Although it looked like we'd have a T-storm right before our 6:15 start, radar models showed that we'd be fine, so we headed out and the RC set up a good race on Round Bay to start off the end of Long Point, at Mark V. We headed off in 5 mph winds from the South, and five minutes into the race the wind picked up to 15-18 with higher gusts as we were headed to the bottom of Round Bay, to mark C. We hugged the starboard shore, and in the lee of the headland we were no longer over-powered, so had a good run up to C. After rounding the mark, we had to decide to go wing and wing or put up the spinnaker. After about 100 yards, we launched the spin, and hung on. The wind had moderated to around 10-12, so we had a good run down to A, sailing low angles and only having to jibe twice. Dropped the spin and had a good rounding at A, and then lost much of our wind as we headed up to C. Decent run back to A from C, coming over the line in the middle of the fleet.
Century Club: Richard Turman
Spent an hour mid-day at 90 degrees and very little wind out on the kayak in Valentine Creek. Very diferent from the last time I was out. First, all the boats have had their shrink-wrap removed. Second, the water was way over 70 degrees. Third, the water had lots of swimming (or previously swimming...) cicadas in it, which it didn't the last time I was out -- and likely won't again for the next 17 years. Very worthwhile to get out on the water in the kayak, which I'd not used much at all since the sailboat was launched in April. Lots and lots of powerboat traffic -- probably two dozen boats during the hour I was out, which is such a difference from previous kayak trips. Luckily, since it was the weekend, so they were staying under 6 mph as required, which helped. A beautiful time, actually -- just different than my earlier kayak trips!
Spent an hour mid-day at 90 degrees and very little wind out on the kayak in Valentine Creek. Very diferent from the last time I was out. First, all the boats have had their shrink-wrap removed. Second, the water was way over 70 degrees. Third, the water had lots of swimming (or previously swimming...) cicadas in it, which it didn't the last time I was out -- and likely won't again for the next 17 years. Very worthwhile to get out on the water in the kayak, which I'd not used much at all since the sailboat was launched in April. Lots and lots of powerboat traffic -- probably two dozen boats during the hour I was out, which is such a difference from previous kayak trips. Luckily, since it was the weekend, so they were staying under 6 mph as required, which helped. A beautiful time, actually -- just different than my earlier kayak trips!
Light wnd from the W all day. Had a brief staff meeting out on Fiona mid-day with my team from work, but had to retreat after about an hour when an errant rain cloud starting spitting at us. Got back and covered the boat up before any rain came in earnest, which it looked like was going to happen. But never did!
Went out after work with my sister to light winds from the W, and we just beam reached through Round Bay from N to S and back multiple times over a 3 hour period. Was over 80 degrees, but late enough in the day with just enough wind to be just fine. Delifghtful opportunity to catch up!
Winds were 13-15 at the start, and built during the race, to be an even 15, per the RC. All from the South, so we started at A and tacked South to C. Stayed to the left side of the course, but with only three of us in the boat, got knocked a lot and had to ease main to reduce heel. Let traveller out mid to all of the way, dependimg on wind intensity. Once we rounded C, went wing and wing for about 100 yards, and then decided to deploy the spinnaker. The highest wind we'd ever surfed in, and we were able to control it, but we only jibed once, since control was not that great. Spent most of our time dead down wind since if we were above that we had issues staying in control. Team Fiona has really improved, though, to the point that we were able to even entertain puttng up the spin in such wnd. Dowsed early since there was a parade of big boats headed for A and we didn't want to be in that mess with a spin up and very little control. Had to jibe anyway to round A, and then tacked fairly soon to get back upwind to B. Contemplated raising the spin again on the way back to A, but it was a beam reach, and we were able to go 5.8-6 without it, and with that wind, it was too much for a spin. Came acros 12th, and corrected over several boats to end up 10th out of 16 boats who started. Not as good as last week, where we were 2nd, but that was mostly a fluke -- the good news is that we beat all the otherr boats in our start. Job well done by Team Fiona, especially given that we were late arriving -- got there during the starting sequence, which started at 6:10 -- right on time.
12-14 mph from the South gave me a good opportunity to run a course from E to N and back to A to B and A again, with serious upwind. Wished I'd had some passengers to help me flatten the boat, but good wind for practicing my tacks and getting layline estimates for the marks better. Beautiful night, with speedy downwind wing-and-wings!
Rainy and cold (high of 54! )on Friday and Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Monday finally heated up to low 70's. After spending the afternoon helping hang things on the wall at my daughter's apartment, got home at 7, and then took the sailboat out. Sailed until after sunset, and then came in. Nice breeze from the South. Gotta love summer sailing!
Nothing like getting off a conference call at 7 and taking the cover off the boat and gettng underway on by 7:15 and staying out until 8:30. On a weeknight! Light winds from the S allowed me to run a course from E to B to V to N back to E. Ran into someone from a boat I race against on Wednesday nights, which is always fabulous to have happen on Round Bay!
Thunderstorm predicted on radar for 5:45, so the Round Bay Sailing Association wisely postponed our normal start time from 6:15 p.m. until the thunderstorm threat passed. We all assembled off Long Point, but there wasn't enough wind to start for about 15 minutes. There were 3 mph when RC started the sequence, but once our start took off, the wind died back. We moved forward about .7-1.1 mph for about 20 minutes, not getting very far from the starting line as the next two waves of boats joined us in the race -- and not moving much. We started with the wind on the North, but it moved to West after a short bit, and eventually filled in from S, so we put up our spins and finally made it to the original windward mark, going downwind. A bizarre race, but our Harbor 20 had line honors, which has only happened once before in the 5 years I've been racing here. I'm now just hoping for a finish in the top third of the fleet once the handicapping math all gets done. Pretty cool, though, for us to end up looking back from the finish line at all the spinnakers coming at us!
I'd not been on it since we'd finally managed to get it running a month ago, so after working on the sailboat to replace the mainsheet block on the barney post, came to check and see if the powerboat lift would work, since a plastic motor cover had been broken. It worked, so I then needed to see if the boat would start. It did, instantly and easily, so I then took her out for a spin. 70 degrees and 12 from the S, so took her out in Round Bay. Pounding all the way down to Long Point, and then took a wide turn and came back around. Kept her around 28-30 mph the whole time, and she purred right along. Great to have her out for a spin!