Blaise and Midnight Sun(H37C)

[Ed Schenck]

Blaise Pierson is holding his own in the St. Pete to Mexico regatta( http://cloud.iboattrack.com/r/start.php?r=2010_regatadelsol ). If you click on Midnight Sun in the right hand boats column you can see he is forward in the fleet and making about 7 knots. His main competition is a Bene 46, XTC, about eleven miles ahead. But XTC needs a lot more to overcome the PHRF. There is still 330 kn miles to go however.

From one of the Gulf weather buoys you can see they have perfect conditions. Broad reach(SE) and 18 to 20. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ - PLFS1

 

[Jim Legere]

H37C as a racer...

Thanks for the update on Blaise. I still have a hard time thinkng of my old girl as a race boat. I have friends with C&C 37s and a CS 36. They all walk away from me going to weather but I can hold my own off the wind. Part of that is my tired sails and some is the cutter rig. I know Blaise is a great advocate of sailing the 37C as a sloop, but I wouldn't trade the versatility and ease of handling of the cutter rig even for a free genoa! To quote an old saying: Gentlemen never sail to weather

 

[Ed Schenck]

Seriously Jim, it is the sails. Even with the shoal keel a C&C might be a little faster but not much. I am always surprised by how close to the wind she will go. I crew on supposedly faster boats. We might be going upwind at 6.5 and I think to myself that Ladylove would be over 7. in the same breeze. No tricks either, standard North main and slightly oversized yankee. I seldom use the staysail with the yankee, more as a stormsail when the wind is over 25 or so.

 

[Ed A]

Blaise did it again, !st in division 3 overall i think!

Super Job to take an ole Cherubini Hunter 37 and kick some but across the gulf from St. Pete To Mexico.

Great Sailing Job again. He can really make his hunter perform well.

Congrats to Blaise and Crew!