It seems hard to believe that I am sitting here writing about the final race of the year while it seems only a few days ago we were putting the 2010 Race Calendar together for Mille Onde and wondering if we could find enough crew to be able to campaign the boat. All in all it has been a great year and Risa and I want to take this opportunity to thank all that raced with us.
As a befitting end to the season, we raced in the eighth race in the Carl Anderson Memorial Series hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. In a word the wind was howling yesterday at least by Long Beach standards. Many thanks to the crew of David Harper, Larry Palmer, Warren Wolfe and of course my darling co-captain Risa K. Scott. We were first to cross the finish line and also took first on corrected time.
The wind was blowing about 10-15 knots (as predicted) as we were prepping Mille to leave the dock. We had both the number 2 and the number 3 jibs on deck so we could choose one for the start and also be ready to switch them if necessary. As we headed out to go through some race prep, the wind was picking up so we opted for the #3 for the start which for once proved to be a good decision. We got a good start hitting the line with King's Gambit and Prankster almost in a line of three boats. On the first upwind leg we decided to put the first reef in the main which was again a good decision (wow- two in a row) as it balanced the helm and made David Harper's work a bit easier. We were able to point a bit higher on the first leg and held our own against the other two boats and rounded the first mark in third place but within striking distance.
The second leg was downwind and was for the most part uneventful. All of these boats are designed to carry a spinnaker downwind and since none of us had opted to fly a chute, the downwind legs are usually "beer time". We shook the reef out of the main and headed for the second mark in a line with the competing two boats. Both rounded ahead of us but again we were all three in a competitive position.
On the next upwind leg things changed quite a bit. We had a good rounding and opted to tack immediately to head out to the breakwater partially to get away from the Laser regatta that was going on and also because we thought the wind would be better. We put the first reef back in the main and again were happy with the result. After a couple of tacks to dodge the vacant bait barges near the Alamitos Bay end of the harbor, we had moved ahead of the two competing boats. We were able to point higher and faster than both of them. Also, it is nice to call a tack perfectly so we were able to make the mark without pinching and yet not covering any additional distance. We rounded the third mark in first with a bit of breathing room.
The fourth leg was another downwind leg in which we shook out the reef (nice to actually get to use reefing to our advantage) and we were able to hold off the other two boats and round in first place.
A shorter upwind leg had us holding our position (after reefing the main a third time). We called the tack just right to slide between an anchored freighter and Island Freeman, which was our fifth mark. We had a short reach to the final mark and our turn for the finish line.
As is often the case with the finish in this series, when you round the final mark it looks like you will be able to make one close-hauled beat to the finish only to have the wind shift or to get headed as you near the finish. We tacked early to avoid the "Wind hole" behind Island Grissam and for the last time called the tack perfectly to make the finish without sailing a lot of extra distance.
The last time we raced with a reed in the main was the first race of the year with Shoreline Yacht Club, the Avalon and Return race. Interesting to start and finish the year with a reef in the main and not use it any other time.
All in all it has been an interesting year - filled with some success (we did win some races this year), some failures (we did have some DNF's for the year), some equipment issues (replacement of both the main and the #1 jib) but most of all it has been fun and we have made some great new friends along the way! 2011 is now in the planning process and we are looking forward to a second year of making the boat go fast, but most of all - Having Fun!
Happy Holidays to all - see you on the water
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Long Beach to Dana Point Race
On Saturday, September 4th we raced the Long Beach to Dana Point Race hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club, Dana Point Yacht Club and Dana West Yacht Club. Thanks to the crew of Josh Lippett, David Harper, Lesley MacDonald, Victoria Hodge and my darling co-captain Risa K. Scott.
As of this writing we don’t have the final results but I don’t believe that we will place well in our class. We were racing in a class with 5 other boats, and Mille has the lowest rating in the group which theoretically we should have been the fastest boat in our class.
We had a decent start with winds better than had been predicted. All of the weather predictions had the winds to be around 6 knots at the start and building to 12-15 mid-day. Boy did they blow that forecast. We had 10+ knots of wind at the start and they continued to build from there. We were about 30-45 second late to the start line but not in a bad position.
The first leg had us beating up wind to Angel’s Gate at the mouth of Los Angeles Harbor. As noted above, the winds were about 10 knots or so at the start and they quickly started building. We were over-powered with the #1 genoa up and made the decision to change to the #2 when it was clear that the winds were not going to drop. We tried to change to the #2 on a tack but got stuck between the breakwater and a barge being pushed by a tug and couldn’t get enough time on a single tack to make the change. To make matters worse, during all of the turmoil, we got the #2 jib started up the headstay but the body of the sail slid under the lifeline and filled with water. It ripped part of the luff tape loose so it was (and is) out of commission until it makes another trip to the North loft in Costa Mesa. David Harper did a great job of helming the boat in these less than perfect conditions until we could get out of Angel’s Gate and started more on a beam reach.
The second leg was a beam reach out to a pair of oil platforms about 20 miles offshore from Laguna Beach. Although a beam reach is a fast and comfortable point of sail (compared to the close hauled beating we took on the first leg) it is mostly a drag race to the next mark.
The third and final leg was more downwind so we decided to let the spinnaker out of the bag. With David and Risa on the foredeck we got a great set and were off and running. We quickly passed two boats that had passed us near the end of the previous leg and were making time on several boats ahead of us. We had a great run under the chute but due to the direction of the wind it was taking us deeper to the south than we needed to go. We didn’t handle the gybe as well as the set and managed to wrap the spinnaker around the headstay. Josh and David did a great job getting it free without any damage to boat, sail or crew. We then carried the chute all the way to the finish with only three minor challenges. First we got headed about a quarter mile from the finish and after recovering from that we had back to back gusts that rounded the boat up even though I was doing everything with the helm I could and the trimmers had both the main and chute eased as much as possible. Holding on through a gust like that is about all you can do when the boat is determined to round up. After getting through all of that we headed for the finish where a committee boat was supposed to be stationed. All there was was a power boat with no flags on it under power and two inflatable runabouts milling around. After about 7 hours of racing it would have been nice to have the race committee to acknowledge our finish!
After finishing we went to drop the chute but opted not to raise the jib to blanket it as it was still blowing about 18-20 knots. Bad mistake. Without the jib to blanket the spinnaker, it again got wrapped around the headstay but this time managed to wrap the topping lift in also. Again hard work by Josh and David got it unwound from the headstay and into the boat and we headed for our slip and some dinner.
We are now motorsailing the boat back to Long Beach after a well deserved good night’s sleep.
I will update the blog when we get the results of the race.
Next race is the second in the summer half of the Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series.
As of this writing we don’t have the final results but I don’t believe that we will place well in our class. We were racing in a class with 5 other boats, and Mille has the lowest rating in the group which theoretically we should have been the fastest boat in our class.
We had a decent start with winds better than had been predicted. All of the weather predictions had the winds to be around 6 knots at the start and building to 12-15 mid-day. Boy did they blow that forecast. We had 10+ knots of wind at the start and they continued to build from there. We were about 30-45 second late to the start line but not in a bad position.
The first leg had us beating up wind to Angel’s Gate at the mouth of Los Angeles Harbor. As noted above, the winds were about 10 knots or so at the start and they quickly started building. We were over-powered with the #1 genoa up and made the decision to change to the #2 when it was clear that the winds were not going to drop. We tried to change to the #2 on a tack but got stuck between the breakwater and a barge being pushed by a tug and couldn’t get enough time on a single tack to make the change. To make matters worse, during all of the turmoil, we got the #2 jib started up the headstay but the body of the sail slid under the lifeline and filled with water. It ripped part of the luff tape loose so it was (and is) out of commission until it makes another trip to the North loft in Costa Mesa. David Harper did a great job of helming the boat in these less than perfect conditions until we could get out of Angel’s Gate and started more on a beam reach.
The second leg was a beam reach out to a pair of oil platforms about 20 miles offshore from Laguna Beach. Although a beam reach is a fast and comfortable point of sail (compared to the close hauled beating we took on the first leg) it is mostly a drag race to the next mark.
The third and final leg was more downwind so we decided to let the spinnaker out of the bag. With David and Risa on the foredeck we got a great set and were off and running. We quickly passed two boats that had passed us near the end of the previous leg and were making time on several boats ahead of us. We had a great run under the chute but due to the direction of the wind it was taking us deeper to the south than we needed to go. We didn’t handle the gybe as well as the set and managed to wrap the spinnaker around the headstay. Josh and David did a great job getting it free without any damage to boat, sail or crew. We then carried the chute all the way to the finish with only three minor challenges. First we got headed about a quarter mile from the finish and after recovering from that we had back to back gusts that rounded the boat up even though I was doing everything with the helm I could and the trimmers had both the main and chute eased as much as possible. Holding on through a gust like that is about all you can do when the boat is determined to round up. After getting through all of that we headed for the finish where a committee boat was supposed to be stationed. All there was was a power boat with no flags on it under power and two inflatable runabouts milling around. After about 7 hours of racing it would have been nice to have the race committee to acknowledge our finish!
After finishing we went to drop the chute but opted not to raise the jib to blanket it as it was still blowing about 18-20 knots. Bad mistake. Without the jib to blanket the spinnaker, it again got wrapped around the headstay but this time managed to wrap the topping lift in also. Again hard work by Josh and David got it unwound from the headstay and into the boat and we headed for our slip and some dinner.
We are now motorsailing the boat back to Long Beach after a well deserved good night’s sleep.
I will update the blog when we get the results of the race.
Next race is the second in the summer half of the Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sorry
I have been chastised by several of you for not updating the blog in several weeks (okay maybe months). Wow - guess there are a few folks actually reading this thing.
Our last race was the Dog Days of Summer hosted by Little Ships Fleet Yacht Club. This is the first race in the second half of the Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series. There are three more races in this series between now and November. We places fourth in our class. Thanks to the crew of Lesley MacDonald, David Harper, Larry Palmer, Carolin and Jack Lusby and my darling co-captain Risa Scott.
We had a good start hitting the line right after the gun went off on a starboard tack which is Mille's favorite tack. The winds were good and steady around 10-11 knots. We tacked a couple of times out to the first mark and rounded in third place. The next leg was a downwind run and we had a great spinnaker set thanks to the foredeck crew of David, Lesley and Risa. Larry helmed the entire race and kept us right on course and moving constantly in the direction of the next mark. The run to the next mark under the chute was good but the wind kept trying to move more to the west and as is usually the case, we had to be vigilant about trimming the chute. The foredeck crew shown again with the douse and we rounded the second mark still in third place and in competition with the leaders in our class.
The next leg was again a beat to windward as we tacked to get out of Queen's Gate to make our third mark. The wind was building and we debated about switching to the Number 2 jib but stayed with the Number 1. By the time we rounded the mark, the wind was blowing 18 knots. As the next leg was a deep reach to get around the east end of the breakwater, we opted to leave the chute in the bag and go with the Number 1 jib. The boat that was in fourth place managed to pass us and we were not able to make the ground we lost back up.
The last leg was a short upwind beat to the finish line and as noted above we finished fourth in our class. Thanks again to the crew and to the race committee at Little Ship's Fleet for their work in hosting the race.
The weekend before we did the Ship Rock Race hosted by Seal Beach Yacht Club. This is the first in their Ocean Racing Series which are a nice change to the buoy racing that we do a lot of in Long Beach Harbor. Many thanks to the crew of Warren Wolfe, David Harper, Jim Merk, Lesley MacDonald, and my wonderful co-captain Risa Scott. This race started near Oil Island Chaffee, rounds Ship Rock at the Isthmus of Catalina and finishes in the entrance to Alamitos Bay. Interesting to have a race that is slightly less than 50 nautical miles and one one mark to round! Although to a person the crew had a great time and has all agreed to race with the team again, we finished last in our class.
At the start of the race, you are close to the east end of the Long Beach breakwater and so our navigator (yours truly) took us around that end of the wall and started the process of tacking to get to Ship Rock. This proved to be the wrong call as the majority of the fleet headed up Long Beach Harbor inside the breakwater and exited via Angel's Gate. Although is is slightly longer the angle of attack from there to Ship Rock is much better and avoids some current that is outside the wall and also the tacks necessary to make the only mark. The wind started at about 10 knots but continued to build all day. We opted to switch from the Number 1 jib to the Number 2 about half the way over to Ship Rock.
We saw many of the boats in the two fleets that started ahead of us (and apparently in our class also) headed back as we were still on our approach to Ship Rock. By the time we rounded the only mark in the race the wind was 18-20 knots. We were on a deep run and making about 7-8 knots which is at or beyond maximum hull speed of Mille. We opted to leave the chute in the bag and run home under the Number 2 jib. As often happens right around sunset, the wind dropped off to a mere 3 knots as we were less than one nautical mile from the end of the breakwater. Warren Wolfe had tantalized the crew with thoughts of crab legs at Gladstones instead of the turkey sandwiches which we had planned on. This plan looked good until the wind died! It took us about an hour to finish the last mile and half crossing the finish line just a few minutes past 21:00 hours.
Next race is the Long Beach to Dana Point on Saturday, September 4th hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. We will race to Dana Point on Saturday and then bring the boat back to Long Beach on Sunday.
Our last race was the Dog Days of Summer hosted by Little Ships Fleet Yacht Club. This is the first race in the second half of the Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series. There are three more races in this series between now and November. We places fourth in our class. Thanks to the crew of Lesley MacDonald, David Harper, Larry Palmer, Carolin and Jack Lusby and my darling co-captain Risa Scott.
We had a good start hitting the line right after the gun went off on a starboard tack which is Mille's favorite tack. The winds were good and steady around 10-11 knots. We tacked a couple of times out to the first mark and rounded in third place. The next leg was a downwind run and we had a great spinnaker set thanks to the foredeck crew of David, Lesley and Risa. Larry helmed the entire race and kept us right on course and moving constantly in the direction of the next mark. The run to the next mark under the chute was good but the wind kept trying to move more to the west and as is usually the case, we had to be vigilant about trimming the chute. The foredeck crew shown again with the douse and we rounded the second mark still in third place and in competition with the leaders in our class.
The next leg was again a beat to windward as we tacked to get out of Queen's Gate to make our third mark. The wind was building and we debated about switching to the Number 2 jib but stayed with the Number 1. By the time we rounded the mark, the wind was blowing 18 knots. As the next leg was a deep reach to get around the east end of the breakwater, we opted to leave the chute in the bag and go with the Number 1 jib. The boat that was in fourth place managed to pass us and we were not able to make the ground we lost back up.
The last leg was a short upwind beat to the finish line and as noted above we finished fourth in our class. Thanks again to the crew and to the race committee at Little Ship's Fleet for their work in hosting the race.
The weekend before we did the Ship Rock Race hosted by Seal Beach Yacht Club. This is the first in their Ocean Racing Series which are a nice change to the buoy racing that we do a lot of in Long Beach Harbor. Many thanks to the crew of Warren Wolfe, David Harper, Jim Merk, Lesley MacDonald, and my wonderful co-captain Risa Scott. This race started near Oil Island Chaffee, rounds Ship Rock at the Isthmus of Catalina and finishes in the entrance to Alamitos Bay. Interesting to have a race that is slightly less than 50 nautical miles and one one mark to round! Although to a person the crew had a great time and has all agreed to race with the team again, we finished last in our class.
At the start of the race, you are close to the east end of the Long Beach breakwater and so our navigator (yours truly) took us around that end of the wall and started the process of tacking to get to Ship Rock. This proved to be the wrong call as the majority of the fleet headed up Long Beach Harbor inside the breakwater and exited via Angel's Gate. Although is is slightly longer the angle of attack from there to Ship Rock is much better and avoids some current that is outside the wall and also the tacks necessary to make the only mark. The wind started at about 10 knots but continued to build all day. We opted to switch from the Number 1 jib to the Number 2 about half the way over to Ship Rock.
We saw many of the boats in the two fleets that started ahead of us (and apparently in our class also) headed back as we were still on our approach to Ship Rock. By the time we rounded the only mark in the race the wind was 18-20 knots. We were on a deep run and making about 7-8 knots which is at or beyond maximum hull speed of Mille. We opted to leave the chute in the bag and run home under the Number 2 jib. As often happens right around sunset, the wind dropped off to a mere 3 knots as we were less than one nautical mile from the end of the breakwater. Warren Wolfe had tantalized the crew with thoughts of crab legs at Gladstones instead of the turkey sandwiches which we had planned on. This plan looked good until the wind died! It took us about an hour to finish the last mile and half crossing the finish line just a few minutes past 21:00 hours.
Next race is the Long Beach to Dana Point on Saturday, September 4th hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. We will race to Dana Point on Saturday and then bring the boat back to Long Beach on Sunday.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
First, First, First, Second
Wow, it has been awhile since I lasted posted - has been a lot going on both travel and the start of a new business venture.
On Sunday, June20th we raced in the second race of the Summer Series hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. Thanks to the crew of Larry Littrell, Lesley MacDonald, Liz Roberts, Victoria Hodge, Dave Lyon and of course my darling co-captain Risa K Scott. We took a first in that race after taking a third the week before.
The following Sunday, Jim Merk skippered Mille in the third race of the Summer Series as both Risa and I were out of town. Congrats to Jim and his crew on another win for Mille in that Series.
On Wednesday, June 30th, Risa skippered Mille in a Cuba Cup race hosted by Pacific Sailing. Congrats to her all female crew of Lisa Anderson, Lesley MacDonald, Shannon Saunders and Liz Roberts. The "Sea Chix" as I believe they wanted to be called went out and kicked the guys butts and took the win over three other boats skippered by their male competitors.
Finally on Saturday, July 3rd Risa skippered Mille in the fourth race of the Summer Series and took a second. I was working the race committee for that race and so I watched their start from the committee boat and their finish from the deck of Shoreline Yacht Club. Congrats to her crew of David Harper, Lesley MacDonald, Jim, Victoria Hodge, Liz Roberts and Dave Lyon. The race started with a nice breeze of slightly less than 10 knots coming almost directly out of the south. Due to the wind direction we sent the spinnaker class down towards the south end of Long Beach Harbor and around the breakwater on the Alamitos Bay end. The wind started to veer to the west and so what was supposed to be a run to Queens Gate became a reach instead. After entering through Queens Gate, they popped the chute for a spinnaker run to a mark near the beach between Belmont Pier and the Alamitos Bay jetty. The final leg was a beat back to the finish line near Island Grissam.
Next weekend we have two races. On Saturday, Mille is racing in the Queen Mary Regatta hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. This race starts off King Harbor in Redondo Beach and finishes in Long Beach off the stern of the ......... (drum roll!!!) ...... (you guessed it) The Queen Mary. On Sunday Mille is racing in the fifth race of the Summer Series also hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club.
On Sunday, June20th we raced in the second race of the Summer Series hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. Thanks to the crew of Larry Littrell, Lesley MacDonald, Liz Roberts, Victoria Hodge, Dave Lyon and of course my darling co-captain Risa K Scott. We took a first in that race after taking a third the week before.
The following Sunday, Jim Merk skippered Mille in the third race of the Summer Series as both Risa and I were out of town. Congrats to Jim and his crew on another win for Mille in that Series.
On Wednesday, June 30th, Risa skippered Mille in a Cuba Cup race hosted by Pacific Sailing. Congrats to her all female crew of Lisa Anderson, Lesley MacDonald, Shannon Saunders and Liz Roberts. The "Sea Chix" as I believe they wanted to be called went out and kicked the guys butts and took the win over three other boats skippered by their male competitors.
Finally on Saturday, July 3rd Risa skippered Mille in the fourth race of the Summer Series and took a second. I was working the race committee for that race and so I watched their start from the committee boat and their finish from the deck of Shoreline Yacht Club. Congrats to her crew of David Harper, Lesley MacDonald, Jim, Victoria Hodge, Liz Roberts and Dave Lyon. The race started with a nice breeze of slightly less than 10 knots coming almost directly out of the south. Due to the wind direction we sent the spinnaker class down towards the south end of Long Beach Harbor and around the breakwater on the Alamitos Bay end. The wind started to veer to the west and so what was supposed to be a run to Queens Gate became a reach instead. After entering through Queens Gate, they popped the chute for a spinnaker run to a mark near the beach between Belmont Pier and the Alamitos Bay jetty. The final leg was a beat back to the finish line near Island Grissam.
Next weekend we have two races. On Saturday, Mille is racing in the Queen Mary Regatta hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. This race starts off King Harbor in Redondo Beach and finishes in Long Beach off the stern of the ......... (drum roll!!!) ...... (you guessed it) The Queen Mary. On Sunday Mille is racing in the fifth race of the Summer Series also hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Summer Race Series
On Sunday, June 13th we raced in the first race of the Summer Series hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. Many thanks to the crew of Larry Palmer, Lesley MacDonald, Victoria Hodge, Liz Roberts, Dave Lyon and my darling co-captain Risa K. Scott, we took third in the spinnaker class.
Although the forecast was for a lighter day than Saturday, we had about the same 10 knots or so of wind at the start. We had been out practicing and were almost late to the start, but we still got a good start and were first across the line. We tacked shortly after the start which proved to not be the right call and by the end of the first mark we were in third place. Mille goes to windward really well and we should have been better placed at the first mark.
The second leg was a broad reach along the breakwater which the competitors split with about half going inside and about half (Mille included) going outside. As the wind was building and during our practice before the start of the race we had had problems with setting and handling the chute, we decided to do this leg under genoa and main. Again there was a split in the fleet with some of the competitors opting to fly their chutes and others like us, deciding not to. The boats that decided to fly their chutes had a clear advantage, but we caught and passed one competitor on this leg. We gybed around the mark for a short beam reach to the next mark.
The wind had continued to build and was steady at 15-16 knots gusting to 18-20 as we made our upwind beat to the next mark. Although it was not the classic tacking duel that we used to see in the America’s Cup competition, we crossed three times with Hassle, a Catalina 38, gaining ground on her on every cross. We were the second boat around the upwind mark although the lead boat (a trimaran) was so far ahead of the rest of the fleet they must have felt like they were sailing a different race. I looked over my shoulder as we were making the mostly downwind run to see where Hassle was when I saw their main split about 2/3 of the way up. Having had sails rip a couple of times, it is not a sight any sailor wants to see.
We made the last mark and turned for the upwind beat to the finish line. We crossed as the second boat in our fleet (Puddle Jumper, the trimaran was already at the club for drinks) but finished third on corrected time. After the race most of our team headed to Shoreline Yacht Club for grilled hamburgers made with kobe beef donated by American Kobe Beef, LLC and wonderfully prepared by Lisa Anderson.
Next race is the second race in the Summer Series on Sunday, June 20th.
Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series
On Saturday, June 12th Mille raced in the fourth race of the Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series. We had raced in the second race of the series back in April. Many thanks to the crew of Steve and Lisa Anderson, Lesley MacDonald, David Harper and my co-captain Risa K. Scott. We were the biggest boat in our class and therefore had the lowest handicap. We placed fifth in our class. With the new sails we added this year from North Sails, Mille does extremely well upwind, but we have to improve our downwind performance.
At the start the winds were 10 knots and with the first leg an upwind run to Marker #2, we did well, crossing in second place in our class. After rounding the mark we popped the chute for the first downwind leg. The set was good and we threw in a good gybe about mid-way down the leg. The problems came at the take-down. We fouled the jib with the spinnaker lines and we dead in the water for a few minutes while they could be cleared. This allowed several of our competitors to pass us as we struggled to get Mille moving again.
The third leg was upwind and as has been the case, Mille made ground on the boats ahead of us and we rounded the mark in third place. As the wind was building and the crew was still tired and a bit discouraged from the last spinnaker run, we decided to leave the chute in the bag and run the downwind leg with the genoa and main. As the rest of the fleet was able to fly their chutes, we lost ground on this leg and were in fifth place as we rounded the final mark for the short upwind run to the finish.
At the start the winds were 10 knots and with the first leg an upwind run to Marker #2, we did well, crossing in second place in our class. After rounding the mark we popped the chute for the first downwind leg. The set was good and we threw in a good gybe about mid-way down the leg. The problems came at the take-down. We fouled the jib with the spinnaker lines and we dead in the water for a few minutes while they could be cleared. This allowed several of our competitors to pass us as we struggled to get Mille moving again.
The third leg was upwind and as has been the case, Mille made ground on the boats ahead of us and we rounded the mark in third place. As the wind was building and the crew was still tired and a bit discouraged from the last spinnaker run, we decided to leave the chute in the bag and run the downwind leg with the genoa and main. As the rest of the fleet was able to fly their chutes, we lost ground on this leg and were in fifth place as we rounded the final mark for the short upwind run to the finish.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Mille Wins!
This past Saturday we raced in the Start Your Heart Out series of races hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club. This was the first in the summer sailing season for our group. Thanks to the crew of Lesley MacDonald, Liz Roberts, Dave Lyon, Victoria Hodge, Nick, Jim Merk (arrived late – more on that below) and my darling co-captain Risa Scott, we won our class.
This series of five short races (average about 25 minutes each) were designed to give all of us practice at the all important start for a race. The course was a .75 mile windward/leeward course. As is the case in racing, each start presented a unique set of challenges, some of which we handled well, some not so well. It was a great set of races to get some needed practice at nailing the start. We won four of the five races and as noted above, won our class.
The start of the first race was dominated by light winds as is often the case in Long Beach earlier in the day. At one point I wasn’t sure we would even get to the start line but we did for what was the closest and best start we had all day. We came into the start line on starboard tack but had a boat below us which came very close to pushing us over the line early. As it was, we were not over early and after a couple of tacks were the first boat around the mark. When we were going upwind the light winds weren’t noticed as much but how light they were became very apparent as we headed to the finish line down wind.
The June Gloom started to clear and the winds started to pick up a bit for the start of the second race. We didn’t get quite as good a start for the second race, crossing the line second but made up for it with a great first leg upwind to the mark. We were again first around the mark for our class, although we were behind a couple of the boats in the class ahead of us. We also had a good time dodging the Cal 20’s that were having their own one-design regatta. As the wind was picking up the race committee decided to run a slightly longer course by adding another mark rounding and a short upwind leg to the finish. Unless you are flying a spinnaker sailing downwind is just not as much fun as being close hauled on an upwind leg.
Apparently we decided subconsciously to make all of our mistakes for the day in one race and the third race of the day was that race! We had our worst start of the day crossing the line in last place for our class. We had a good upwind leg driven primarily by the new light #1 jib that we added to Mille’s sail inventory just a month or so ago. North Sails of Long Beach did a great job of designing and making the sail – thanks to them for their work. We decided that since the object of this race series was practice, we decided to practice using the spinnaker. Our launch after the rounding of the first mark was late due to the foredeck crew (yours truly) not being ready. After a short run with the chute up we needed to gybe to make the next mark but after noticing a tear in the spinnaker from strapping it against the bowrail, we decided to douse it and finish the race with the jib. Due to all of the time lost to trying to get the chute up and flying, we finished last in our class for this race.
We got a better start for the fourth race, crossing the line second in our class as we did in the second race. After another good upwind leg to the first mark, we rounded it in first place in our class. Mille really does like to be close hauled and charging hard. As we had retired the damaged spinnaker and our injured pride, we made the boring but uneventful (mostly) run to the second mark. The highlight of this leg was the appearance of Jim Merk by jet-ski to join us. Much to his chagrin, Jim had gotten called into work Saturday morning to fix some issues for two of the executives who were headed out of the country the next day. He got the work finished in time to join us during the fourth race. It is not every race that you take on additional crew from a jet-ski during the race. We made the upwind sprint on the third leg for our third victory of the day.
The fifth and final race was almost a repeat of the fourth except we now had additional crew on board but with the same result – another victory.
Many thanks to the Race Management Committee of Shoreline Yacht Club, chaired by Steve Anderson for this unique and interesting series of races.
Next race is the fourth in the Long Beach Harbor Invitational series hosted by Little Ships Fleet Yacht Club on Saturday, June 12th. The following day (Sunday, June 13th) we start the Summer Series hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
2010 Border Run
On Saturday, April 24th we set off to do the Border Run with a crew of David Harper, Jim Merk, Jack and Carolin Lusby, Liz Roberts and my co-captain Risa Scott. David and Jim were watch captains and in addition, Jim filmed and posted several videos via the Border Run race organization about our adventure.
The start of the race was off the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach so we left the dock in Rainbow Harbor at 0710 hours to motor-sail down to the start. Possibly as a harbinger of conditions ahead of us, the sea was flat and glassy with no wind. Great conditions for a nice power boat ride, no so good for a sailing race.
The scene at the start was pure chaos as it always is for a race like this as you have in excess of 100 boats milling around trying to stay out of each others’ way and trying to figure out what the wind (or lack thereof) was going to do to the starting tactics. For the Mille crew our toughest starting tactic was getting to the line in the extremely light conditions. We didn’t have a great start as we were about 7 minutes late to the line but in a race projected to last 18+ hours, seven minutes did not seem like an insurmountable challenge.
We had hoped that the wind would be out of the west enough to allow us to fly the spinnaker for most of the day but what wind we had was coming a bit too much out of the south to allow us to use the chute. About an hour after the start the wind moved a little more westerly so we decided to try the spinnaker which forced us to run inside the rhumb line to Coronado del Norte. We had a great hoist and a good hour deep reach with the spinnaker, but the wind was still not moving far enough west and so we opted to drop the chute in favor of the brand new light #1 genoa.
With the genoa up we can head more offshore and get back to the rhumb line. We continue out to the rhumb line and then along it for the rest of the evening and into the night. The wind had been in the 8-10 knot range most of the afternoon but started to drop off around sunset.
The winds lightened all night long but we continue to make some progress albeit at a much slower pace than the targeted 5 knot average we had hoped for. David Harper and Jim Merk as the watch captains and I discussed several options for different sail combinations but stayed with the light #1 as the wind had dropped to the point where keeping the chute full would be a continuing challenge.
After a long night of extremely light winds, Sunday, April 25th dawned with almost no wind. As we were nearing the point where we would cross into Mexican waters, we had a crew meeting to discuss our options. We were about 30 miles from the finish in San Diego and were looking at a time limit of 1600 hours to officially finish. In addition, if we were able to finish, we then would have to clear Customs (a new requirement this year) and of course we then had the 90 mile run back to Long Beach to get Mille back to her slip in Rainbow Harbor. After some discussion, around 0730 hours the crew made the decision to withdraw from the race and head home.
The long trip back to Long Beach was relatively uneventful except for a hitchhiking bird and running out of fuel. Sunday afternoon, we were about 10-12 miles offshore when a little bird (possibly a finch but not being an ornithologist, I am not sure) settled on David Harper’s shoulder for a ride and then hopped on Risa’s finger. Risa was able to take it below for some water, lunch (yes, it ate like a bird) and a rest. After all of that it then hopped up and took off never to be seen again.
Late afternoon while we were off Newport Beach Mille ran out of fuel due to a higher consumption rate than projected as we were running the diesel a lot harder to get home as early as possible. Thanks to Vessel Assist for coming to our rescue!
We finally arrived back in Rainbow Harbor around midnight on Sunday night, with a DNF (Did Not Finish) but a crew that got along and worked together so well that they all said they were ready to try the next adventure.
Next race is the Start Your Heart Out hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club on Saturday, June 5th.
The start of the race was off the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach so we left the dock in Rainbow Harbor at 0710 hours to motor-sail down to the start. Possibly as a harbinger of conditions ahead of us, the sea was flat and glassy with no wind. Great conditions for a nice power boat ride, no so good for a sailing race.
The scene at the start was pure chaos as it always is for a race like this as you have in excess of 100 boats milling around trying to stay out of each others’ way and trying to figure out what the wind (or lack thereof) was going to do to the starting tactics. For the Mille crew our toughest starting tactic was getting to the line in the extremely light conditions. We didn’t have a great start as we were about 7 minutes late to the line but in a race projected to last 18+ hours, seven minutes did not seem like an insurmountable challenge.
We had hoped that the wind would be out of the west enough to allow us to fly the spinnaker for most of the day but what wind we had was coming a bit too much out of the south to allow us to use the chute. About an hour after the start the wind moved a little more westerly so we decided to try the spinnaker which forced us to run inside the rhumb line to Coronado del Norte. We had a great hoist and a good hour deep reach with the spinnaker, but the wind was still not moving far enough west and so we opted to drop the chute in favor of the brand new light #1 genoa.
With the genoa up we can head more offshore and get back to the rhumb line. We continue out to the rhumb line and then along it for the rest of the evening and into the night. The wind had been in the 8-10 knot range most of the afternoon but started to drop off around sunset.
The winds lightened all night long but we continue to make some progress albeit at a much slower pace than the targeted 5 knot average we had hoped for. David Harper and Jim Merk as the watch captains and I discussed several options for different sail combinations but stayed with the light #1 as the wind had dropped to the point where keeping the chute full would be a continuing challenge.
After a long night of extremely light winds, Sunday, April 25th dawned with almost no wind. As we were nearing the point where we would cross into Mexican waters, we had a crew meeting to discuss our options. We were about 30 miles from the finish in San Diego and were looking at a time limit of 1600 hours to officially finish. In addition, if we were able to finish, we then would have to clear Customs (a new requirement this year) and of course we then had the 90 mile run back to Long Beach to get Mille back to her slip in Rainbow Harbor. After some discussion, around 0730 hours the crew made the decision to withdraw from the race and head home.
The long trip back to Long Beach was relatively uneventful except for a hitchhiking bird and running out of fuel. Sunday afternoon, we were about 10-12 miles offshore when a little bird (possibly a finch but not being an ornithologist, I am not sure) settled on David Harper’s shoulder for a ride and then hopped on Risa’s finger. Risa was able to take it below for some water, lunch (yes, it ate like a bird) and a rest. After all of that it then hopped up and took off never to be seen again.
Late afternoon while we were off Newport Beach Mille ran out of fuel due to a higher consumption rate than projected as we were running the diesel a lot harder to get home as early as possible. Thanks to Vessel Assist for coming to our rescue!
We finally arrived back in Rainbow Harbor around midnight on Sunday night, with a DNF (Did Not Finish) but a crew that got along and worked together so well that they all said they were ready to try the next adventure.
Next race is the Start Your Heart Out hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club on Saturday, June 5th.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Border Run 2010
It is only a few days until we hit the start line for the 2010 edition of the Border Run. This is the second year for this race that is an alternative to Newport to Ensenada.
On the crew for this race we have Jim Merk, Jack and Carolin Lusby, David Harper, Liz Roberts, Risa K. Scott and myself. The start is Saturday (April 24th) at 1100 hours off the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach.
Check back next week for the results and the recap of the race.
On the crew for this race we have Jim Merk, Jack and Carolin Lusby, David Harper, Liz Roberts, Risa K. Scott and myself. The start is Saturday (April 24th) at 1100 hours off the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach.
Check back next week for the results and the recap of the race.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
LBHIS #2 - Easter Race
On Saturday, we raced in the second race of the Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series. This race was the Easter Race and was hosted by the United States Power Squadron Number 13. Thanks to the crew of Jack and Carolin Lusby, David Harper, Liz Roberts and my darling co-captain Risa K. Scott.
The start for this particular race was on the southeast side of Oil Island Freeman which posed two unique challenges, first it blocked much of the wind and it didn’t allow for a run at the committee boat end of the start line as is the usual starting maneuver. However, even with those challenges David called and helmed us to a good start right in the mix with the rest of our class.
The first leg was a close hauled windward run out towards the Long Beach breakwater. We improved our tacking and were in a comfortable third place at the rounding of the first mark. We then had a downwind leg along the breakwater before we turned towards the coast near the entrance to Alamitos Bay. Considering the difficulties we had the week before, we had a excellent spinnaker hoist and a good run even though the wind was light and puffy and not even close to steady. This makes for more work for the trimmers as they have to be constantly trimming the chute to keep the boat moving as fast as possible. The forecast was for the winds to build to 10-12 knots by this time of the afternoon but it was not to be.
As we made our beat to windward back towards the breakwater and the first mark the pecking order for our class stayed steady with Mille in third place. The winds finally started to fill in on this leg and we were able to make the fourth mark with four very well executed tacks. After rounding the fourth mark we again had a good hoist of the spinnaker and a much steadier run to the fifth mark which was near the Belmont Pier. The practice that we have had as a team is starting to show as we doused the chute right as we rounded the fifth mark and were able to power up for the next to leg. The last two legs were windward beats which for Mille is a good point of sail. We crossed the line still in third place and finished in third based on corrected time.
This was the final race before the Border Run on Saturday, April 24th and 25th. This race starts off the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach, rounds the north Coronado Island and ends in San Diego and will be Mille’s first overnight race – should be exciting.
The start for this particular race was on the southeast side of Oil Island Freeman which posed two unique challenges, first it blocked much of the wind and it didn’t allow for a run at the committee boat end of the start line as is the usual starting maneuver. However, even with those challenges David called and helmed us to a good start right in the mix with the rest of our class.
The first leg was a close hauled windward run out towards the Long Beach breakwater. We improved our tacking and were in a comfortable third place at the rounding of the first mark. We then had a downwind leg along the breakwater before we turned towards the coast near the entrance to Alamitos Bay. Considering the difficulties we had the week before, we had a excellent spinnaker hoist and a good run even though the wind was light and puffy and not even close to steady. This makes for more work for the trimmers as they have to be constantly trimming the chute to keep the boat moving as fast as possible. The forecast was for the winds to build to 10-12 knots by this time of the afternoon but it was not to be.
As we made our beat to windward back towards the breakwater and the first mark the pecking order for our class stayed steady with Mille in third place. The winds finally started to fill in on this leg and we were able to make the fourth mark with four very well executed tacks. After rounding the fourth mark we again had a good hoist of the spinnaker and a much steadier run to the fifth mark which was near the Belmont Pier. The practice that we have had as a team is starting to show as we doused the chute right as we rounded the fifth mark and were able to power up for the next to leg. The last two legs were windward beats which for Mille is a good point of sail. We crossed the line still in third place and finished in third based on corrected time.
This was the final race before the Border Run on Saturday, April 24th and 25th. This race starts off the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach, rounds the north Coronado Island and ends in San Diego and will be Mille’s first overnight race – should be exciting.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunset Cruise
Last Friday evening we had the chance to meet Geoffrey and Marsha Graham and to take them for a sunset cruise around Long Beach. We had donated a sunset cruise on Mille Onde to the Dog and Cat Shelter of Sheridan, Wyoming and Marsha’s uncle bought it at the auction and then gave it to Geoff and Marsha. Although they have lived in Long Beach for five years, they had never had the opportunity to see the city from the water.
We headed out around 6:15 with an appropriate ration of wine, beer and cheese to enjoy as we all watched the sun set over Palos Verde. As most of the readers of this blog know we are usually out racing on Mille and so it was a pleasant departure from the norm for us to take her out, raise just the main and just cruise around. Fortunately, we had enough wind to make it a nice cruise without having to raise the jib and a great time was had by all.
Thanks to Geoff for the great pictures. They really show what a beautiful place Long Beach and this part of Southern California is!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Disappointing Race
We raced this past Saturday in the April Fools Race hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club – little did I know that I was to be the fool for most of the day. Thanks to the intrepid crew of Jim Merk, Liz Roberts, David Harper, Jeremy Scott and my darling co-captain Risa K. Scott for enduring my version of April Fool.
The winds were light at the start (about 6-8 knots) but projected to build during the afternoon. We did not get a good start thanks to my first tactical error of the day by calling for two quick tacks rather than luffing the sails as I thought we were going to be over the start line early. As it was we were almost 2 minutes late to the line a deficit which would seem to be a problem but was overshadowed by an additional tactical error. We were close hauled to the first mark with good crew work on the several tacks needed to make the mark.
After rounding the first mark, we had a good spinnaker set for the downwind run to the second mark. Our spinnaker trimmers and helmsperson did a great job keeping the boat moving fast and we were looking forward to a good rounding of the second mark hopefully having gained a bit on the other three boats in our class. As we neared the mark and I looked for the competitors, I sensed something was wrong, they were nowhere in sight. For this race, the course is designated approximately 5 minutes before the start by signal pennants which I had read incorrectly. Therefore we were sailing the wrong course and it was too late to fix my mistake, so after some deserved verbal flogging from the crew, we decided to turn the day into spinnaker practice.
After a good beat to the windward mark (and avoiding the boats still racing in another class) we set the light spinnaker again and made another downwind run. The set and the run were good but we fouled the afterguy on the gybe and had to douse the chute which came off cleanly.
By this time the wind was building so we decided for our third spinnaker run we would switch to the heavier chute, which is not only heavier material (1.5 oz nylon versus 0.75 oz nylon) but also a smaller sail. Just as we went to set the chute the wind gusted to approximately 24 knots (I learned this later) and we struggled to get the sail up. We again fouled the afterguy (need to work on this part of the maneuver) and had to drop the chute into the water and then haul the wet sail back into the boat. All in all not one of our better jobs but it gives us room to work on the “most improved crew” award. By scoring a Did Not Finish (DNF) we had fourth place in our class (of four boats) firmly in our grasp.
On Sunday, we took Mille out and worked on our starts. Thanks to Jim Merk for his great coaching and to Liz and Risa for their crew work. I feel confident that we will improve our starts and not leave ourselves in a competitive disadvantage right off the line. Although we still need to work on our spinnaker handling, due to crew size and wind conditions, too much of one and not enough of the other, we opted to leave the chutes in the bag and instead focus on another area.
Next race – Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series Race 2, hosted by United States Power Squadron, Saturday, April 10th.
The winds were light at the start (about 6-8 knots) but projected to build during the afternoon. We did not get a good start thanks to my first tactical error of the day by calling for two quick tacks rather than luffing the sails as I thought we were going to be over the start line early. As it was we were almost 2 minutes late to the line a deficit which would seem to be a problem but was overshadowed by an additional tactical error. We were close hauled to the first mark with good crew work on the several tacks needed to make the mark.
After rounding the first mark, we had a good spinnaker set for the downwind run to the second mark. Our spinnaker trimmers and helmsperson did a great job keeping the boat moving fast and we were looking forward to a good rounding of the second mark hopefully having gained a bit on the other three boats in our class. As we neared the mark and I looked for the competitors, I sensed something was wrong, they were nowhere in sight. For this race, the course is designated approximately 5 minutes before the start by signal pennants which I had read incorrectly. Therefore we were sailing the wrong course and it was too late to fix my mistake, so after some deserved verbal flogging from the crew, we decided to turn the day into spinnaker practice.
After a good beat to the windward mark (and avoiding the boats still racing in another class) we set the light spinnaker again and made another downwind run. The set and the run were good but we fouled the afterguy on the gybe and had to douse the chute which came off cleanly.
By this time the wind was building so we decided for our third spinnaker run we would switch to the heavier chute, which is not only heavier material (1.5 oz nylon versus 0.75 oz nylon) but also a smaller sail. Just as we went to set the chute the wind gusted to approximately 24 knots (I learned this later) and we struggled to get the sail up. We again fouled the afterguy (need to work on this part of the maneuver) and had to drop the chute into the water and then haul the wet sail back into the boat. All in all not one of our better jobs but it gives us room to work on the “most improved crew” award. By scoring a Did Not Finish (DNF) we had fourth place in our class (of four boats) firmly in our grasp.
On Sunday, we took Mille out and worked on our starts. Thanks to Jim Merk for his great coaching and to Liz and Risa for their crew work. I feel confident that we will improve our starts and not leave ourselves in a competitive disadvantage right off the line. Although we still need to work on our spinnaker handling, due to crew size and wind conditions, too much of one and not enough of the other, we opted to leave the chutes in the bag and instead focus on another area.
Next race – Long Beach Harbor Invitational Series Race 2, hosted by United States Power Squadron, Saturday, April 10th.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Winter 6 Pac Wrapup
We raced this past Saturday in the sixth and final race of the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing. Thanks to our crew of Liz Roberts, David Harper, Larry and Bobbi Palmer and my darling co-captain Risa K Scott. It was an extremely close race with Mille taking second by a mere 9 seconds on corrected time. Congratulations to the team of Dave and Dan on winning another race and on winning the overall series. Additional congratulations to Jim Merk on taking second place overall and winning an additional award as the "Most Improved Sailor" given by Club Manager Dave Lyon. Way to go Jim - drinks on you next week?
Saturday morning saw the winds howling out of the east, not quite a Santa Ana Wind but close. As is usually the case, the winds made a mess of everyone's yard and then dropped to almost nothing for the start of the race. At the start the winds were coming almost out of the south at a measly 3-5 knots. The first leg was close hauled to the #2 Buoy (commonly referred to as the Seal Buoy as it is always home to several) with Mille rounding in second spot behind Sea Roy captained by Jack Lusby.
The second leg was a downwind run towards Island White which is not as exciting as being close hauled but we gained on Sea Roy as the wind started to come around to a bit more out of the west and build some to about 8-10 knots. We passed Sea Roy and rounded Island White (our second mark) in first place.
The third leg was a upwind leg back to the #2 Buoy which involved making a decision to either stay out in the middle of the harbor or to round Island Freeman, although it was not an official mark on the course. We chose to stay out in the middle of the harbor to stay away from the wind shadow of the island and the possible wind shadows of the various freighter and tankers that are parked near the breakwater. We had good wind and called the tacks right on the money as we didn't overstand the mark nor have to throw in any extra tacks. Sea Roy passed us which was not a surprise as it is a 46 foot boat and should pass us. Atsa Ma Boat also passed us and the drag race was on for the finish.
We followed both boats on the final beam reach to the finish. Mille was right on the stern of Atsa Ma Boat (captained but Dave and Dan) at the finish but couldn't squeeze by for the win - so close and yet so far.
Great series of races - some good calls, some missed calls but most of all good crew and good fun!
Next race - Saturday, April 3rd, Aprils Fools Race hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club.
Friday, March 19, 2010
New Main Sail
Mille has a new main sail!!!
Many thanks to Eric Doyle and Bobby Richardson from North Sails for their help in specing the right sail, getting the graphics right and applying the graphics for a great looking sail. Hopefully it will make us go as fast as it makes us look good.
Also thanks to Jim Ashley (my son), Leigh Sams, and my darling co-captain Risa K for their help in getting the graphics applied to the sail. While it was fun seeing the whole picture come together and they look great, sure makes my old knees hurt to crawl around on the loft floor for an hour.
The sail is built from a new fabric by North called Nordac Radian. It is a dacron sail but due to the weaving process, the fabric is stronger and lighter than the traditional dacron which allowed us to go with a 7.2 oz instead of the normal 8 oz. In addition it is done in a tri-radial cut to align the fabric panels with the stress loads on the sail. Should be fun to sail and race with.
If you need help with your sail inventory, either a survey of your existing sails or help in specing and ordering a new sail, I would certainly recommend you give Eric a call at the North Sails office in Long Beach at (562) 795-5488.
We are going to take Mille out this weekend for some casual cruising and to test the new main.
Next race is the 6th and final in the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing on Saturday, March 27th.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sail Ripped (Again)
This past Saturday we raced in the fifth race in the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing. Thanks to the crew of David Harper, Liz Roberts, Risa K, Rachel Brown, Kelsey and Keith for their participation.
We got a very good start hitting the line just after the starting gun and forcing one of the competitors off the windward end of the line and into a DSQ position. The first leg was a close reach with about 12-14 knots of wind. We were the second boat around the first mark and in good position. The second leg was a close haul to Queens Gate with Mille pointing higher and being in good position. We overstood the mark on our last tack and lost a spot to Nauti-K-Hare as we made the Gate and turned for the downwind run to the other end of the Long Beach breakwater. We didn't make up as much ground as I expected on the downwind run but managed to pass Nauti-K-Hare before the final turn for home.
Nauti-K-Hare ducked inside us at the turn (good move on their part) and we had ourselves and two other boats running neck and neck on the final close hauled leg to the finish. Unfortunately, right in the middle of that leg the light #1 genoa decided to rip again. This is the same sail that ripped during the first race of the SCYA Midwinters a few weeks ago. I had just gotten it back from the North loft in Costa Mesa after being repaired earlier in the week. I must point out that it did not rip where North had repaired it but in another spot. It must be like this author, old and tired. Good thing we had already ordered a new #1!!!! The crew performed an unplanned sail change well but we lost enough time to drop us to last place in the fleet.
Congratulations to Warren Cranch, sailing as a stand-in for Jim Merk, on his victory. He pushed Nauti-K-Hare hard and would have beaten us even without the equipment failure!
Next race will be the sixth and final race in the Winter 6 Pac series on Saturday, March 27th.
We got a very good start hitting the line just after the starting gun and forcing one of the competitors off the windward end of the line and into a DSQ position. The first leg was a close reach with about 12-14 knots of wind. We were the second boat around the first mark and in good position. The second leg was a close haul to Queens Gate with Mille pointing higher and being in good position. We overstood the mark on our last tack and lost a spot to Nauti-K-Hare as we made the Gate and turned for the downwind run to the other end of the Long Beach breakwater. We didn't make up as much ground as I expected on the downwind run but managed to pass Nauti-K-Hare before the final turn for home.
Nauti-K-Hare ducked inside us at the turn (good move on their part) and we had ourselves and two other boats running neck and neck on the final close hauled leg to the finish. Unfortunately, right in the middle of that leg the light #1 genoa decided to rip again. This is the same sail that ripped during the first race of the SCYA Midwinters a few weeks ago. I had just gotten it back from the North loft in Costa Mesa after being repaired earlier in the week. I must point out that it did not rip where North had repaired it but in another spot. It must be like this author, old and tired. Good thing we had already ordered a new #1!!!! The crew performed an unplanned sail change well but we lost enough time to drop us to last place in the fleet.
Congratulations to Warren Cranch, sailing as a stand-in for Jim Merk, on his victory. He pushed Nauti-K-Hare hard and would have beaten us even without the equipment failure!
Next race will be the sixth and final race in the Winter 6 Pac series on Saturday, March 27th.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Another Second Place
We raced this past Saturday in the fourth race of the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing and took a second place by about 20 seconds on corrected time. In addition to the crazy swirling wind conditions brought on by the storm that was passing through, we had the unpredictable currents thanks to the tsunami from the earthquake in Chile.
Thanks to the crew of David, Liz, Jeremy, Jessica and my co-captain Risa K.
We had a great start hitting the line just seconds after the gun even though the current coming out into Long Beach Harbor from the LA River tried to push us over the line early. We were close-hauled to the first mark but the winds going from a steady 10+knots to gusting to over 20 knots made it a thrilling ride and we made the first mark close on the heels of Sea Roy, a Hunter 46 and ahead of Platform 9 3/4 a Hunter 38. After rounding the first mark, we ran deep downwind to our second mark, Island White. The wind was a steadier 18 knots or so and we were running downwind about about 7 knots, a good speed for a 36 foot boat.
After rounding Island White, we made a strong beam reach to the final mark, Island Freeman. Although Sea Roy was slowing gaining distance on us, we were able to keep the distance manageable and within striking distance based on the ratings of the two boats. We rounded Freeman and tried to time our tack so that we could make a straight line close-hauled run to the finish line. As usual we had to dodge an anchored barge as we made our final leg and with the wind and currents causing the boat to slide fairly significantly sideways, we were not able to make the finish line without throwing in two quick tacks right at the line. Thanks to the fine work of the crew, we were able to make the line and keep the race close based on corrected time.
Congrats to Dan and Dave on their win and continued standing in first place for the Winter 6 Pac series.
We are having spinnaker practice this Sunday, meeting at the boat in Rainbow Harbor at 1300 and planning on being back at the dock around 1600.
Next race will be the fifth race in the Winter 6 Pac series on Saturday, March 13th.
Thanks to the crew of David, Liz, Jeremy, Jessica and my co-captain Risa K.
We had a great start hitting the line just seconds after the gun even though the current coming out into Long Beach Harbor from the LA River tried to push us over the line early. We were close-hauled to the first mark but the winds going from a steady 10+knots to gusting to over 20 knots made it a thrilling ride and we made the first mark close on the heels of Sea Roy, a Hunter 46 and ahead of Platform 9 3/4 a Hunter 38. After rounding the first mark, we ran deep downwind to our second mark, Island White. The wind was a steadier 18 knots or so and we were running downwind about about 7 knots, a good speed for a 36 foot boat.
After rounding Island White, we made a strong beam reach to the final mark, Island Freeman. Although Sea Roy was slowing gaining distance on us, we were able to keep the distance manageable and within striking distance based on the ratings of the two boats. We rounded Freeman and tried to time our tack so that we could make a straight line close-hauled run to the finish line. As usual we had to dodge an anchored barge as we made our final leg and with the wind and currents causing the boat to slide fairly significantly sideways, we were not able to make the finish line without throwing in two quick tacks right at the line. Thanks to the fine work of the crew, we were able to make the line and keep the race close based on corrected time.
Congrats to Dan and Dave on their win and continued standing in first place for the Winter 6 Pac series.
We are having spinnaker practice this Sunday, meeting at the boat in Rainbow Harbor at 1300 and planning on being back at the dock around 1600.
Next race will be the fifth race in the Winter 6 Pac series on Saturday, March 13th.
Monday, February 22, 2010
SCYA Midwinters
We raced this past weekend in the SCYA Midwinters, a two day, three race regatta. In addition to the racing, it was exciting seeing fleets racing all over Long Beach Harbor and even outside the breakwater.
Thanks to the crew of Dave Lyon, Jim Merk and Liz Roberts on Saturday and Larry Palmer, Jack and Carolin Lusby, Liz Roberts and Dave Lyon on Sunday, we placed fourth in our class for the regatta. Congratulations to Windhaven on taking first in our class with their two first and a second on the three races. Also thanks to the Race Committee at Seal Beach Yacht Club for their work in organizing and hosting this event.
Based on the weather forecast we arrived at the dock expecting to be sailing in foul weather gear and being wet part if not most of the day. As is often the case, the meteorologists were off a bit and the only time we got wet was when the helmsperson took a wave over the bow. We had good wind of about 15 knots gusting to 18-20 at the start of the first race. Jim Merk helmed the first race with the rest of us taking the positions as trimmers for the jib and main.
We good a decent start and were off to the first mark which was upwind as the race committee usually like to set a course with an upwind leg early. We were tacking close-hauled as we headed up to the first mark when we heard a long boom as the light #1 jib ripped from the leech about two thirds of the way to the luff. We scrambled to get the sail down and on the deck and get the #2 up and flying. As this was not a planned sail change, we lost a few minutes with the maneuver. In addition, with the conditions as they were, it would have been the right sail to have up for the rest of the day but it was not to be.
On the next leg a downwind run, we used the spinnaker pole as a whisker pole to get the jib out and flying as much as we could and started to gain on most of the boats in our fleet but we had just lost too much time at the start and with losing the #1 jib and we crossed the finish line fairly low in the standings.
We utilized part of the break between the two races to enjoy the delicious sandwiches that Liz brought, she even slipped some jicama in for those that need encouragement to eat their veggies!
Captain Stephen assumed the helm for the second race with the others assuming the roles of trimmers and photographer. We got a good start for the second race as we headed for the committee boat from the leeward side of the line. The wind had lightened to about 12 knots so the race committee shortened the course a bit and we missed the light #1 jib even more. With our better start and no unplanned sail changes, we stayed raced close with the rest of the fleet and overtook Blue Goose at the rounding of the second mark and headed for the finish line. Although we crossed the line ahead of them, Blue Goose beat us on corrected time but we beat Attitude Adjustment which left us tied with them for third overall in our fleet.
The forecasters got it better for Sunday as the wind freshened overnight and the clouds rolled in to make it cool and overcast. The winds were 18-20 knots gusting to 25 and so we didn’t miss our injured #1 jib. Larry Palmer helmed the single race that we had on Sunday.
As we only had one race set for Sunday, the race committee was able to choose a longer course that included three upwind legs and two downwind legs. As we had been on Saturday we were close-hauled to the first mark with a series of tacks to make the mark. As we neared the mark, our jib sheet came loose and we had to tack so we could re-secure it and then continue to the mark. As we had done on Saturday we gained on several of the boats on the downwind leg before we rounded the mark and made the long close-hauled beat to the third mark. One of the exciting things about racing in Long Beach Harbor is having to dodge things like bait barges, freighters (both moving and anchored) and the occasional oil island. We were battling closely with Blue Goose and closing on them with every tack. As we did on Saturday, we overtook them on the second downwind leg and passed them as we rounded the last mark and headed for the finish line.
Thanks again to the crew, and the Race Committee at Seal Beach Yacht Club.
Mille’s next race is Saturday, February 27th and is the fourth race in the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Disappointing Results
We raced this past Saturday in the third race of the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing and Yacht Club. Although we sailed good, we finished a disappointing fifth out of five boats. Nonetheless, thanks to the crew of Liz Roberts, David Harper and my co-captain Risa K.
We got a good start, hitting the line less than 15 seconds after the gun and in the middle of the pack. The first leg was a close reach out to the #2 Buoy (aka Red Seal Buoy) in which we were able to pass Black Pearl and close in on Platform. We rounded the mark in second place for the mostly downwind run to Island White. While it doesn't seem like you are moving fast while going downwind, Mille likes that point of sail and we were able to pass Platform and round Island White in the lead. We had to dodge the boats anchored in the lee of White but managed to hold onto the lead.
The final leg to the finish was close-hauled but was going to require a few tacks as the finish line was above the line we could sail. As the navigator I didn't want to get caught in behind Island Grissom and chose to tack out into the wider part of Long Beach Harbor. Platform continued deep behind Grissom and got a favorable wind shift which allowed them to turn towards the finish line without a tack. Out in the harbor we did not get the same shift which forced us to tack several times to make the finish. Races are often won or lost on the basis of picking wind shifts and this time I called it wrong and we finished last.
Next race - SCYA Midwinters hosted by Seal Beach Yacht Club. Saturday, February 20th and Sunday, February 21st.
We got a good start, hitting the line less than 15 seconds after the gun and in the middle of the pack. The first leg was a close reach out to the #2 Buoy (aka Red Seal Buoy) in which we were able to pass Black Pearl and close in on Platform. We rounded the mark in second place for the mostly downwind run to Island White. While it doesn't seem like you are moving fast while going downwind, Mille likes that point of sail and we were able to pass Platform and round Island White in the lead. We had to dodge the boats anchored in the lee of White but managed to hold onto the lead.
The final leg to the finish was close-hauled but was going to require a few tacks as the finish line was above the line we could sail. As the navigator I didn't want to get caught in behind Island Grissom and chose to tack out into the wider part of Long Beach Harbor. Platform continued deep behind Grissom and got a favorable wind shift which allowed them to turn towards the finish line without a tack. Out in the harbor we did not get the same shift which forced us to tack several times to make the finish. Races are often won or lost on the basis of picking wind shifts and this time I called it wrong and we finished last.
Next race - SCYA Midwinters hosted by Seal Beach Yacht Club. Saturday, February 20th and Sunday, February 21st.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Exciting Weekend of Racing
We participated in the "There and Back" Avalon Regatta hosted by Shoreline Yacht Club this past weekend, scoring a 2nd place finish on Saturday and a 3rd place finish on Sunday. Thanks to the hard work of our crew: Dave Lyon, Larry Palmer, Jim Merk, Lauren Johnson, Rick McArdle and my wonderful co-captain Risa K. Also congratulations to Indigo skippered by Paul Margis on taking first place on both legs as well as overall!
The first race from Long Beach to Long Point Lighthouse on Catalina started Saturday morning under a forecast of rain and dark skies as you can see in the pictures below. However, the worst was under the boat not over it. We left Rainbow Harbor in a river of mud flowing down the river and into the harbor past the Queen Mary. Most starts to races can be exciting but this one was complicated by having to dodge tree trunks. After a good start we tacked three or four times to get out of Queen's Gate and were on our way to Catalina.
The rain held off for most of the race, which was not at all what was predicted but the winds were variable, blowing 15+ knots at times, and dropping to almost none at others. We used all three jibs through a series of 5 sail changes to try and match the conditions. Indigo took off like the race horse that she is and left the rest of the fleet far behind. It became apparent that the race for second was between us and King's Gambit, a Bavarian 38. They headed more south as we choose to tack and stay closer to Catalina Island. After almost 6 hours of sailing we started coming together as we both bore down on the finish line. The heaviest rain squall of the day hid them from our view (as well as the whole Island) but passed in time for both of us to finish only about 5 minutes apart. We took second on corrected time and headed for Avalon and a cold beer and hot dinner at Luau Larry's.
Sunday dawned clear with beautiful blue skies as it usually is after a hard period of rain like we had had the few days before. The winds had kicked up overnight and were blowing about 18-20 knots when we headed out to get ready for the start of the race home. The start of the homeward leg is right at the mouth of Avalon and it is a pursuit race. We headed out ahead of King's Gambit while Indigo had 45+ minutes to kill before they could start trying to run the rest of the fleet down. The winds were very good and relatively steady around 18-20 knots with some gusts running as high as 25 knots coming out of the west northwest. We were on a close reach all the way back to Queen's Gate. We started with a reef in the main and the smallest jib up as the forecast was for 15-25 knots gusting to 35. We never had that but the combination we had up was good as long as the winds stayed above 15. Indigo came screaming by us when we were about 8 miles from the finish and we didn't see them again until we got to Shoreline Yacht Club. As we got closer to Queen's Gate, the wind started to ease but we waited a little too long to shake the reef out of the main and let King's Gambit get by us for second place. We took a third which tied us with King's Gambit for second overall. Much to our surprise, most of the mud we had started in only 28 hours earlier was gone and the bay wasn't too dirty. We made the 23.7 nm trip from Avalon to Queen's Gate in 3 hours, 57 minutes and 5 seconds, a record for Mille!
Thanks again to the crew for their hard work and braving what looked to be very messy sailing conditions when we left the dock Saturday morning. Also thanks to Ray Wilson the PRO for the race from Shoreline Yacht Club and the Race Management Committee from Shoreline for a great event. We will be back and gunning for first next year.
Next race - Winter 6 Pac Race Three hosted by Pacific Sailing on Saturday, February 13th.
The first race from Long Beach to Long Point Lighthouse on Catalina started Saturday morning under a forecast of rain and dark skies as you can see in the pictures below. However, the worst was under the boat not over it. We left Rainbow Harbor in a river of mud flowing down the river and into the harbor past the Queen Mary. Most starts to races can be exciting but this one was complicated by having to dodge tree trunks. After a good start we tacked three or four times to get out of Queen's Gate and were on our way to Catalina.
The rain held off for most of the race, which was not at all what was predicted but the winds were variable, blowing 15+ knots at times, and dropping to almost none at others. We used all three jibs through a series of 5 sail changes to try and match the conditions. Indigo took off like the race horse that she is and left the rest of the fleet far behind. It became apparent that the race for second was between us and King's Gambit, a Bavarian 38. They headed more south as we choose to tack and stay closer to Catalina Island. After almost 6 hours of sailing we started coming together as we both bore down on the finish line. The heaviest rain squall of the day hid them from our view (as well as the whole Island) but passed in time for both of us to finish only about 5 minutes apart. We took second on corrected time and headed for Avalon and a cold beer and hot dinner at Luau Larry's.
Sunday dawned clear with beautiful blue skies as it usually is after a hard period of rain like we had had the few days before. The winds had kicked up overnight and were blowing about 18-20 knots when we headed out to get ready for the start of the race home. The start of the homeward leg is right at the mouth of Avalon and it is a pursuit race. We headed out ahead of King's Gambit while Indigo had 45+ minutes to kill before they could start trying to run the rest of the fleet down. The winds were very good and relatively steady around 18-20 knots with some gusts running as high as 25 knots coming out of the west northwest. We were on a close reach all the way back to Queen's Gate. We started with a reef in the main and the smallest jib up as the forecast was for 15-25 knots gusting to 35. We never had that but the combination we had up was good as long as the winds stayed above 15. Indigo came screaming by us when we were about 8 miles from the finish and we didn't see them again until we got to Shoreline Yacht Club. As we got closer to Queen's Gate, the wind started to ease but we waited a little too long to shake the reef out of the main and let King's Gambit get by us for second place. We took a third which tied us with King's Gambit for second overall. Much to our surprise, most of the mud we had started in only 28 hours earlier was gone and the bay wasn't too dirty. We made the 23.7 nm trip from Avalon to Queen's Gate in 3 hours, 57 minutes and 5 seconds, a record for Mille!
Thanks again to the crew for their hard work and braving what looked to be very messy sailing conditions when we left the dock Saturday morning. Also thanks to Ray Wilson the PRO for the race from Shoreline Yacht Club and the Race Management Committee from Shoreline for a great event. We will be back and gunning for first next year.
Next race - Winter 6 Pac Race Three hosted by Pacific Sailing on Saturday, February 13th.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Winter 6 Pac Race Two
As I reported here two weeks ago, we scored our first win in the first race of the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing (www.pacificsailing.net). This past weekend we sailed in the second race of this series and did not score as well. We crossed the line in third place but corrected out to fourth place after taking the handicaps of the boats into account. Thanks to the crew of Larry Palmer, Liz Roberts, David Harper, Tammi and Larry Littrell and our helmsperson and co-captain Risa K. Scott.
We had good winds of about 10-12 knots out of the southwest which is great for Long Beach when you are racing inside the breakwater. After a okay start, we rounded the first mark in second place and sailing well close hauled. As we approached the second mark (or more accurately where the second mark should have been) we realized that the mark must have been torn loose in the recent storms and was gone. We rounded a replacement mark in third place as one of the other boats took a better line to the substitute mark. We started to close in on the second place boat as we beam reached to our third mark (Island Freeman) but were not able to pass them. After a close haul leg to the finish we then headed to Pacific Sailing Yacht Club to celebrate finishing the race and to toast the winner - Jim Merk. Congrats to Jim on sailing almost a perfect race.
Even though we didn't place as high as we would have liked - a good time was had by all.
Next race for Mille is this weekend when we race from Long Beach to Catalina on Saturday and then race back on Sunday. Weather is looking a bit iffy at this time, so wish us luck.
We had good winds of about 10-12 knots out of the southwest which is great for Long Beach when you are racing inside the breakwater. After a okay start, we rounded the first mark in second place and sailing well close hauled. As we approached the second mark (or more accurately where the second mark should have been) we realized that the mark must have been torn loose in the recent storms and was gone. We rounded a replacement mark in third place as one of the other boats took a better line to the substitute mark. We started to close in on the second place boat as we beam reached to our third mark (Island Freeman) but were not able to pass them. After a close haul leg to the finish we then headed to Pacific Sailing Yacht Club to celebrate finishing the race and to toast the winner - Jim Merk. Congrats to Jim on sailing almost a perfect race.
Even though we didn't place as high as we would have liked - a good time was had by all.
Next race for Mille is this weekend when we race from Long Beach to Catalina on Saturday and then race back on Sunday. Weather is looking a bit iffy at this time, so wish us luck.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
First Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mille Onde scored her first victory on Saturday, January 16th in the first race of the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing Club! Thanks to the fine crew of Larry Palmer, Liz Roberts, David Harper and my darling co-captain Risa K Scott.
It was an interesting race to say the least. I misjudged the start and we were last of five boats over the line. Mille didn't take kindly to being last and started to stretch her sails as we close hauled to the first mark. By the time we rounded the first mark we were in second place to Platform 9 3/4 a Hunter 38. If we could mark their progress we could beat them on corrected time.
As we headed for the second mark, we were presented with a bit of a challenge - a freighter was headed out from the Port of Long Beach and seemed intent on not altering course to let us pass her bow. As much as we did not want to duck her stern and get caught in the wind shadow of her hull, we made the right call and dropped behind the stern. Between the ship and the wind lightening a bit we bobbed around a bit as we tried to make the second mark and did finally round it still in second place.
The leg to the third mark was a broad reach which normally is a fairly fast and comfortable point of sail, but with the wind continuing to lighten, as is often the case in Long Beach as it approaches dark, we continued to mark Platform but didn't make any real progress on them.
After rounding the third mark and starting the sprint for the finish line, we started to make some real progress on Platform as we headed dead down wind (ddw). Due to a combination of good sailing by the crew and Mille's ability to lay her main sail forward against the spreaders, we passed Platform for the win.
Thanks again to the crew - as always we had fun which is the most important outcome (winning feels pretty good too).
Next race is the second in the Winter 6 Pac series on Saturday, January 30th.
It was an interesting race to say the least. I misjudged the start and we were last of five boats over the line. Mille didn't take kindly to being last and started to stretch her sails as we close hauled to the first mark. By the time we rounded the first mark we were in second place to Platform 9 3/4 a Hunter 38. If we could mark their progress we could beat them on corrected time.
As we headed for the second mark, we were presented with a bit of a challenge - a freighter was headed out from the Port of Long Beach and seemed intent on not altering course to let us pass her bow. As much as we did not want to duck her stern and get caught in the wind shadow of her hull, we made the right call and dropped behind the stern. Between the ship and the wind lightening a bit we bobbed around a bit as we tried to make the second mark and did finally round it still in second place.
The leg to the third mark was a broad reach which normally is a fairly fast and comfortable point of sail, but with the wind continuing to lighten, as is often the case in Long Beach as it approaches dark, we continued to mark Platform but didn't make any real progress on them.
After rounding the third mark and starting the sprint for the finish line, we started to make some real progress on Platform as we headed dead down wind (ddw). Due to a combination of good sailing by the crew and Mille's ability to lay her main sail forward against the spreaders, we passed Platform for the win.
Thanks again to the crew - as always we had fun which is the most important outcome (winning feels pretty good too).
Next race is the second in the Winter 6 Pac series on Saturday, January 30th.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
What A Disappointment
Many thanks to the crew for the first race of 2010 - Dave Lyon, Larry Palmer, Lauren Johnson, Rick McArdle, Liz Roberts and my co-captain Risa K Scott. We all assembled at the Del Rey Yacht Club on Saturday, January 2nd to participate in the Malibu and Return Race. Bottom line is that we ran out of wind during the second leg and therefore ran out of time to get the race finished within the allotted time frame.
There was a short postponement before the start that pushed all of the classes back about 20 minutes and resulted in about 105 boats milling around for the extended period of time. We had a great start with Risa K at the helm, hitting the leeward end of the line less than 10 seconds after the gun. We were close hauled for the first leg making the turn at the mark in the middle of the pack for our class. We had a total of 16 boats in our class with Mille rating near the middle.
Although the wind forecast was for the winds to lighten to about 5-6 knots for a period of the afternoon followed by them strengthening to 12-15 knots later, after lightening to the projected 5-6 knots in the middle of the second leg, they continued to lighten to a dead calm. At one point it looked like we were in danger of passed by a piece of seaweed! A lengthy discussion ensued about whether to abandon and when to set the time for a decision. We delayed the decision which I think we all knew would happen but no one wanted to make until the last moment based on the possibility of the wind picking up and still be able to make the finish by the cut off time. Several boats in our class and some of the other classes had already dropped out and finally we had to make the call. We then started the iron genoa and headed back to DRYC for a mexican feast.
A disappointing start to the racing season but that is racing in a sailboat. Mille's next race is the first in the Winter 6 Pac series hosted by Pacific Sailing in Long Beach, on Saturday, January 16th.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
