Last evening was the first race of the season on Bellingham Bay. Winds were from 17 knts to around 27 knts all evening. Gusting, not steady. CYC, sponsoring yacht club has four starts starting at 6 pm, regular boats with spinnakers and big crews, San Juan 24 class, boats without spinnakers and finally our class, boats with only 2 crew (skipper and one other person). I've never raced this Hunter 380 although I have raced for around forty years and I haven't raced for the past three years. With the gusts it was even interesting getting out of our slip but we did. My crew member also owns a H380 but has just acquired it and it still getting use to the lines and placement. We reefed the main like you wouldn't believe. We unfurled about 4 to 5 feet of the sail--that was it. Then we unfurled about half of the stock jib. On a reach we were doing 8.6 knts. Pointing was another story as we had about 2 ft waves and we could have reefed even more. The rail went into the water a number of times and we took green water over the starboard side and into the cockpit once. My underware got wet and I'm still wondering how! I made a lousy start trying to go on starboard but it really was a port start race. I'll get it right the next time. So we started in the middle of about 8 boats in our class. Its a windward, leeward race with the windward a bouy for tankers coming into this harbor. Once the skipper had figured out it was a port start, we tacked and started for the mark. HUNTER OWNERS PAY ATTENTION. We were sailing at about 6.4. to 7.2 knots pointing into the wind at about 30 degrees. It was a fun ride but then we noticed that we were out pointing almost all the boats ahead and behind. This boat points like a witch, it is unbeleivable. We probably passed three boats on the first run by just out pointing them. We did pass a Swan 40 or 44 (I can't tell the difference) that had a large crew but had started with us. And we passed them on the windward leg. Then came the turn around the windward mark. Winds hitting 27 knts. We jibed the main and the jib--there wasn't much of either at the time. I pointed the boat toward the leeward mark and we started to do 8.6 knts. What a ride. Wind was about 120 degrees over the starboard quarter. What the hell, let's let a little more main out, so we did. Then came two mother of all round ups. I've done this with a spinnaker but not with a main and jib. Fascinating, no control whatsoever and the boat over on her side so neither of us could get easily to the main sheet. I do think the club ought to give us a prize for entertaining them but not too many probably saw us and the rain was coming down and it was getting darker. After the second round up, we got smart and re-reefed the main to around four feet. We finished about third boat for boat--ahead of us was a Sabre 42 and a Nordic 34. But some boats after us may have saved their time, who knows. That is sailboat racing--we'll find out next month who won. Things that really impressed me on this boat in heavy winds. Great steering, that Edson system is easy to turn even with heavy weather helm. Another impression is that the boat flies with little sail. It really doesn't need much sail to move. Reef early seems to be the key. I love the arch (we have the fibreglass one)--it is so easy to walk on when the boat is over on its side!!! And does this boat point. I suspect it is because the sheeting is on the cabin top but still what a performer in this area. We did break a non breakable plate that came with the boat. We were far too over at times--have to consider that skipper error. One plate went over to the navigation locker. It was a great way to start the boating season and I wanted to share it with you. The H380 is a fun boat. Les