Saturday: Wind is still the issue, I guess that is always true with sailing, the land breeze is light and will die off the hope is for some sea breeze in the afternoon. The RC postponed ashore for four hours, in flag lingo that is AP over numeral pendant four, knowing that we had 3+ hours was nice because we could we could visit the Saturday street market and take the trolley loop around St Pete. Great food at the market by the way. Early afternoon the RC has a boat near the Sunshine Bridge, near the gulf, and they are detecting the beginnings of a sea breeze. The RC lowers AP and we all launch. By the way, this whole process is much appreciated by the sailors. The sail out is about 30 min, wind at around 8.
Race 2: Our start is terrible, second row, we bail out on port as the front row tacks to port so we are not getting any better. When we finally found a lane of clear air we were way back. We are not doing much to weather but are picking off a few boats downwind. Our worst score yet. Race3: We started at the less crowded end of the line and did better with clear air sooner. Becky did a good job of keeping us in phase with the shifts and for a change we actually improved on the weather legs. 25th is nothing to crow about but we knew we had sailed a better race.
On shore we witness a remarkable boat repair. Somehow between finishing race three at around 4 and the evening banquet at 7pm, Tom Allen repaired a grape fruit size hole in one of the boats. That would take me a week.
Our commodore and newlyweds Pam & Jim Burke were honored at the banquet. Years ago George Fisher (Greg Fisher’s father) sailed the St. Pete regatta with his new wife. They sailed together for life. Pam & Jim cut a wedding cake with 200 of their lightning family friends to celebrate.
The banquet is all about the history of the class and the people that make it work. The RC reminded us that we moved Race 4 start time up to 9:30, with plans to get in as many races as possible.
Sunday: 9:30 is really early but we all are on time. Conditions are at the other extreme, wind is a solid 18 and gusty, big chop and white caps. The sailing area is 12 to 16 feet deep. We are delayed by the rescue of a capsized and now mastless lightning. The signal boat end is favored as the wind keeps backing, lots of starting practice as we go through three general recalls. The RC keeps moving the pin to correct for the wind. The fourth start succeeds as the wind is backing more and going lighter. The RC suggest by radio that we get a race going because we have severe weather, or as they say at Augusta “biblical weather” on the way. At the weather mark we are probably in the upper 20s, the wind is building again. Downwind is quick, most of us are focused on avoiding collisions and staying in control of our boats as opposed to tactical sailing. With the wind back up the second beat is work. Our jib halyard tensioning car fails, we see no way to improvise and retire. For those continuing a few of the leaders have capsized on the downwind and even final weather leg.
Packing the boat up for the road home, this circuit has had more adverse weather and for my boat, gear breakdowns that I don’t have often. We pull the top cover on just as thunder, lightning and heavy rain comes into the area. Got some work to do to get the boat, and my sailing back in shape, but I don’t mind doing that at all.
Friday: 1 ∏ is really only 1
Loaded the cooler up with water and G2, we will have no dehydration on this boat. Looks like a pretty day on the water, sailed out into Tampa Bay wind is NW at maybe 8. One of the lightning gods recommended sailing to weather in another boats bad air and learn to stay with them, I like the idea because that is likely at the start, we need work, but made a few improvements. After not sailing on Wednesday in Miami the whole fleet is ready to race, very apparent with the first start, I think the entire fleet was OCS. The I flag start followed and we all settled down a bit and got going cleanly. Our race was going well enough until the second windward mark when I decided a gibe set would work well for us. The starboard tack parade however puts a big hole in the wind near the offset mark and we suffered. Gained a few boats back on the next two legs and finished upper twenties.
Second race: We are in a long delay because the sea breeze and land are at odds, wind finally looked solid enough from the SE and we got underway. Avoiding the crowd at the pin end, started with good speed and no one on our hip, with an incoming tide not the best current position to go up the right side but it worked out for us and we round the top mark in about 10th. Downwind in a dying wind with current following is very difficult. As the fleet collapse in on the leeward gate in drifter conditions the RC had seen enough, abandoned and towed us in. My crew keeps asking me, where’s the beer? The beatings will continue until moral improves.
Alligator Alley
The drive over from Miami only involved one argument with the GPS lady but that was the last straw the Brit is now an American. The highlight was the alligators sunning, as Becky says whole families were hangin out. The road side is fenced to keep them off the road when gators get on the road they assume the temperature of the road and go to sleep, fences are a great idea for all of us along alligator alley.
Arrived in St Pete at 2:30 and set up the boat. Fixed a few more things, shopped for groceries and arrived at the club for the competitors meeting and general meeting. Paid fleet 511’s dues again this year, will try to remember to collect this summer. The annual meeting is followed by a potato bar, drink bar and welcoming party at St Pete. Two or three races are planned for tomorrow, but we are under a high pressure and it is not hot enough the produce a sea breeze so the chance is there for a land breeze , sea breeze conflict resulting in little wind.
Staying at the Ponce de Leon hotel for about the 5th time. It is old but renovated with funky 1930s bathrooms & stuff that does not work half the time; but we love it, the owner / manager is in this hotel for life. The best thing about the Ponce is that it is next door to St Pete and relatively inexpensive. When here, we park the car and walk to everything. 53 boats are registered, and our RC is one of the best.
Sunday, 3/14: Got out of Savannah a little early and stopped at West Marine to replace some of the stuff that is now at the bottom of the Skidaway River. Fortunately none of the sacred parts like mast blocks are missing, if that were the case we would have to do a voodoo ritual, incense etc. to make new mast block that were eggzackly right. Drove as long as possible, had an Italian dinner in a restaurant next to the roadside hotel. Me and a few bikers and a lot of restaurant employees.
Monday3/15: More driving, my GPS wanted me to take toll roads to Miami, I did not agree and we argued several times about it. She is British, I thought maybe a
Proper brit would be more respectful of my wishes but at every possible interchange she would demand that I exit I 95. I finally gave in.
By the way following my British lady through the Miami interchanges was a joke. Arrived at Coral Reef YC late morning and settled in to my spot with the boat. Had a glorious day of fixing stuff on the boat, meeting lightning sailors originally from Australia then Nigeria and now Houston. Coral Reef YC is great , warm and sunny. Crewed for a new Lightning owner in on the water coaching this afternoon in about 15-16 wind, coached by Skip Diebold. I knew I was in trouble when I noticed no vang on the boat, flashback to Savannah, being the guy on the boat with experience, I forced my host into rigging the vang before leaving the harbor.
Retrieved my rock star crew, Becky and son Jack at Miami Airport. This arrangement promises to buy me several get out of Becky jail cards.
Monday (crew version): Late pickup at Miami International. Some excuse about “helping some guy with his vang”. Captain smells like rum and has glitter on his pants. We see a “Gold Club” valet ticket on the dash. Crew has suspicions but we stay quiet. Next stop: the Miami equivalent of the “Heart of Charleston” hotel. Dinner from the vending machine as the captain rants about some Fireball race from the 80’s. I imagine the captain will be ornery tomorrow and want to re-rig the entire boat. Better get some shut-eye…
Tuesday: Our regatta registration includes a big hot breakfast followed by the competitors meeting, racing starts at 11am, three races today.
Oh, Savannah, don't you cry for me......
I'm a little wiped out, but here goes. Around 30 boats participated in this first leg of the southern circuit, that's lower than normal. The big question was where's the heat. It was freakin cold Sunday morning. This leg is only 3 races, Saturday wind was SW at 16 gust to 20. Lots of carnage unfortunately, the problem is with wind at 16 and opposing current at 5 the forces can be like wind of 21 with no current. 9 boats capsized including yours truly. Our dirty deed as we call it happened in the second race final downwind run. We still don't know why for sure, but after getting upright the spreader was severely bent and the vang broken. The safety crew gave us second place to Tommy Allen for time to get back up, Tommy sail out of his capsize and finished mid fleet. New mast tubes are always on the lawn at Savannah Yacht Club, they are not free replacements but if you travel from Canada as some have for the southern circuit and you break your mast it's good. One broken mast was replaced, three tubes are left. Tom Allen had a few spare spreaders and the part I needed to fix the vang so by 7pm I was back together. Except for the all the #*!()&%$ stuff that came out of the boat when we capsized. The club roasted oysters for dinner, Moose tried to work a deal for snottier oysters , that's his way of saying not cooked so long, Appetizing thought, and I watched my NC State lose to George Tech with a bunch of GT fans to complete the day from hell.
Sunday: Even the snowbirds are complaining. The wind has not layed down and it is about 50 degrees. I decided not to sail which my crew, shivering with hot coffee in hand loved hearing, they would have sailed but I just did not want to risk another day of damage, within 30 minutes I regretted not sailing. My crew and I assisted on safety boats. Watching the race from the weather mark, the current effect was very interesting. I actually learn some things. The wind did drop and only one boat broke down. If you go to sail, SAIL.
From our district Will Tyner and crew were outstanding, they won the second race and were top ten for all races. They did us all proud. On my way to Miami, more latter.