Keuka in July

Sunday's racing had a few pretty good rides, including one afternoon downwind blast in the MC-Scow that rivaled any speed the E-Scow attained that morning.


We had to wait for the South morning thermal to get replaced by the West prevailing wind. So the E-Scow racing started closer to 11 than 10. Steve Brown joined the boat as the new jib man.


At the start the last remaining South was battling the building NW wind right at the starting line. Mid line had no wind, boat end had NW at 5, and pin end had SW at 5-8. So everyone won the start regardless of their position.


But even the blind birds could see the wind on each side of the course. The skill was deciding which side to go for. George opted left. After a dozen tacks and twice as many wind puffs and shifts, we rounded second sandwiched between Bob Cole and Brent Penwarden. We quickly gybed and cleared our air and got a puff the others didn't to extend to a 10 length lead.


We gybed back to consolidate just to find we took ourselves out of the streak. Coming back on port we threaded the itsy bitsy teeny tiny space between the two other boats on starboard. It was just enough clearance to let us get to the left and inside Bob. At the mark we had a good lead which we promptly disposed of by dumping the sea anchor overboard. It took all Steve had to get the spinnaker up out of the lake. We dropped to third.


George did a nice job that leg in a building breeze to pass Brent and close back up the distance with Bob. We rounded close enough to mess with Bob's wind. A few lead changes later Bob made what we thought was an unforced error gybing for the mark too soon. We got inside him, successfully doused the sea anchor without getting it wet, and sailed the last leg a couple lengths in front of Bob to take the win.


The West wind had piped up to about 12-18 with real gut punching shots. Noon had arrived so E-Scow sailing was officially over. (Coincidentally the bar opens at Noon.)


The afternoon was set aside for the first annual Solstice Regatta, originally conceived by Brent Gillette who passed away before seeing it happen. We cancelled MC-Scow sailing in lieu of a single lap of the triangular course set up for this Portsmouth Handicap race. The course was about 6 or 7 miles long.


We launched boats and had the start right off the club main dock, tucked up nicely in the lee of the West hills in the West wind. Needless to say it was a little hairy. I had a great start alone about 2/3 the way out in the lake along the line. I promptly capsized.


Upside down is slow. On your side is a little faster but still not competetive. So I quickly rectified the situation, gathered up my floating debris field, drained my boots, and set off again.


Leg 1 was 1.5 miles from the club to a mark along the bluff about 1/4 mile up the West branch. It was anywhere from a broad reach to a tight beat depending on the shot you were in. I had a fleet of lead-bottom boats ahead of me to plow through. I decided on the next shot I'd simply run deep and go way low of the fleet. What a shot it was. I ended up the third MC, fourth boat at the first mark.


At the mark the wind lulled to 12-15 just in time to let me gybe without having to "chicken gybe." After the rounding I climbed up on Steve bender just ahead of me. When the next shot came I dove low and flew over top of him.


Now "flew" is the right term. This shot was all of 22 mph, probably 25. I was sitting as far back as I could right next to the tiller with only one foot under the strap because the other could not reach. The main was way out sideways. The vang was on about half what I normally would. The bow wave spray was as far back as the middle of the board. I was going way faster than the MC is designed for. But I was gaining like mad on Brent to.


At this point I hear a noise that isn't right. I was probably dropping off a wave. But I look at the rig. The boom is driving the mast sideways something fierce. The mast side bend is unnatural. The tip of the mast is bent so far forward I have mainsail wrinkles going up and away from the spreader. The bend in the tiller from the helm was about 1/2 an inch. The tiller extension (which I should have replaced or repaired weeks ago) is 1/4 from the tiller and coming off. The forces on the side stays were intense.


As we round the end of the bluff and head East to mark 2, the waves and wind build. The tops of the white caps were blowing off. All I needed to do was stuff the bow into a wave and I would be swimming...again. And the forces if that happened could be more than the mast or rig could handle. I don't have insurance nor the funds to deal with any replacements. At this point I was in pure survival mode protecting the boat. I decide the race isn't worth it. If I bail out now I can still make it upwind to the club without tacking.


So I quit.


Now getting from a blasting dead downwind plane to upwind was the next challenge. First I worked my way forward to reach the vang and popped that off. Then I went really deep down wind and kicked the board release. The board worked its way down about 3/4 of the way while I struggled keep upright. I started my slow turn upwind and the boom hit the water. I immediately aborted, tried again at a full hike and was able to round up enough to start trimming in.


The ride back to the club was intense. Of the 23 boats that started, 15 finished including 5 of the 10 MC-Scows. the wind never did really calm down for another 2 hours. According to the nearest WUNDERGROUND.COM weather station, the average gust speed between 2 and 3 PM was 26. That means gusts over and under that. Hmmm.


I don't need to do that again.


I have to keep perspective. The Volvo Open 70's racing through the North Atlantic spent 2 days never going slower than 20 knots. I never was going faster than 15 knotts or so. Those guys have balls.