Mar 15 2008
Windless in Renton
Our first Fleet#1 San Juan 21 Race of the 2008 season ended up being a serious drifter with light and shifting winds. Of course most of the work I had done on Limpet since last season was for an adjustable backstay, and Cunningham. Both of which are only needed during a serious blow. I was off my game with the starts and we never found much boat speed in the light winds but it was still a great way to spend a March day in Seattle.
Before we launched my ongoing crewmate Dave helped me finish attaching my adjustable backstay. Then it was out to the water with high hopes for a new season. Of course in the first start of the first race I found myself charging the line early, with Habagat to windward of me. I called out that I was coming up as I attempted to dump speed. Fausto didn’t respond in time and as he put his helm over his transom swung into Limpet. He immediately did his 360 turn and dove towards the line. I was trapped above the pin with no choice but to follow him, and I would have been dead last off the line if Jim Miller hadn’t been late in arriving for the start with Jesse for her maiden race with Fleet 1.
As Habagat rounded the windward mark Fausto began working to get his whisker pole up and didn’t see that he was sailing strait for me. We were both on a starboard tack and I hailed but he didn’t respond. I was forced to turn significantly off the wind which in turn required me to do another set of tacks to make the mark. Habagat did another 360 penalty for causing me to change course, but retained his lead to the leeward mark. Still I managed to pass Habagat on a big wind shift on the final leg of the race, and pull out a 3rd of 5 in class finish, and 5th of 8 overall.
The second race the wind truly dropped to nothing, as Dave and I began to get really bored. I snapped some photos, and drank some beer, but my mind wasn’t really on the race. I must say I would pick a white knuckle day to a drifter anytime. We ended up at the back of the pack again coming in 4th of 5 in class. The good news is that it was just a couple of races, and when we hit a day where the wind is up the fleet will be able to crank out 5-6 races in a day, and we will throw away the scores from these light air affairs.
[…] and a teacher at Whole Life Yoga. I became a Yoga teacher and started a business. Dave became a sailor, , learned to play the guitar and tried Yoga. We both discovered the goodness that is Pacific […]