Third place in the ONE (Offshore New England) Regatta Doublehanded Division

Morgan and I entered the Doublehanded race at the ONE regatta to get some preparation for more long distance racing. Although I enjoy almost any form of competition I prefer the long sails where there is the additional element of navigating the waters, using weather forecasts to your advantage (or disadvantage) and managing sleep patterns and fatigue and minimizing resulting human errors.

We sailed over to Marblehead, briefly docked and picked up our race packet and scurried off to the start line for a 5:30pm warning signal. Winds were light, very light, although predicted to pick up at about 11pm and turn from the SW to NW, then later to turn to the NE. Initially the sea breeze and the offshore breeze were playing with one another and confusing the start. We had our kite ready to hoist as soon as we started, but then the wind changed 180 degrees, true to the forecast, minutes before the start, presumably as the sea breeze was declining.

Our route was the 64nm course which sent us to three marks: G1 south of the start line, then east to R2 off Gloucester, then south down to near Plymouth and then straight back to Marblehead.

This now lead to a windward first leg and in very light winds (3-4kts) we kept close to the start line and nailed the start. We were across within seconds of the starting horn. At this point we realized that our Wednesday evening around the cans racing with Constitution Yacht Club have really honed some of our skills. The start is one area that we have made major improvements. What used to be intimidating is now a lot of fun. Compared to the rest of the fleet we were initially way ahead. We slowly tacked up to the G1 mark and were passed by two infamous offshore racers – Mike Piper and Greenie (Jonathan Green). They both have rich sailing histories: Greenie won the OSTAR and both have sailed numerous times in the Newport- Bermuda race. Here is a picture taken from Jeroboam as they passed us.

Another area that our Wednesday evening racing has helped in is with spinnaker deployment. With short downwind legs you need to get the kite up (and down) quickly. As we approached G1 we were able to set the kite – first to do so in the fleet. (We chalk up any first as a victory).

By the time we rounded R2 at Gloucester we were happy that the current was heading to the east since the wind was so light we only had enough speed over water to provide a little steerage and the current was helping us get to this mark. But as we turned 90degrees to head south our heading and course were 60 degrees different. We were pointing south, making 0.2 kts over water (in the right direction) but the current was taking us to the Atlantic. For 2 hours we moved slowly. From previous races I have found there are two choices. Work your butt off to try to get an extra 0.1 kt, or use the time to rest. Previously I have done the former and then the wind gets up and you need to work and find no time for rest. So this time I chose to take rest. I attached our new cockpit lee cloth that Yolande (shore crew and joint boat owner) had finished minutes before we disembarked from Boston.

This lee cloth allows me to be held in to the cockpit and sleep and be ready to make adjustments as needed, but importantly to rest. Yolande always looking for an opportunity to use her sewing skills to advantage decided to design a solution. With the correct positioning I can see the instruments, hear alarms and then check course on my ipad without getting out of bed. Also with an alarm to wake me I can sit up “in bed” look around 360 degrees to check for other boat traffic and go back to sleep. This will be great for solo sailing. I managed to rest for 45 minutes with a few naps. The lee cloth was great. Thanks!

We continued to make slow progress and then the winds started moving to the NE and picking up to 6-7kts. Kite was deployed and were were starting to make a couple of kts. Gradually we were going faster. On radar we could see 3 boats ahead of us and were beginning to gain on them.

We have some overnight traditions in Prairie Gold. If the wind permits, that is, it's not too strong, we bbq. Tonight was a night for this. So we made bacon and cheddar infused burgers. Delicious.

In short races the kite needs to be constantly trimmed. In shorthanded racing the goal is to trim less frequently in order to minimize fatigue. In the light winds, and the dark, I was able to sit in the corner holding the sheet and just feel the pressure in the sail and whether the luff was folding. It was incredible how sensitive your sense of pressure is when its dark (and you are rested).

Morgan and I took turns sleeping/napping/resting and came through the night not too tired. Well, its easy to say that now after a good night of sleep.

Winds grew and were had 10-12kts of wind allowing us to sail at 5+ kts. As we approached the Scituate area the wind died on us. I think I blew it here as I may have taken us a little too close to land before gybing and heading back out to sea. I think the tip of land may have acted as a barrier to the light winds. I feel it's important to look at these events and see if they could be overcome. I would certainly not go so close (2-3nm) in the future. The other boats were a little further offshore and just kept going and pulled away. It was a little depressing, but I tried to keep focus on the long game: we weren’t half-way to the finish yet. Lot’s of sailing still to do.

We clawed our way down towards Plymouth to a mark and again lost the wind. This mark was close to land so we had another of those winds blocks. As we were approaching the mark we saw two boats heading back north. Initially a red mast head light, which was Jeraboam, and then we saw Atalanta, the overall winner of the regatta, just as the sun was rising.

We rounded the mark and started north. The wind prediction software we had used indicated that the wind would build, turn to the north then the north east and would then start to calm down closer to the west. Before the race the strategy that I had mapped out was to head NE, close hauled, then as the wind was turning tack across on a WNW heading and let the continued turning of the wind allow us to point up to a direct course to Marblehead.

It worked, almost flawlessly. We kept good wind pressure by being further east, the turn in the wind came, but just as we were to tack I second guessed and delayed 30 minutes. After we tacked we had a great heading and with time could point straight to Marblehead eventually the wind turned more and we got the kite out. We could have tacked earlier and saved some time but we were concerned about losing wind further to the west.

As we were nearing Marblehead we saw Chuck and Trisha on Slice as they passed us. They got some great shots of Prairie Gold.

We finished at about 1:30pm and were really happy to see that we must have really caught up on the fleet on the upwind leg. Of course we have no idea why but I will claim that our upwind strategy helped us.

We cleaned up, flew the flags, went to the onshore party and were interviewed by the local media – I think we must have looked so ramshackle that they took pity on us. Then drank maybe a little too much rum, had a great conversation with other doublehanders as well as members of the CYC and went back to the boat at about 8pm for a good night of sleep.

On Sunday we headed off to the start line. Ughh, no wind. It was sufficiently calm and warm that people were sailing off the sterns of their boats.

Start was delayed until about noon. It was a good call on their part as the winds were projected to increase. This race was around Salem Bay, a 14nm course. It was a lot of fun and we could use our round the cans skills. Another great start. Throughout the race we were neck and neck with Atalanta. She does well on direct downwind legs since she has a symmetric spinnaker and ours is asymmetric. But we have the advantage on a reach. We were faster on the initial upwind leg, but then downwind she overtook us. Then the next third of the race was a reach. We passed her. Then the penultimate section was upwind. We pulled away further. The final leg was downwind and by now the winds were 16-18kts. Up went the kite, the boat shuddered and we felt like we took off!

Overall we finished third in the doublehanded division of the regatta. It was a heck of a lot of fun. The other shorthanded sailors are a great bunch and have a real sense of community wanting to help one another.

The regatta is an event I will return to next year. Regardless of our placement we were really happy with our performance. Especially on Sunday we raced essentially a flawless race. We pushed the boat to her limits, and are beginning to understand best sail deployment under different conditions. 

Ohh, and we came third overall.

The Round the Island Race (RTI)

We decided to enter the RTI which is hosted by Edgartown Yacht Club. We competed last year, had a blast and wanted to incrementally improve this year. Our core crew were not available but I managed to get Willie to join me, together with two sailing friends of his. So we have a crew of four experienced sailors and they have lots of racing experience. My hope was to learn lots…..Willie sails on many boats and helps coach skippers. On Wednesday evenings he sails on Charisma 2.

Willie and I delivered the boat from and to Boston for the race in Martha’s Vineyard. We started off at 9pm on Thursday and motored through the night arriving near Edgartown by 11am Friday. As we were arriving the fast boats were coming out of Edgartown to compete in the Round the Buoy races that take place in the days prior to the RTI. It was drizzling then raining but we decided to watch before heading into the harbor. These boats race all up and down the east coast and even head to Key West in the winter for competition. These boats were flying machines. As the countdown to the first start occurred a system came in and the wind dropped to 1-3 kts. The kiss of death for us if we were racing, but the countdown continued. Incredible to watch these boats accelerate in such low wind.

The system produced so much rain that visibility was awful. The race committee boat asked for another boat to head over to the pin end so that they could help see if boats were over the start line early and to help record sail numbers! That’s how bad visibility was.

We took our mooring, had a nap then went to shore to test the local establishments, pick up our race bag and attend the skippers meeting and pre race party. Given that Mount Gay sponsors the event the rum was flowing. During the evening Lars and Dale arrived who were to join us in the race. More rum, dinner then we headed back to the boat.

Since we had not sailed together before and Willie, Lars and Dale had not sailed on Prairie Gold we set off early to have some practice (6:30am). Tacking, accelerating, hoisting the kite and so on.

That's us practicing in the distance (EYC facebook page)

Before long it was our start time (8:30). Winds were low at 3-5kts but we started going and they grew to 10-12 kts.

The start - EYC facebook page

The course was a clockwise circuit around the island. Beneath is a SPOT tracker of our course around the island.

Fortunately the current was with us (2-3kts) heading south down the east side of the island, and again with us as we came up the sound and on to the finish. Very fortunate indeed since the winds dissipated significantly. With a 2-3kt current in our favor in the sound we were making some wind just by drifting which allowed us to sail. But more on that later.

 A little refreshment helps (Dale, Willie and Lars)

 Willie trimming the kite

 It exhausted him

Dale at the helm

Heading down to the southern most mark in the Atlantic we made good pace and were able to close in on many boats. As we rounded that mark we were able to play with a CYC boat, Uncle Joe, and force them up a little. A good bit of banter between the boats. We lost ground heading west because we have a smaller "do it all sail" that doesn't give enough power in low winds. We crawled back and then rounded the mark in the SW corner of the island. Heading up the sound was torture. Current was in our favor, wind was almost non existent. About 5pm (8.5h into the race) Willie calculated that we wouldn’t be in until midnight. All eyes were on the skipper. I went down made dark n stormies to cheer up the crew. A little later the mood was somber again. I said “don’t worry, give me 30 minutes and I will work a wind miracle”. 20 minutes later the wind grew to 10 kts and we were able to finish by about 8pm. This called for a little Elvis Costello - Miracle Man. Phew, I thought we might get mutiny.

Overall we did better than last year. We beat 15 boats who made the full course (fleet 8 and 9 were allowed to have a shorter course because of the slow going). We did manage to beat our CYC competitor Uncle Joe and finished two places behind Enya (also from CYC) in our fleet.

Working with these guys was a lot of fun – they know their stuff and the team gelled together pretty quickly.

On the way home the next day I had Willie working with me on spinnaker hoist and take downs. The goal 15secs. As we sailed up Buzzards Bay we stopped in Onset, just because, then through the canal and then used the kite to sail up to Scituate then the genoa to Minot’s ledge and on home arriving at Constitution Marina at about 1am on Monday.

Willie told me the story of the Minot’s ledge light house light pattern. Apparently a newly wed’s husband went to sea and was lost. She felt he was still alive and asked the lighthouse keeper to send a signal to him in number of flashes – 1-4-3 – I love you.