Got down to the boat at 5:30pm, five boats for a 6:30pm start.
Winds were forecast to be 8 knots from the SSE with gusts to 24 knots, 20% chance of rain.
Put on the heavy #1, and the new main, but went to put a reef in it in the channel. Got the reefing hook on the gooseneck, and the clew reefing line run through its cringle. Started sailing with the reef and the main sail shape was TERRIBLE! Looked on the other side of the boom, and the clew reef cheek block is too far forward; will have to be moved back. Had trouble hoisting the bolt rope main fully, so, put a flattening reef in the tack of the main (not the clew).
Motor-sailed out to the start, as the other boats were waiting for me. Boat powered up nicely, but only 5-6 knots of breeze with no gusts. With 2-3 ft waves there was just enough wind to go around the buoys. Course was 7 short.
Good start, boat was great to the windward mark on a starboard tack, but on a port tack into the waves, not so much. There was only 5 knots of breeze in the waves, and it diminished as we went to mark #1 on a deep broad reach. I shook the flattening reef out, but had to drop the boom a couple on inches to get a full hoist. Thought about switching to the light #1, as the heavy #1 was collapsing. Wind picked up to maybe 8 knots for the final leg. Finished with over 5 knots of speed.
We watched a rain cloud line come in as the fleet was approaching the third mark. The rain hit HARD, I have not seen it rain so hard in a long time (since coming back from RCYC). Had to put foulies on. It was then the boats radioed to shorten the course to a shortened 7 short (triangle).
Finished last, but not too far behind the other boats.
On three occasions, the outhaul let go when going upwind. The internal 5:1 outhaul cleats on the boom going forward. Kept coming off the jam cleat. The jam cleat should be facing the aft. Have to make sure the outhaul is cleated firmly before heading up wind.
Fixed autohelm performed admirably.
I sailed into the channel on a close reach, just as thunder and lightning was starting all around. I was fully expecting a gust front (major winds) from the thunderstorm activity, but it never came. I got the motor down and started just in case. Got the sails down relatively easily.
Go the dock, and the boat tied off, when the skies let go even more. Bungied the genoa to the pulpit, and flaked the main on the dock, and bungied it inside the cockpit, as it pored harder and harder.
Went for a beer in the pub, with all my wet foulies on to hang them up in the locker room to dry. I was soaked! To give you an idea how hard it rained, I had left a 2 gallon bucket on the dock when I went out; there was about 6" of water in it after the rain stopped.
Trip Odometer: 7.21 miles
Moving Avg: 3.8 knots
Moving Time: 01:53:15
Google Earth track: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/20110921.kmz
Got up the next morning and put the sails up to dry. A dockmate helped me put them away after they had dried.
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