for those who missed all the excitement on saturday, race day summary follows:
the course was a fairly simple one -- Shilshole around Blake Island (east or west) and back -- which was good news for us considering we couldn't even figure out how to get the boat started at the dock without giving Graeme a call, who, lucky for us, was still awake and barely sober enough in Australia to 'remind' us of the power switch under the cabin seats, and it being my first time at the helm, the simpler the course the better. Unfortunately, none of us was exactly sure where Blake Island was -- even after careful study of the charts. But with the race about to begin, small details such as which island we were actually supposed to round seemed distant irritations to focusing on 1) starting at the right time and 2) not running into any of our competitors.
Graeme's thoughtful advice for the race was straight forward enough -- follow Starbird -- which proved valuable advice for the beginning of the race, which was actually quite enjoyable. We managed the start well -- crossing the starting line promptly (if not immediately) following the starting gun hot on the heels of both Starbird, Airloom and Jiminy -- and with a spinnaker set nonetheless as soon as we crossed the line. The race looked promising, we held a course between Starbird, which was heading more directly out to the main channel to sooner catch the now incoming tidal currents, and Airloom, which was making a more direct course for the point buoy and Blake Is, wherever the the island may be. We were tracking both well and not losing much ground to either - which is good for Ishtar downwind. Eventually, Starbird and Airloom crossed paths, Airloom crossing the main channel to follow a course tight along the western edge of the sound, and Starbird staying more within the main channel and tacking slightly to the SE to maintain proper heading for the winds. We stayed on Starbird's heels, again keeping good pace and watched as Airloom fell far behind us both, apparently caught with no wind and no current alongside the shore -- we were very pleased. The northerlies were a variable 5-10 knots, but we were managing 4-5 knots boat speed and we were happy with that. We cracked our first celebratory PBR around 10am.
Here's us setting the spinnaker right after crossing the starting line, with Airloom, Jimney and Starbird directly ahead --
Then it all fell apart.
Starbird held her SE course well out into the middle channel before tacking to a SE course directed at the eastern shore of Blake Is. Unfortunately, at the time what was actually the eastern shore of Blake Island we thought to be the eastern shore of an outcropping from the peninsula mainland, and that Black Is. was the land mass further to the south (which, as we later discovered, was actually the northern point of Vashon Is.). Thinking we had a better route than Starbird, we tacked off to the SE well prior to the point at which Starbird tacked, and promptly found ourselves in the middle of a bermuda triangle for wind (i.e. no wind, dead calm, the doldrums, etc.). We sat there for quite a while, hopelessly searching for any small breeze, while watching Starbird sail away to the south, and Jiminy, another vessel and, yes, Airloom pass us to the west -- it was extremely painful. As we SLOWLY glided by a pleasure vessel out for an afternoon sail complete with deck chairs, and they politely asked us if we were in the race, it was decided we needed more beer, and we all cracked a PBR (except Scott - who apparently has both the brains and the willpower to avoid the hops and barley until shore).
FINALLY, we were able to drift idly from our bermuda triangle of no wind and resume the race, with our main competitors still in our sights and the knowledge that this long southward spinnaker set would soon be a distant memory once we rounded Blake and were able to tack and jibe our way to victory on the northward leg. It is about this time in the race when we discovered that we were sailing to the wrong island. What we though to be Blake, as mentioned above, we realized was Vashon, and that small outcropping from the mainland was actually Blake. Now, since we had decided at the outset of the race to round Black to the west (keeping her shores on our port side), in order to take full advantage of a rising tide and inbound current, we now found ourselves approaching her from the east and -- rather than adjusting our planned route and rounding her to the east (as Starbird and a few other had decided to do), we promptly set off to the west to correct our course and follow Airloom (who had decided, and planned her course, around rounding Blake from the west). This cost us another few legs.
Once we reached the nw point of Blake, and started into the narrow gap, we had steady speed, better spirits and could spot Airloom sitting idly in the waters ahead as if she had quit the race and started a BBQ. What the hell is she doing, we thought -- and soon realized. dead calm. again. it's hard to imagine how they call some sailboat races 'races'. racing turtles could be more exciting than watching a fleet of fine vessels battle it out in dead clam waters. and frustrating. and, at this point, concerning -- as it was already past 1pm at this point, the race course not even half way completed, but already over half the time alloted for the race expired. Questions began to arise as to whether or not we would even finish, indeed, if anyone would finish the race within the alloted 6 hours. Once Eli told me that pumping the rudder was, in fact, illegal -- which was at the time our only means of movement -- it was again time for more PBR.
Here's an action shot -- I thought I spotted some wind up ahead and Eli is looking to confirm --
Eventually floating on the tide and fighting through several spinnaker and jib sets desperately trying to catch what little, fickle breezes we could to get us from behind the island, we reached the southern tip of Blake -- neck and neck with the dreaded Airloom, and Magician, and so thinking that we were actually not in a bad spot after all -- as the northward leg would certainly prove to be our strong suit heading into the wind. Although we had crossed paths with Starbird, and a decidedly unfriendly hello from one of her crew (perhaps it was all the empty PBR cans littering our decks that raised their nostrils), while paddling through the dolldrums on the backside of Blake -- we were assured to see her on the final leg north and chase her to the finish. Passing by Airloom for what we were certain to be the last time, one of her crew shouted out a question as to the actual cut-off time for the race -- if it was 6 or 9 hours -- apparently they had concern as well as to the likelihood of this race ever finishing.
Rounding Blake and prepared for a high speed home leg into the wind, we were initially shocked and disappointed to realize that the winds had shifted, and were now coming more from a SE'ly direction -- we held a tack the the main headsail for as long as we could before realizing that we should have to again set the spinnaker and sail a spinnaker set all the way back to Shilshole. It really didn't seem fair. Kind of like having to walk uphill in the snow both to and from school - its just not right. Fortunately, at least in hindsight, the wind then promptly died, again, for the third and last time. It was now almost 3pm, and we were still south of Elliot Bay, much less closing in on Shilshole. Starbird and Jiminy were well out of sight, and Airloom and Magician were again hugging the western shore, and actually a little behind us. But them, like us, were going nowhere -- fast. This race was over.
We cracked the very last PBR we had on board and started the motor just as the rain started, and motored safely home to our slip at Elliot Bay. Cold and wet, tired and hungry, we fell into a booth at Maggie Bluffs and ordered up a happy hour feast and fresh grog.
Checking the SYC race website today, it turns out nobody else finished the race in our class (no surprise there) and we did, in fact, complete the series in 3rd place -- congratulations all around for an excellent finish in our first tri-island competition.
and now we all know how to start the boat... ;)
In fact, on the southern end of Blake, as we passed within a few yards of Airloom on opposite tacks, they asked us if we knew if it was a 6 hour or 9 hour race, as there was similar concern and confusion on their side as to whether or not this race was going to finish within the required time. We told them emphatically it was a 6 hour race, as at this point we had lost all confidence of sailing without wind and were rather hoping that noboby finished this slug marathon -- ensuring us of at least a 3rd place
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