a launcher that put me maybe 2/3 airborne. Very cool! Except when I landed I stuffed the bow big time. The wall of water was about 8 inches up my mast. I couldn't see any of the bow. The boat stopped dead.
There are three things that can happen. 1) the boat resurfaces and off you go, 2) the boat pitches forward like going over the handlebars of a bike and flips, 3) the bow shoots out sideways and you flip. There was the looooongest one tenth of a second while the boat decided what to do (no control from my perspective). It couldn't decide to pitch pole or float. So it just stood on its nose. Eventually it settled backwards and I shot off again like a bullet.
I was gaining like mad! Boats were flipping left and right. If I survived I would be about 10th at the bottom mark. Boats ahead were flipping like mad. Each one that tried to jibe ended up in trouble. Only one chicken jibed.
I stuffed it again. Same result. The 8 inches of water in my boat may have kept me from losing it that time. It all sloshed back into the cockpit when the boat took off. Oh look! My glasses. Spray and waves were coming in faster than the bailers would drain them out.
OK, ready to jibe. I make the move. No go. I can't pull hard enough. Chicken jibe. no problem.
"Cancelled! Head in!" shouts from the passing committee boat.
Crap.
On the way in I collect 2 paddles that were lost by capsized boats. After I dock, the wind picks up even more. It is 2 hours before all the capsized boats are recovered. The wind picks up more. Steady 28-30 lasted for the rest of the day.
pic 1: Still a few boats being recovered.
Sailing out to the start I was testing my abilities. It was more wind than I could handle. The only people that seemed to be OK were those that picked up a crew member and were pretty close to the limits on weight, near 300 pounds. Even they were having trouble.
I used an old trick and started on port at the boat. In heavy air boats tend to overshoot and slide down the line. Sure enough there was a good hole. I sailed to the right then tacked on a header to cover the fleet. Sounds like a normal description of a good start.
Really what happened was I was in a good sequence for a mid line start. But when I tacked I smacked my head with the boom so hard I saw stars. Glasses were gone. As I wondered if I was dead, the boat took off. When I recovered I was 20 seconds from the start and third row. I baled on that, circled around and looked for a hole to my right. Off I went to the right.
The race started in 16 to 18 mph wind with gusts higher. Survival was paramount. Don't break the boat, don't break the body, and don't break anyone else's boat or person. I succeeded in that. As I tacked to a layline though I pulled the vang tail through the mainsheet block which successfully uncleated the vang and locked up the mainsheet. I survived but the recovery took me below a layline and out of line. A 10-15 position went to 20 pretty fast. Plus it was easily now blowing 22-24.
Around the top mark I immediately picked up two boat as I launched into a plane. I was flying faster than any darn Laser could go. I was dodging and weaving, keeping the bow up, driving down in the flats. Then I hit a launcher that put me maybe 2/3 airborne. Very cool! Except when I landed I stuffed the bow big time. The wall of water was about 8 inches up my mast. I couldn't see any of the bow. The boat stopped dead.
There are three things that can happen. 1) the boat resurfaces and off you go, 2) the boat pitches forward like going over the handlebars of a bike and flips, 3) the bow shoots out sideways and you flip. There was the looooongest one tenth of a second while the boat decided what to do (no control from my perspective). It couldn't decide to pitch pole or float. So it just stood on its nose. Eventually it settled backwards and I shot off again like a bullet.
I was gaining like mad! Boats were flipping left and right. If I survived I would be about 10th at the bottom mark. Boats ahead were flipping like mad. Each one that tried to jibe ended up in trouble. Only one chicken jibed.
I stuffed it again. Same result. The 8 inches of water in my boat may have kept me from losing it that time. It all sloshed back into the cockpit when the boat took off. Oh look! My glasses. Spray and waves were coming in faster than the bailers would drain them out.
OK, ready to jibe. I make the move. No go. I can't pull hard enough. Chicken jibe. no problem.
"Cancelled! Head in!" shouts from the passing committee boat.
Crap.
On the way in I collect 2 paddles that were lost by capsized boats. After I dock, the wind picks up even more. It is 2 hours before all the capsized boats are recovered. The wind picks up more. Steady 28-30 lasted for the rest of the day.
pic 1: Still a few boats being recovered.pic 2: Too rough to drag dry.
pic 3: Hold a paddle with 2 fingertips as a wind sock.
pic 4: The only way to come in sometimes.
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