A-Team Does Better

I missed A-Team's start tonight because I stationed myself on Shoreline Park's cliffs where I could look down on the most likely windward marks. After Dazz rounded D-Mark in steady wind, I packed in my camera and went home to work. There was a lot of empty water in front and behind her, so I reckoned there would be an uneventful parade and undramatic finish ahead.

Turns out that the wind died off completely and the came up (a little) from the east. Dazz threaded her way from 10th up to 3rd (out of a dozen boats)!

I texted the crew that I never had felt so unneeded.

A-Team Sailed Without Me

Took a bad fall recently and so I sent the crew out to race with mixed results. They were far too conservative -- embarrassingly so -- on the start. However they were able to catch four boats.

Wyliecats Are Easy to Sail, but Difficult to Sail Well?

Lots of close, close racing this Wednesday, especially with the newest boat in our fleet! 15 knots, steady!





















I'm frustrated by my learning curve. Is it that this dog is too old to learn or that he has no patience? Doesn't matter in the longer run, I guess, as long as the crew is having fun.

Chamber-Of-Commerce Day

That's what one sailor called it: clear, warm and with a steady 10-knot breeze. I guess I would have called it a chamber-of-commerce day if it had rained heavily the night before. I haven't seen today's actual results, but I think we finished 10 in this 18-boat pursuit race. Not that anyone much cares: it was that much of a perfect day to be on the water.

Over Early!

I killed our chances tonight by crossing the start line seconds early. It was serious because we were confined in a sandwich of boats on either side of us who started on time; it took painfully long to gain water to return and restart. I could blame certain crew members who were absent and are our flawless time keepers, but the responsibility is all mine.

After the start, I more or less turned the helm over to SP and he recovered much of my lost ground. We finished 6th and corrected out to 8th out 13 boats. We had a good steady 13+ knot breeze!

Putting in the A-Team

Optimal crew produces optimal results: 4th place out of 11 starters. But the pesky yellow Morgan-27 beat us out again!

 SP helmed almost the entire race. Gotta keep the remainder of the crew happy! Think I need to spend almost full time as navigator/tactician. For one thing, I can see more of the race.

Not the Man I Was

The McEachen Trophy Race turned up a beautiful day of steady wind and sun, as well as its novel downwind start and unusual bearings. It's always a chance to mix in a little confusion and it transforms our waters to a new and unfamiliar sailing venue.

Dazzler enjoyed the mix. We had our places in the race shuffled several times in this 6nm course and ended up in the tail end of the first half of the fleet. We're still just beginning to learn how to maximize this Wyliecat-30's speed on all points of sail.

After today, I don't think I will get any closer.

Still No Answers

Tonight I surrendered the helm to SP. He had his way with footing instead of pointing. I called the tactical moves in sublimely light winds,(3-7 knots). I don't think he has the answer. But I let him have 'is way. Because what does it matter? Just want to get the boat sold and to get out of racing. I've forgot 90% of what I once thought I knew about racing a boat.

The boat is in good hands with SP & MV. I'm tempted to let them have the boat next week while I am in surgery. Looks like more extremely light winds.

We're Still Learning

Summer #1 was a pursuit Race of 21 boats in a 14-knot breeze. Unfortunately, there was a huge gap between start times and we did not see a lot of boats. We were fortified with a major addition in crew and technique. Good quick tacking up the Kelp Straits. After rounding the weather mark we were confronted with our usual duel with the Pesky Yellow boat.

This time we threw a hex on her spinnaker, causing her to wrap it and then to go shrimping with it. This gave us time on the last leg to pass her to leeward and beat her to the finish. However, Daz' sister Wyliecat pulled away from us and grabbed a 3rd. We finished 14th and 10th on elapsed time.

Self Humiliation!

Lousy start and I went down hill from there. It's as if my mind went blank with 90 seconds to go and I reverted to past habits of trying to start on the pin end. I have less flexibility in terms of trimming control than on Das Boot.

So, my game plan is to start in the middle of the line where there's clear air & water. But tonight, that went out the window. Write it down to lack of concentration. This pitiful position forced me to accommodate starboard tackers up course, to take too many tacks, to find myself in the middle of the Kelp sea. 4th at the weather mark, but clueless from there on. Everyone passed us. Finished 3rd from the bottom of a 13-boat fleet!

ROFL No-Clones Rotisserie 2014-2015

Lowered Expectations

I switched out my set of expectations. Last year I approached each race with expectations of triumph. This year, due more to age and medical circumstances than to the craft I'm sailing, my expectations are more limited: Finishing.

Tonight, starting in the middle of line worked out well for us. Was a tad late, but not by much. Could be a teeny little more aggressive on timing. Had plenty of time and water to choose from in tacking on to port, into the beach. Once there, against the swim bouys' obstruction, discovered lots of competition. We did well in quick-tacking up the narrow corridor between the kelp and the swimming area. The large forty-footer ahead of us couldn't take the pressure and inadvertently sailed into the swimming area and a DSQ.

Out of dozen boats we were 4th at the weather mark and 4th on elapsed time at the finish. But still managed to lose out to the pesky yellow boat!