Preparing for Solo Offshore 160 race

I have become increasingly enamored by the idea of shorthanded offshore sailing. This grew initially out necessity; I wanted to sail and couldn’t find anyway to join me so I went out on my own. As each season has gone by and with my increasing knowledge of sailing in different conditions, my goals have increased. I plan to compete/participate in the Newport offshore 160 in July 2016. This is a solo race of 160nm that is a qualifier for the Bermuda 1-2 that is to be held in 2017 (more about that in a later post).

My first solo sail was to Provincetown from Boston. This was in the first year of boat ownership and was an exciting trip. I left Boston early in the morning with light winds which gradually grew in strength. My autopilot failed part way through the trip and by the time I reached the tip of Cape Cod winds were +30kts. I ended up motoring the last 5nm and was getting soaked from sea water breaking over the bow.  I radioed to Provincetown marina to request a mooring ball and proceeded to attempt to pick one up.  Anyone watching me must have been laughing. I would approach the mooring, dash to the bow to attempt to pick up the pendent only to have the wind blow the bow away. Thankfully there were few other boats so no collisions happened. After a few attempts I tried a trick I had learned from a friend n Slovenia. I reversed up to the mooring, tied a long dockline to the ball and proceeded to walk to the bow to turn the boat. The wind prevented me getting this achieved. So as a plan C I just moored in reverse to the ball and attached the pendent to the port and starboard cleats at the stern of the boat. Success.

The marina launch came out to check on me and to take cash and ask if I wanted a ride to shore. When they arrived they told me that I couldn’t attach to the mooring stern on because it puts too much load on the mooring system. You can imagine my excitement at hearing this. So I asked them to wait by the mooring ball and clip the pendent on my bow as I approached. But they wouldn’t “Not allowed to do that” was the answer. So I started trying again. After a couple of close attempts the launch driver deviated from protocol and attached me to the ball. After paying my fee I went into the saloon played music and drank a few beers and was quite satisfied with my day.

Fast forward a few years and I have several solo experiences, as well as numerous double handed sailing adventures. So now I will head off to Newport (solo) in less than two weeks for the offshore 160.

Over the winter and spring I have been preparing the boat for easier solo and shorthanded sailing and have made several changes that include adding a new clutch and routing a spinnaker tackline to the cockpit. Rerouting the genoa furling line. Adding two winches to allow controlled deployment of the spinnaker. An extra cleat was added to the mast to permit tying the spinnaker halyard there rather than my needing to run back to the cockpit. A folding propeller was installed.

Today we were going further through the list of items on the checklist for the offshore 160. Sail numbers needed to be added to the genoa. Yolande helped and can be seen doing her Vanna White impression beneath.

We also needed to find a way to hold the washboards in the companionway in case of being knocked over. I hate to drill extra holes but we came up with a simple solution. A loop of 300lb breaking strength line together with a Cam Jam to tighten. Importantly it’s accessible both from the inside and the outside (one of the requirements). When installed I applied very strong forces and it doesn’t budge and I am assured it is within protocol!

Only a couple of remaining items left to do – sail numbers to be added to the spinnaker and I need to find a better mechanism to hold my radar reflector up the backstay. I have a system that works but I would like a much better one. Still noodling on this one

If anyone is interested in sailing down to Newport with me on Wed July 13^th or returning with me on Mon July 18^th please let me know.

A beautiful night to race

Wednesday evening the storms came rumbling through with a thunderstorm at about 4:30pm. We had wondered all day whether the races would be on. So we headed to the boat with beer in hand as a plan B (and as a plan A for after the race if it occurred).

Winds were low - 2-3 kts - but we all went out and floundered around. Carl, on the race committee boat, announced that we would wait for the new winds to strengthen and settle down before choosing a course. We expected winds to build after the storm had passed.  By 6:20pm winds were growing to a steady 6 knots out of the South. Course 7, once around, was set and at 6:30pm fleet C (the slowest boats) got their warning signal with a 6:35pm start. Our crew of four – Joe, Morgan, Yolande and myself – worked well together and got off to a great start crossing the start line second.

We managed to head nicely up to buoy #13 on a single starboard tack with peak apparent winds of 17kts. However, the speeds were very unpredictable and the direction oscillating somewhat. As we rounded #13 and headed to #12 we deployed the spinnaker and managed to sail 60 degrees off the apparent wind towards #12. We pinched as much as we could to gain a little separation from the mark just in case there was a wind shift. As we approached #12 we pulled out the genoa and doused the spinnaker. Then something bizarre happened – the wind started shifting and we nearly didn’t make the mark. We were close hauled and made our turn with inches to spare. In seconds the wind shifted 90 degrees and was now out of the east. We could now use the spinnaker on what was now a downwind leg back to #13.

By the time fleets A and B who started 6 and 12 minutes behind us had approached #13 the wind shift had already occurred so they couldn’t spinnaker from #13 to #12. Advantage to fleet C!

We made it all the way to #13 before we were being passed by the fast boats. Its quite incredible how fast they are: even in light air they seem to grab all of the oxygen and get sufficient fuel to glide through the water. Its quite a site, even if it’s a little frustrating. But as many do say, we do have the best spinnaker design. One shouted across to us “Rule Britannia”. Thank goodness nobody shouted Brexit.

As we got to the finish line we looked over our shoulder and could see two boats still to finish behind us. But of course they started after us. However, it makes a change as we used to always cross the line last. 

June Moon Chase - Solo Race

On Friday June 17^th I participated in the CYC June Moon chase. This is a pursuit race with staggered start times based on boat handicap with the assumption that if all are sailed equally well that they will finish simultaneously.

Set off Friday afternoon to the exit of Boston harbor and started solo at 6:16pm. Nice sail to the first mark and then rounded it and managed to keep one close hauled tack to the next mark. As I rounded that mark with a straight shot to Gloucester R#2 I raised the spinnaker. This was the first real test of using the new winches for simultaneous spinnaker hoist while the genoa was still being used. Worked perfectly. I also installed on race day a new cleat on the mast so that when short handed I can tie the halyard to the mast.  Thank goodness.

Half to three quarters of the way to the Gloucester mark and a storm cell was coming towards me. I went on deck to douse the spinnaker. The “condom” or sleeve was half way down and the wind shifted 180 degrees and dropped to 5kts. Quickly head back to the cockpit and had to gybe. Went back on deck and the wind went crazy – later I was to learn that other boats felt 30kts. Life vest was on, tether was attached to jackline (to secure me to the boat) so I had no worries, other than getting the spinnaker down. Slowly worked it down and stuffed it into the bow cabin through the hatch. Phew. The new cleat was essential for success since I was able to work the halyard from the position I was sitting in. In fact I can see another cleat would be useful.

Went back to the cockpit and the wind shifted 180 degrees again, but this time I was able to control a turn with the wind and then it calmed to 10 kts (I saw 22kts on the wind meter at one point but this was after the worst was over). I then deployed the genoa, this is a race after all and set off to Gloucester. The winds built again to 20kts so I left the genoa up and relaxed a little, sailed wing on wing and fired up the BBQ for the most tasty burger. Saw Charisma 2 pass me near R#2.

As I rounded R#2 at Gloucester (10:38pm) I was on a course of 287M trying to catch a wind shift close to land that would help me hug along the coast toward the finish. It didn’t materialize so I had to tack out to sea and hoped that the forecast windshift over night from SW to W would help my path. Slowly the wind changed direction and I was able to sail one long tack to just South of Graves light house. I then tacked (2:04am) and headed to Nahant to set myself up for the final tack into the finish. I looked over my shoulder and I could see a green running light indicating I had a sailboat behind me. Suddenly any fatigue disappeared and I was trimming and trying to get that extra half a knot boat speed. Then all sight of the boat disappeared. Darn, I thought, its not in our race. I kept working and tacked near Nahant and then the sailboat reappeared. It was in the race and I beat it over the finish line.

The Course heading back

I felt pretty elated that I wasn’t last, but more importantly that I handled the single handed race, and managed to cook on the BBQ. I see there will be more short handed racing in my future.

UPDATE: Results are in. We beat 2 boats, and placed 4th out of 6. Given it was nearly 10h sailing we were close to the second boat, and all other boats had full crews. Very proud of this single handed race result!

Its never the same with a condom

Wednesday evening we entered the Rumble I in Boston harbor. This is a race around the buoys in which three yacht clubs from different regions of the harbor come together to race one another. We were out near to Deer island and got delayed for about an hour awaiting the LNG tanker to come through. A security zone is set around this tanker because if there were a successful attempt to put a hole in the boat, the resulting explosion would, by all estimates, demolish downtown Boston.

As a slow boat in Fleet D we were off on the first start and had a course of two laps. There were about 30 boats in all fleets making for a lot of tight racing. We got an almost perfect start and headed off to the first mark. We rounded the mark in second place and quickly deployed the spinnaker using our new Pontos winches. Huge difference being able to use independent winches for the genoa and spinnaker sheet.

As we were getting ready to douse the spinnaker Joe went to pull on the lazy sheet and we had to remind him that the ATN sock needed to be pulled down – although we always refer to it as the condom. Later in the race one of the crew said “It’s never the same with the condom!”

Genoa deployed, spinnaker down and we rounded the mark. But some of the other fleets were still tacking for starting position as we rounded the pin end of the start line that also served as our leeward mark. At a distance it looked like chaos, but we were able to navigate our way through, do one short tack then tack over onto starboard tack and had a perfect course for the windward mark.

As we closed in on the mark and were within three boat lengths another boat (that will be nameless) was heading straight to us on a port tack (we had right of way). They tacked onto starboard, we had to head up to avoid their causing a collision and they barged us out of our course to the mark.  I called “protest” and raised the red protest flag. There was no response from this fast boat. I think they thought we were an annoyance.

We turned down wind deployed the spinnaker and headed for the finish line. All in all it was a great race. The team, Yolande, Joe and Morgan really worked well together and they have a developed a way of looking out for one another and are able to help out with any task. It was great to watch such good team work.

I decided not to file a formal protest. The other boat is part of our yacht club and I didn’t want to take these friendly Wednesday night races too seriously. But it was good practice for a serious race when it might be needed.

Equipment upgrades - Pontos Grinder 40 winches

As we have tried to sail in more diverse conditions in racing mode we have begun to find several places where we are sub optimal and need to improve our equipment. The first relates to clamping the genoa furling line and the second concerns the simultaneous use of genoa and spinnaker sheets.

Over the winter we re-routed the genoa furling line along the stanchions and this has been a dramatic time and energy saver. By using blocks the resistance to furl is dramatically reduced. However, when we need to reef we have been relying on using a cleat hitch on the stern cleat that also has a soft shackle attached for use with the spinnaker sheets. Not a good solution. Consequently I installed a cam cleat on the deck so that we could quickly clamp the furling line. Last week we managed to test the system in winds gusting to 30kts. As we furled the genoa, clamping the line into the cam cleat was simple and safe.  Additionally, when we turned to reach downwind and needed full sail a simple brief tug on the furling line unclamped the cam cleat and allowed the full sail to be deployed. Success.

The black camcleat installed on the deck

Winches:

Two new winches were delivered – I ordered the Pontos 40 Grinders.

Our problem is that we like to raise the spinnaker behind the genoa and need to tighten the spinnaker sheet while the genoa is still fully deployed. This needs two winches. We have tried all sorts of sheet attachments – spinnaker sheet to the mainsheet winch, the outhall winch, across the boat to the lazy sheet winch. Although they can work, it is cumbersome and frankly dangerous as we then end up needing to take other lines to abnormal locations for tensioning. Given that I have the goal of more double and solo racing I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a second set of winches so that we always have a set for genoa and spinnaker.

Rather than repeating the Harken winches I decided to try the Pontos 4 speed winches. These are a recent innovation that come in two flavors; either the grinder or the trimmer. Both are four speed winches but with important distinctions.

Pontos Grinder 40 fresh out of the box

The trimmer is very useful to get lower gears for high load applications. The first two gears are equivalent to existing winch gears but when load is detected in the second gear an automatic clutch deploys so that with a reverse turn of the winch handle a third and fourth gear are available. A good reason for the trimmer is as less expensive alternative to an electric winch for high load applications. Trying to get the last few inches of the genoa sheet tightened – go to third and fourth gear and it can be done with one hand. As I age and strength declines this might be a good alternative winch. Although my frequency of going to the gym is increasing to delay the need for the trimmer.

The grinder is designed to allow rapid sheeting of long lengths of sheet. For example, during a solo tack the lazy sheet is attached into the self tailing system (prior to the tack) and rather than pulling the sheet in and then self tailing, the idea is to winch in first gear and one is able to winch in 6x greater amount of sheet per revolution of the winch. As one shifts up through the gears you end up in top gear with the equivalent power as a standard winch, unlike the trimmer that allows increased power for the final trim.

I installed the winches on the deck, and added a 1/4inch aluminum backing plate. They aren’t going anywhere!

 Installed and ready to go

We had a test on Wednesday night in our around the buoy race and having the extra winches made a huge difference. We can deploy the spinnaker behind the genoa really quickly. However, the different winching strategy will take a little time to get used to. But I am optimistic especially for shorthanded sailing either cruising or racing.

Tonight I head off solo to Gloucester and back in the June Moon overnight race. Will see how they work for me as it looks like some of the sailing will need the spinnaker.