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!