Big Ocean Small Boat

Got a chance to crew (as Mast and “emergency” Bow) with the great team from “Fuzzy Wuzzy”, Bengt and Marie Johannson’s J/30, this time in the North American championships.

Our team was Bengt, Marie, Alan, Bob, Jerry, Jon, and Kelly.

http://www.j30.us/na2008/

We won the regatta (and therefore the NA Champs) with  [7], 1, 7, 5, 5, 1 and had some great sailing in everything from straightforward boat-for-boat dueling to intense ultra-light-air crapshoots.

We also won the best overall “all amateur crew” finish trophy, which seems a little redundant.

As usual, I was inspired by the skill and focus of the FW team. Both Bob (as tactician) and Bengt (as driver) were really impressive. Of course, Kelly took the “summer of love” prize by stacking the NA Champs on top of winning the 2008 Newport-Bermuda as navigator.

It was interesting how much more the East Coast 1D competitors sail the fleet, as opposed to just the course. In SF Bay, everything seems to be about currents, local knowledge, currents, wind, and currents.

Bristol YC

Light-air postponement

Bengt and Marie

Upwind competition
(credit:  Spectrum Photo)

Downwind competition
(credit:  Spectrum Photo)

Thanks guys, see you next year.

Day after our Angel Island boat camping trip. Went on a practice sail (around the bay, out the gate, halfway to Bonita, back down to Pt. Blunt) on Charlie, Eben, and John’s 911 “Elusive” with Don, the sailmaker from Quantum. Lot’s of interesting feedback on manuevers and sail trim.

Flew back east to race with Jerry on Bengt Johansson’s j/30 “Fuzzy Wuzzy” in the Cedar Point One Design regatta in Westport Connecticut.

This regatta was the east coast regional championships, with 5 races over 2 days. We had a great weekend of sailing, and won the event with (3), 1, 1, 2, 1.

http://www.cedarpointyc.org/

Their program was really well put together and very “pro” on the course. As Jerry pointed out, it was 5 skippers out of a crew of 7. At first that seems like a recipe for conflicting opinions and chatter, but in reality, there was virtually no talk amongst the crew between the warning gun and the finish line.

The 4th race had the most exciting finish of my racing career. We were putting a lot of pressure on the #2 boat about two lengths before the finish line—very close racing in 30-footers—and they mistakenly luffed us up too far. Bam, a tight gybe behind them, maybe a handswidth between our bow and their stern, and then all of a sudden, we are over the line. Absolutely unbeliveable tactics—total “psychological” sailing.

Here’s hoping I can make it back for the NA’s.

credit: photoboat

Raced the Single-handed Sailing Society Corinthian In-The-Bay Race. Bob and I raced it double-handed. Shanti had great boat speed, we were passing folks all day.

Prelimary results say that we got 5th in the 13 boat PHRF 100-160 double-handed class.

Also, got a good photo in the latitude article (we are sail #326, left side of photo) that captures the general chaos at Pt. Blunt. The nice thing about this photo is that it appears that boats all around us were wiping out while we cruised through with white knuckles and a full chute. Actually, that is pretty much how it was.

The article mentions that about 60% of the fleet went through Racoon Straits and got a great boost to the mark. We were in the other 40%. Luckily, we stayed so close to the fleet all day that the 5 minutes we lost with that tactic only cost us one place.

Raced Vallejo with j/105 Racer X (foredeck, as usual). Great sailing. Got a 2nd (day one) and a 3rd (day two). Day one ended with a tight reaching spinnaker duel up the Napa River mouth, and day 2 was an absolute soaking wet washing machine ride (with no chute needed).

credit: lyonsimaging.com

Raced J/Fest as foredeck with j/105 “Racer X” (USA 375, red chute). 50 different j boats, five races over the two day period, light on day one, light-ish on day two. 9th out of 28 J/105s. Good racing.

credit: lyonsimaging.com