Fall Racing on Galveston Bay

Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
There's a race this Sunday we hope to sail in, next week is the first race of the GBCA Fall Series. We have been so very lucky with the pandemic and life events to be able to sail this much in 2020. We've managed to do about a dozen GBCA events and about twenty-five of our Peanut Regattas. The weekly fireworks on the bay in June and July and a couple other similar things were cancelled, so I think we only managed a couple non-race excursions, and on both of those we had a pod of dolphins follow us around. This video is a quick highlight recap of 2020 racing so far.
 
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PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
What amounts to our local season ender - the Gearbuster- was last weekend. More than eighty boats in ten classes. Here's a shot of one boat shortly after the start. They're headed out to a lighthouse about 24 miles away, and back. A friend said he hit better than 17 knots. We raced in it last year and got 4th in our division, but sat this one out.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
What amounts to our local season ender - the Gearbuster- was last weekend. More than eighty boats in ten classes. Here's a shot of one boat shortly after the start. They're headed out to a lighthouse about 24 miles away, and back.
That is awesome video! I would love to film a race like that. I would have probably have sat it out, though. I’ve been caught out on the bay in some bad stuff, but if it’s blowing over 30 knots and I’m still at the dock, I usually won’t leave the dock.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
We're got two weeks left; our final 'Commodore Cup' distance race this weekend, and then the Frostbite Cup the weekend after. Hopefully most of this will be gone by them.

Screen Shot 2020-10-20 at 4.05.53 PM.jpg
 
May 23, 2016
217
O'Day 1984 23 Island Park, NY
Our season, such as it was, ended last Sunday... Just in time too as I threw my back out tacking the jib... 6 races scheduled, 5 happened, two firsts, a second and a third...
 

PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
Our season, such as it was, ended last Sunday... Just in time too as I threw my back out tacking the jib... 6 races scheduled, 5 happened, two firsts, a second and a third...
If that's the trend it's probably best to quit while you're ahead...
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Still in the 90's here, maybe down to the 80's this weekend for the first race in the fall series, light winds though. Had just about perfect 15 knots this last Sunday for a very exciting race.

Capture19.JPG
 
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Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
There was another race last Saturday on Galveston Bay, and there’s one scheduled for Halloween, too.
We made a lot of mistakes and they cost us, could have easily been first in class. Here’s the link to the video.
 
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PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
Happy to see fewer people in the cockpit. Starting on time and with all sails up would be better. On the upwind leg it looks like you tacked into bad air. Unless you overstood the mark that would be something to avoid, though with the different angles the crossing boats were aimed it is hard to tell where exactly the wind was. Going downwind, catching up to Hobgoblin, would it have been possible to get directly to windward of him and steal his air?
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Going downwind, catching up to Hobgoblin, would it have been possible to get directly to windward of him and steal his air?
First time on this boat for three crew, other was only third time, and they all did great. Start wasn't the best, we hardened up around the first mark and didn't tack till we had to at the Houston Ship Channel, automatic DSQ if you enter it or even look like you did.
At the finish, I was trying to steal Hobgoblin's wind, anything, but I still had to make the finish gate. I should have gone down enough to put the a-sail up right after the second mark, but didn't think the wind would shift any, let alone as much as did.
Still, a really fun race and the drama added to it. It was a little weird, the green boat with the black sails was always close by, and the big Jeanneau "good juju" was in a lot of clips, too.
 
Nov 30, 2015
1,336
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
We made a lot of mistakes and they cost us, could have easily been first in class. Here’s the link to the video.
Rookie mistakes...forgiven! I love Boston tunes. Should have dubbed this over the video...no one would possibly care about the mis-queues in your action videos with action music.

 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Paul called most of the stuff I would have pointed out. Yes for sure don't tack directly on a leading boat's line. Its slow and you will get spat out. Looks like that little green boat (black sails) auto-tacked. The crew was still sitting on the port rail and the genoa was never released.

Oh. make some reaching sheets for those fetching legs. MUCH faster when reaching!

Looks like I'll be in TX all November. Jodi is teaching remotely, so we pulled BlueJ yesterday and are heading for Canyon Lake on Friday. Will sail there, with buddies in Austin, and also visit my buddy JB in Clear lake!
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Oh. make some reaching sheets for those fetching legs. MUCH faster when reaching!

Looks like I'll be in TX all November. Jodi is teaching remotely, so we pulled BlueJ yesterday and are heading for Canyon Lake on Friday. Will sail there, with buddies in Austin, and also visit my buddy JB in Clear lake!
Okay, risking sounding like a total idiot, what are reaching sheets? How are they different from "normal" sheets? For the jib or for the A-sail?
What boat does JB race? Several of my crew do Wednesday nights on the lake and others are big in J's and other fleets and clubs.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Okay, risking sounding like a total idiot, what are reaching sheets? How are they different from "normal" sheets? For the jib or for the A-sail?
What boat does JB race? Several of my crew do Wednesday nights on the lake and others are big in J's and other fleets and clubs.
jib.Read more here.

JB owns J105 Pesto.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
November racing in Texas. Close to 80 degrees for race #37 on November 22nd. That's changing this weekend, a big, wet cold front is coming in.
 
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PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
Nice going! Glad to see fewer people In the cockpit. Looks like it works. Have you had the bottom cleaned recently?
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Nice going! Glad to see fewer people In the cockpit. Looks like it works. Have you had the bottom cleaned recently?
Thanks, both races were fun.
I normally get the bottom cleaned quarterly, but this year I probably doubled that. The diver knows I’m an easy mark and now emails me when he sees there’s two races scheduled on a weekend. GBCA Chili Chase this Saturday and another Peanut Regatta on Sunday and light winds are forecasted. So, I’ll get it cleaned again this week if I get crew lined up for both races. I’m in third in the Peanut Regatta series, the boat that collided is in second and is out for a while, but not enough races left to overtake him.
Four is perfect to race with on this boat, even flying the a-sail, if they all know what they’re doing.