My first regatta- impromptu

[rgranger]

So I anchored out last night and came back to the marina at 10:00. Plan was to pressure wash and do a few other maintenance items. When I get to the marina, every sailboat there had a crew prepping their boat and this guy I know says to me... “hey I see you got my text ... when you did t reply I thought I had the wrong g number”

me like “what text”. Any way. Longer story shorter.... I took third place in my first regatta today. I lost to two Catalina 27s. I don’t know prf values so can’t say if I should have Been able to beat them. I was the only single handed boat also. Kind of happy with myself right now

 

[dlochner]

Be careful, you might get the bug and then it will all downhill.

 

[Whatfiero1]

Crew on there boat the Catalina 27's and figure out what they do. Then come back out on your boat and beat em

 

[rgranger]

I said Catalina 27
I meant cal27
anyway I see the addiction .... I was holding my own working to windward but lost my arsss down wind. Was sitting in the cockpit thinking about what mods I’d need to fly a kite

damn

 

[Whatfiero1]

O cals gonna be be hard to beat

 

[DArcy]

I said Catalina 27
I meant cal27
anyway I see the addiction .... I was holding my own working to windward but lost my arsss down wind. Was sitting in the cockpit thinking about what mods I’d need to fly a kite

damn

Heh, heh. If you're thinking about a kite you must have swallowed the hook. Racing sure adds another level of fun to sailing. And another level of cost

 

[dlochner]

Heh, heh. If you're thinking about a kite you must have swallowed the hook. Racing sure adds another level of fun to sailing. And another level of cost

And another level of frustration.

 

[shemandr]

You'll have trouble with the Cal 27's down wind. They are mast head rigs and if they pole the (Larger) jib out they will be hard to keep up with. The spin idea is the ticket but then you'll be in a different class. And you'll need at least one crew although I know of several guys who single hand Wed. PM races and fly the kite. It takes some organization and planning and you have to stick to the plan.

 

[rgranger]

Yeah... they invited me to join next weekend... after the race I parked in a cove for the night and finnaly got around to adding the traveler I’ve been griping about.

I think it was @dlochner who said my habit of using a sail tie tied to the main sheet to bring the boom to mid ship... might be a problem if it binds the sheet when I need to dump. Well it happened on this race so... now I have a traveler.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

How many boats in the fleet? Three? Just kidding. Racing is fun especially on a lake where you really can't go anywhere. It adds a different dimension to sailing and you probably will learn how to sail your boat more efficiently too. There are many cruisers out there who really don't totally understand sail trim like most racers do. And of course there are cruising skills that a lot of racers don't know about either. Learn both and have fun. Stay safe.

 

[rgranger]

How many boats in the fleet? Three? J.

Ah yes.... I forgot to mention that.

But in truth there were 11 boats out that day. Only one smaller than mine.... A Catalina Capri 22. I don't know much about how PHRF values work. The guy coordinating the race (who also took second) told me it was a "Chase" race. He had only 5 minutes to explain the rules, told me were the starting line was and the route... and the signal of horn blasts that would signal when to head to the line. Faster boats started later, slower boats sooner. There were three groupings. I went in the middle group, the two Cal 27s went last (and also finished first).

The capri went first and did very well on a reach but as soon as we started working to windward she fell behind. I could also see about 100 pounds of weeds on her bottom when she heeled........ a good brushing would probably help her a lot.

After the race, I found my favorite cove, dropped anchor for the night, cooked some bratwurst and eggs on the stove, cracked a cold one and installed a traveler... because I got the bug and want to go faster....

In a house I used to live in (now my son lives there) I have an old spinnaker that I used to fly on a Balboa 26. I might just have to call him and have him mail it to me. I raised in on the Hunter once to see if it would fit and it does... just barely. I would have to lower my life lines I'm thinking.

 

[dlochner]

I raised in on the Hunter once to see if it would fit and it does... just barely. I would have to lower my life lines I'm thinking.

Oh be careful. If the spinnaker is oversized you will pay a penalty in your rating!

 

[rgranger]

Supposed to be another race this Saturday.

 

[DArcy]

Supposed to be another race this Saturday.

It is customary for the top 3 place boats to compete in the next race to defend their position

 

[rgranger]

It is customary for the top 3 place boats to compete in the next race to defend their position

Ooookay

 

[shemandr]

Chase races are a good introductory to racing. You have a good attitude regarding races - a prelude to Bratwurst and beer. But if you go again and you are a little behind on the downwind, cover the boat ahead blocking their wind and make them make a move - most likely a jibe - and give you an opportunity to pass. Chase races are all about not being passed.

 

[Sailfanatic]

It was hard to tell from the photos if your traveler bolts went through a cored area, I would assume so, If yes, I hope you over-sized and epoxy potted the holes so you eliminate the risk of introducing water to the care.

 

[rgranger]

Crazy Dave has assured me there is no core there. I did not see any sign of wood shavings in my drill dust.

I have not had a chance to test it out. I put a shot of 5200 down in the holes before I put the bolts in and the entire back of the track has one long run of Main Sail's butyl tape.

I have had one .... very slow... persistent leak since I got this boat. About a day after a rain, water eventually finds its way down through the liner on the port side. I have rebedded all of the deck hardware and still leaks. More recently I got to suspecting a section of the deck that had been lifted off and replaced (just the skin) when a solar vent had been installed by the P.O. I repainted that section two weeks ago with Total Boat's ruberized anti-skid.... today it is raining hard so I will go take a look this weekend and hope to find a dry boat.

 

[DArcy]

I put a shot of 5200 down in the holes before I put the bolts in

Ouch, 5200 will make it near impossible to remove those screws. I would never use 5200 for a sealing application like that. 4200 maybe.

 

[Sailfanatic]

Crazy Dave has assured me there is no core there. I did not see any sign of wood shavings in my drill dust.

I have not had a chance to test it out. I put a shot of 5200 down in the holes before I put the bolts in and the entire back of the track has one long run of Main Sail's butyl tape.
...

That's certainly the test, if no ply or balsa came out of the hole, you should be good.

I'm not too sure I'd have used any 5200 on a piece of equipment that you, or somebody else, some day, may want to remove...but then i'm not sure I can think of most any application on a boat where I would use 5200...