Light air day. 2-5 knots for the entire race. Used a bold but risky barging start because the boat with the right-of-way had no leeway.
She hailed, "No room!" (There was room)
I said, "If you luff up, we will respond!" By which I meant, you can push us up over the line if you want to.
"Barging!" was the response.
"You are the barge!" was a comment whispered by one of my crew, thankfully barely audible on board.
I responded, "But you're not moving!" What did she expect of me to do? Sail to leeward of a stationary, 40-foot wind shadow?
We are always more short-handed in a light air day. I had to do a little spinnaker hoisting at the mast and provide a little leeward rail ballast while Trophy Wife helmed. She did well: 11th out of 19 in the 3-mile race. That's why she is our light wind specialist.
In the process, I started working on a new spin about my age: tolerating it and not feeling so guilty about not being able to do everything on my boat, like I used to be able -- nice as that would be if I were be able to find an alternative & affordable boat.
Instead, I began recalling that 20 years ago, or more, I was extremely aggressive and springing-to when crewing on other people's boats. So, currently I am only asking of others what I have before so freely given myself. I did my time and would do it again if able. I have done my time before the mast.
I think the 'Barge' came in 16th. I also heard that the Hunter was swung rather hard into the bell buoy by the current while it was rounding.
ReplyDeleteThat's news to me. We had less than 2 knots of wind when we rounded. There was some turbulence in the water which I couldn't read and it caused me to make a conservative rounding. Two boats with lighter hulls rounded inside and beat us. But I'm okay with not having to paint out the damage to my gelcoat.
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