Winds were forecast for 8-12 knots from the NW; flat water, beam reach, and swing around to the west during the night. With this knowledge, we decided to enter flying sail. Cajun and Wind Dancer also joined us from Newcastle.
We had a good start on a starboard tack away from committee boat where all the traffic was. We were neck and neck with Wind Dancer and Sumac; that is until they popped their asymetrical spinnakers and took off. Wind was just forward of the beam, so we could not fly ours.
We ran the rum line, keeping our speed over 6 knots the entire time. Pretty easy sailing; every once and while we would get a gust of wind, so we would crack off the main and fall off for more speed. We rigged a wire luff storm sail as a stay sail and gained another point or two of speed.
Nearing the T2 mark on that starboard tack, we saw most boats going the other way. Sumac was the only boat carrying a spinnaker. The wind has swung a little further west, so we thought we would give it a try. We had a debockle at the mark, and could not tack because the spinnaker was coming out of the bag on the foredeck. Ended up missing the mark, and throwing in two more tacks.
Once around the mark, we hoisted the spinnaker and dropped the #1. The wind was off the beam, and in order the fly the symmetrical chute, we had to adjust course out into the lake. Our speed was only 4.8 knots, so we decided to douse the chute, and hoist the #1: back up to 6 knots beam reach pointing directly at the finish.
As we got to Pickering, the winds were diminishing, and we could see the rest of the fleet floundering near the start about half an hour in front of us. We sailed into the same large wind hole and could only muster 2 knots of boat speed. Tried the spinnaker again, but the wind was just forward of beam.
About half a mile from the finish, the salmon fleet (about 20 power boats) came roaring out of the Whitby harbour past the finish line, making waves to kill ANY boat speed we had.
We finished last at 6:33am, but we could not have sailed any better. Not to often you do a 50 mile race on the beam both ways. The longer waterline boats just had the advantage. We were banking on some magic to happen for a spinnaker ride back. If only we had an asymetrical spinnaker!
We were tired, but happy.
Trip Odometer: 57.70 miles
Moving Avg: 4.8 knots
Moving Time: 09:53:22 (from the dock)
Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120622.kmz
Couple of photos of Santeria on the dock:
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| 10 ft beam |
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| Much taller mast and longer boom than Still Time beside it |
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