Around the Island Race - results are in

You are probably wondering how the weekend in Martha’s vineyard went! Well maybe not, but I am going to tell you anyway.

Thursday 23^rd we disembarked from Boston and headed down to Martha’s vineyard (MV). We sailed down towards the Cape Cod Canal for a few hours, the engine for some more time. When we got to Buzzards Bay we were early for the current to be in our favor in Woods Hole. We used the time to practice the spinnaker changing, sailing at different angles, and optimizing speed. This was a good investment in our time.

Looking back along the canal at sunrise

After making it to the destination, Edgertown, we went in to the Yacht club for the “party”, skippers meeting. We learned that a skippers meeting means everyone gets together, the person who mumbles the most does the talking, and a bad PA system is used. And, all they do is repeat the written instructions you were just given. Not to complain, we did drink several dark and stormies and we proudly wore our Mount Gay caps that we had been given for being in the race.

 Dark and Stormy (the drink)

Edgartown Yacht Club and a spiffy boat

Next day we got up early, finessed our use of the BBQ for cooking bacon, and motored out to join the other 66 boats at the start. Was this ever fun. The appearance of absolute chaos but total organization at the same time. To sail to the first mark we needed to be on a port tack. But we knew other boats would be faster and could point higher than us so we decided we needed a starboard tack to start, and get right of way, until we could head far enough out to tack towards the mark. Only about 2 boats took starboard. We could see the rest of the boats on a collision course with us as we approached the start line. Then they had to dip and go around us. We look for small victories. This was one.

We rounded the first mark quickly and set sail south, along the eastern edge of MV with spinnaker flying. It was a glorious sight. (picture from EYC Facebook page)

Where is PG (Waldo)? And notice, we were not last

We were playing with wind angles and getting the best VMG to the next mark in the Atlantic Ocean south of MV. We even passed other boats!!! As we came down to the next mark we doused the spinnaker, genoa out and turned quickly. This is fun. Then we set off on the west to east journey along the southern side of MV. We had contemplated bringing the spinnaker out for all of this leg but we were quite close to the wind initially. However, with a turn in wind direction we deployed her and started catching more boats.  We were close to Trinity and the wind dropped. It dropped to nothing. Well, maybe 0.5kt. Joe and Morgan were scurrying around we were changing sails, furling the main, deploying spinnaker and genoa. We tried everything except getting off the boat and kicking to get propulsion. We were 90 degrees to Trinity and drifting on a course to hit her (we were 50ft away). We took down headsails, and pulled out the main since there was no water over rudder and I just hoped that there would be a small wind puff onto the main to push our bow up. It worked.

The skipper on Trinity was singing and dancing for wind. Quite a sight. Then all of a sudden, the wind came up, turned through over 360 degrees in about 30 seconds and we were off to the races again. With about 12kts of wind and sailing close hauled we were in a race with Trinity. As we came to the next mark, three boats descended on the mark simultaneously (well, within 50ft) and we had been racing for 30nm already.

Next we started tacking up Vineyard sound on the west side of MV. As we were sailing we were monitoring the current and direction of the current to learn about the sound. This allowed us to calculate that we could short tack on our last tack and that the current would (might) work in our favor with our direction and should (?) push us just north of the mark at the tip of MV. Quick committee discussion on PG. Sail 10 more minutes before we tack and make certain we get one long final tack or take the risk. Of course we went for the risk and it worked. We passed the northern most mark with 50feet to spare. As we were heading to the finish line the wind was dropping and we started to fear that given the current was due to turn against us in 15 minutes, that we might not be able to finish. I had the anchor plan in my head to hold us steady if necessary. I was not going to drop out of the race. But with 5kts of wind we crawled across the finish line. We sailed for nearly 12 hours. We were absolutely exhilarated

As we were sailing we heard boats calling in that they were not going to finish. We weren’t going to be last. Now we needed to see corrected times. We quickly headed to the Yacht Club sat at the bar and waited for results. We found that not only were we not last but we actually beat boats. Not many boats, but we beat them. Trinity being one who lost to PG.

Joe, Morgan and Phil were smiling cheek to cheek. Then the most bizarre thing happened. Someone in the club came up to Morgan and said the rule in the club is that he who wears a hat has to buy drinks for everyone and there were probably 100 people in the bar. And, he was serious. Morgan quickly took of his hat. No denim and not hats in the club. But apparently bow ties are permitted. My mate Bob would feel right at home here.

You are probably all bored reading this but just a few more comments about the return journey. We disembarked from Edgertown at 7:30am and made it back to Constitution marina at 9:38pm (~85nm). We sailed all of the way except in Woods Hole and in the Cape Cod Canal. We used the spinnaker for 80% of the journey. In Cape Cod Bay we even broached. That was fun. Actually it was fun. We are learning more about the limits of the boat. We had two wind gusts, one to 20kts, which nearly caused us to broach, then a few minutes later to ????. No time to look at numbers. What clearly happened was the increased wind speed accelerated us, we heeled over, nose came up to windward. Now the apparent wind was forward of the beam resulting in increased apparent wind speed. A positive feedback loop. We heeled way over, spinnaker dragging in the water which brought us to a sudden stop. PG held up to it, although downstairs the contents of our fridge and saloon had demonstrated that entropy rules.

Home in sight

It was a great weekend and can’t wait for the next. Joe and Morgan were great crew and I bet they slept really well last night if my sleep is anything to go by.