2012 AYC Corinthian Series Race #2, Team Emoyeni re-cap

Forecasted breeze was medium pressure out of the south west and looking like a sunny, pleasant evening in Fidalgo bay… We got the s’westerly but it came with a bigger punch than the guessers at NOAA were betting on. Most boats motored into the lee of cap santé head to hoist small sails and tuck in reefs. During A fleet pre sequence the mighty Pangaea’s 18^th century #3 headsail gave up and ripped from leach to luff, decidedly starting the carnage off proper. Course was a windward/leeward 2x around, ruh roh!

On Emoyeni we opted for a little more powered up plan with a #2 and single reefed main, because we’re stupid – All C fleet boats were late but we were the least tardy to the start and got the boat end in clear breeze with Kymodoce in tow. Our canvas proved deadly as we began to walk away from the fleet en-route to the weather mark. After the rounding we shook out the reef and contemplated a kite but decided to stick to whites. Call to gybe and the main didn’t quite get sheeted thoroughly which resulted in what we’re calling an “unzipping” of the mainsail – the boom swung with such force that we tore every single car in the luff of the mainsail out of the track, bits of plastic raining down on deck like a polymer hailstorm. We were now sailing with a loose foot and a loose luff which was okay downwind but definitely wouldn’t work upwind…

Meanwhile in the action south, Kymodoce gybed proper and set her chute – quite the sight watching Kyle Saum drive his boat under the kite and keep the rig upright in those conditions reminding me that he’s got a pacific cup or two under his belt. They ate huge chunks of distance out of our lead while Walt and the Syn-di-Cat found themselves pulling an MOB from the bay during a gybe gone awry.

Emoyeni rounded the leeward mark in the lead and took down the injured main, so for those scoring at home we now had two yachts on the course powered only by a single sail (the other being Pangaea) Still truckin in the lead to the weather mark I think the salt water may have absorbed into our frontal lobes and misfired a few synapses as we actually went ahead and set a kite sans mainsail for the final downwind leg, which in retrospect was stupid. This may have qualified for the most entertaining and/or dumbest decision in a stiff breeze in recent memory (at least). Battled a gybe and had to shuck and jive to avoid the butt end; seemed like an American Gladiators try-out, then we suffered a knock-down that was really more of a pin-down. Everybody held onto the boat and our bowman, buried up to my rib cage in water and hanging from the shrouds, had to cry uncle and dump the kite halyard – kinda reminded me of doing double damned with Andy and Steph a couple years ago. After hauling the kite aboard and untangling the mess of sheets and gear we still managed to make the leeward mark ahead of our fleet although the chute malfeasance had destroyed any chance of gaining back the time we’d need to correct for the overall win.

In the end we crossed the line 1^st, pulled two buckets of green water from the bilge, and corrected into 3^rd place behind Kymodoce and Little Annie. The hearty crew was made up of Deano, Barry, Rich, and Kyle with the experience to match the severe lack of judgment, and then poor Dave and Pete who didn’t know any better… Yes we wore pfd’s, perhaps the only smart thing we did. Note to self, stop putting a kite up without the main. Just don’t do it… not in 20 knots anyway. Bad Deano.

2012 SYC Tri Island Series #1, Smith Island Race Recap

The last weekend of April would mark the second time this year I’d participate in a race around the curious chunk of wind and wave hammered sediment called Smith Island. Having already participated in a race around the island from Anacortes I was keen to experience the route from Seattle to the north and back. Currents and wind predictions suggested a “gentlemanly” sail.

Pre start conditions had a decent southerly and clear skies as the fleets prepped for a spinnaker start. Aboard Shoot the Moon we had a crew of 11 and enough bottled water for an extra 15 bodies. In our fleet of 6 distance loving yachts we were the slowest rated at 84 and likely armed with the most running jokes and best stories in the fleet. We’re also accused of being snappy dressers too.

At the final approach to the start we were the only ones going for boat end on port tack and although we didn’t have the legs to carry us across the fleet we had em’ right where we wanted em’ gybing several times to keep out of trouble before we could hoist the kite. We got settled in and were about 2hrs from Smith Island according to Michael who had yet to remove an article of clothing.

Michael expertly trimming the staysail for multiple tenths of a knot advantage - photo by Nicole Haustveit

Breeze freshened as we gybed and ran deep on the west side of the sound. Ahead of us was the bulk of our fleet that had found a small hole in the space time continuum and was able to eek several miles of distance on us. Directly behind the short course leaders were compressing with the J105’s J105’ing each other (surprise!).

Teresa and Nicole take time out to share a Facebook moment - photo by Nicole Haustveit

 The ebb continued to build and the geographic shift left kept us running on starboard in sunny skies. Being behind by several miles had the entertainment advantage being able to watch short course boats approaching their turning mark from the wrong board. Sailing upwind to make the leeward mark looks slow; did I mention the ebb was pretty strong?

Approaching Pt Partridge we had yet to gybe since Kingston while the Beneteau 45 in our fleet kept us company flopping shore to shore the whole way from Mutiny Bay to Partridge Bank. We were about 2hrs from Smith Island and we had the fleet right where we wanted them – ahead but showing a clear northerly breeze beginning to fill gently as the ebb tide faded. Big money boats had already rounded and were playing in the convergence, displaying the holes for the pack behind. Ruby came down and Blondie went up for the quick beat to the top of Minor Island.

Best way to catch the fleet is to make Kirt eat a bear claw - photo by Nicole Haustveit

Teresa’s awesome enchiladas were loaded into the oven as we made a left turn at Minor Island and skirted the northern shore(s) of Minor and Smith. We set the kite for a run back thru Admiralty Inlet and it occurred to me we’d only used STM’s genoa about 25 minutes total. 

Trevor's amusing high fashion - photo by Nicole Haustveit

We ran east towards admiralty head in the building flood while the bulk of our fleet ahead was rounding Point Wilson, which was right where we wanted them. On the run a wayward cetacean breached abeam of us a few times signaling approval of our course. I’m not sure what type of whale it was, guessing minke maybe? In any event, Steve wasn’t anywhere near the helm so the whale was in no immediate danger. Michael noted we were about 2 hrs from the finish. 

Smith Island at 3pm with the fleet exactly where we want em' - photo by Nicole Haustveit

The remainder of the racing through Admiralty Inlet was extended puffs and lulls between the shores, with STM being the east most boat whilst the remaining fleet kept mostly west between Marrowstone and Foulweather Bluff. Ed cranked the fun meter up to 10.4kn beam reaching to Bush pt while our competition aboard Absolutely peeled to their dark kite and attempted to disguise themselves as a tree on shore.

Numbers we can live with - photo by Nicole Haustveit

Once a large container freighter was clear we gybed for the western peninsula shore in dying breeze and odd rolly wave sets for the prevailing conditions. Darkness had set in and we were only able to sight the two C&C’s Darby and ReignMaker in front of us and the large reachy Beneteau from Milltown. I think at this point we were about 2hrs from the finish and approaching Appletree cove. Never having followed our fleet the whole day we weren’t about to start now, and given we had em’ where we wanted em’ the decision was made to gybe over to Pt Wells in search of a stronger shore breeze and current relief from the beginning ebb.

The thing about Pt Wells was it was illuminated substantially well to see the lack of breeze but we remained in positive water. Skipper Don went below for a bit of decompression so Michael assumed the helm and promptly put the foredeck to work, threatening “Gybe or I’ll take off my pants and jacket!” (I might be exaggerating) – In the last 2 hrs of the race we did more maneuvers than we’d done in the previous 14 hrs of sailing, no rest for the wicked!

It seemed to take at least 2 hrs to make meadow point but the good news was we were only 2 hrs from the finish. I think from G1 into Shilshole bay was the first time the whole race we’d seen an extended period of negative current. At 01:28:14 the race committee signaled our finish, last boat in the fleet to the dock and by virtue, the boat and crew who got the most time in such unique conditions.

STM’s crew consisted of Skipper Don mainly driving but moonlighting in many other areas, notably bow, Sam working tactics and navigation, Kirt-Kyle-Trevor-Nicole mainly pulling the strings and updating the facebook, Teresa kicking it in the pit, Kristy swinging the main and warning the dangers of Brazilian shampoo (not what you’re probably thinking), Ed being generally all over the boat, Michael with a mean staysail trim, and Steve working the bow and whale targeting.

I’m guessing Ed must have spent the previous week helping little old ladies through crosswalks around Seattle and maybe Kristy donated some hair to a wig shop, otherwise I’m not sure what we did to deserve such a nice sail. In the end we only corrected over the Beneteau in our fleet for 5^th place. It’s fun to win but when you don’t perspective is your friend and I think Steve said it best when he opined, “…it’s worth noting that it could literally be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. A long (85 mile, 16 hour) out-and-back race that was at least 90% downwind and 90% positive current.” Shoot man, I had a blast!

And in retrospect we probably would have placed better if Shawn had chosen to pull lines and crank winches around her pit in lieu of gallivanting around igloos and hanging out with yetis on a snowshoeing adventure. Who does that in April anyway? I think we may have been dangerously low on EZ-Cheese too – also Shawn’s fault. (love ya Shawner!)