Racing in January on Galveston Bay

Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
So with your 360 handicap how did you do in race #1?
 
May 17, 2004
5,028
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Looks like a fun time; thanks for sharing. I don't see many icicles though.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
So with your 360 handicap how did you do in race #1?
The preliminary results page is a little misleading. Our rating was 173, our sail number is 360. We came in third in our class, about 20 club class boats that race. Finished about 5 minutes behind a Hunter 40 and Cal 40, and 2 minutes ahead of a Beneteau 43. We had a close finish 3 seconds ahead of a Cal 34 from PHRF non spin class. The races have gotten a little complicated with seven classes trying to keep everyone happy and competitive.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Looks like a fun time; thanks for sharing. I don't see many icicles though.
No icicles this time. I guess it’s traditional to call a sailboat race in winter a “frostbite” or “icicle”, even in subtropical southeast Texas. We did have icicles hanging off the sailcover for one two years ago.
This race was average Houston January temps, 60’s, winds were a little light. Next Saturday forecast is 50’s, 18 knots north, gusting to 23 for race 2. Should be an exciting race, hope we make the line.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Congratulations Bill. Looked like you had a good time.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Another Icicle Race yesterday. I really shouldn't post the video, but there is some great sailing to watch. And I'll own my screw up at the finish line. No permanent injuries and we were able to bend the bow pulpit back like it never happened. Hard to tell what happened on the video because the forward pointing cameras were dead by the end of the race. I guess if you race long enough you're bound to hit a mark, just wish this had been an inflatable instead of a permanent channel marker post that the club uses as a mark.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Sailed in the last Icicle race of January on Saturday on Galveston Bay. Had a great time as always, but bad luck on the race course continued. Probably fouled and got fouled in the start cluster, lost a camera, and the spinnaker halyard shackle failed or someone didn't close it right. Won't know until we get up the mast and get it back down. Finished right in the middle of the club class, eighth of fifteen boats. One more on February ninth.
 
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May 17, 2004
5,028
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Plenty of excitement there. If you did foul in the start the camera didn't show it. The guy that made contact with you had to keep clear as he was tacking and then port. The other close call looked like windward / leeward, so the other guy had to keep clear as long as you gave him room to do that. As for the spinnaker halyard - my guess is you'll find it unlatched but intact. The way it released before it was loaded doesn't look like a breakage.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Plenty of excitement there. If you did foul in the start the camera didn't show it.
You can hear someone yell "starboard" at 00:36 when I went on port and I was a little slow to tack back. Can't remember if I just needed a little momentum to tack back or if I had thoughts of still trying to squeeze through to the start. It was a Hunter 41 that looks like he had plenty of room in the next scene. He made his start, I didn't and was ten minutes behind, almost caught him by the finish. Several other Hunters in the race, an 80's 40 won class and it's an 80's 34 with the blue and yellow striped symmetrical.
The woman with us is a graphics design professor at a local university and she brought several cameras including a 360 video camera. Waiting for her share links to see how they turned out, looked really cool on her iPhone. Here's a still cut down enough to post.
EVSH3181.JPG