Sailing Blog
Earning Our Stripes on Day 3… »
January 19, 2011
It has been funny to read the race reports each morning from the previous days racing that have titles like, “Stunning Day of Racing in Key West!”, or “Picture Perfect Conditions for the Melges 32 Fleet!” Don’t get me wrong, the crystal light blue waters of off KW are amazing, the warm temps beat being in Minnesota in January, and the racing has been tight and exciting. But having downwinds where you barely touch 8kts of boatspeed, and upwinds where you have to battle 2-3 ft chop while avoiding massive weed patches and trying to make the most of a 10 kt puff, all makes for a much different impression of KW for the sailors, than for the media.
The forecast for Day 3 was looking like we would be spending the day taking the Conch Tour and learning about the vast history of KW, but when the 830 am update came, the RC was planning to start on time in a barely visible 4-5 mph SE breeze. The good news was that the left over lump and waves had subsided for the most part, and the weed patches we no longer visible, making our new weedstick that Anthony designed obsolete. The bad news was that our team on INTAC is learning the painful lesson that doing well in the 32 class is not just about sailing fast and smart, it is about earning your stripes and paying your dues.
On day 1 shortly after the first start, we introduced ourselves to the fleet by getting into a solid collision with a Japanese boat which resulted in damage and a few bruised egos. On Day 2, during one of our better races, we hooked one of the few lobster pots on the course, and if not for our stealthy bowman taking a leap to free us, we would have lost more than the 3 boats that got around us while we stood still. In between races on day 2, we discovered one of our stanchions had broken off at its base and would require a jury rig to continue sailing. And finally, on Day 3, we found ourselves over early with a 8 to 9 other boats, and then made the mistake of not clearing ourselves until we had sailed for a minute upwind, putting us well behind the fleet on a short race track and having to suffer with a 19th place in the only race of the day. Sure, some of this is self induced, but we are certainly doing a good job of checking everything off the list of things that could have gone wrong.
On a positive note, when we start cleanly, we are very fast with the boats around us, and the team up front has done a great job of taking their jobs on with great energy and proving each leeward mark they are a force to be reckon with. Having only 1 race today meant there would be plenty of thirsty sailors descending on KW, and Dougie Douglass and his Goombay Smash team hosted a great afternoon party on his motor yacht serving plenty of…Goombay Smashes.
The forecast for the remainder of the week does not look like we will get above 10 kts if we are lucky, so we are going to put on our hard hats and do our best to work hard, string 2 good days together and finish with a good result. Big breeze requires a lot of strength and stamina in these boats, but light air is very mentally challenging and keeping your boat moving at top speed is a fragile thing. Full results here.
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