Katherine & I raced in the area C Eliminations for the Alter cup, October 26 & 27 2002. This was only our 3rd race since we began sailing beachcats.
I knew when we decided to do this race that we would be out of our league, “Sailing with the BIG BOYS”. However, it seemed like a good way to end the sailing season. For those of you who may be new to the list, Katherine & I started sailing beachcats in June of 2000. Our first boat was a H16 that we rebuilt and named the Purple People Eater.
I like to think we have come a long way from that first sail in 2000. We still talk about how Katherine was so scared that she lay on the tramp, death grip on the front cross bar. Although I had a little monohull sailing time years back I had never sailed on a cat, never even saw how one was rigged. I figured how to step the mast and rig the boat from reading everything I could find on the subject and doing practice in the back yard. It wasn’t until we had sailed 3 or 4 times that I saw how to properly run the sheet through the main traveler.
By the end of that first year we were hooked. We began the 2001 season with a trip to Lake Hartwell for our very first race, Spring Fever. Overall the race was a disappointment. Winds were light to non-existent for the first 2 days. The wind came on the 3rd day with the rain. After spending most 3 days on the water waiting for a race to start we decided that racing just isn’t for us. In 2001 we sailed 78 days and stopped in early October.
We began 2002 in April at Rick’s place in Key Largo, spent 4 days there and fell in love with Fla. Keys sailing. Realizing we wouldn’t be able to hold out to June to begin sailing up here in NJ we purchased dry suits and started sailing the PPE on the Barnegat Bay the last week in April. In May our next boat arrived, a P19.
Over the 2002 sailing season we sailed more the 50 days. We started slowly with the big boat as we learned how to handle her, it didn’t take long for us to become comfortable. Soon we were double trapping and going out in conditions we would never have considered before.
Which brings us to Saturday, October 26, 2002. Day 1 of the eliminations. It’s a bit chilly, under 50, when we arrive at Trixies. Fourteen boats are registered, they tell us at the skipper’s meeting that the wind is predicted to be 15 – 25. This turns out to be the calms.
Race one, we are out of position for the start, the wind and waves are keeping me occupied and I neglect to check what course we are sailing. The 1 min horn blows and I “attempt” to tack and make a hard drive to the line. Just like I have never tacked a cat before I end up in irons. Backwind the jib and fall off, try again, back in irons, this time I reverse the rudders as the start horn sounds, backing the boat through the eye of the wind, the sails fill and we and cross the start line by what seems a mile behind the fleet. We give it our best shot and end up in 11th place. Finishing ahead of 2 broken boats (DNF) and one N6.0.
Almost as soon as we finish they sound the warning for the next race. The winds have been building for the last hour. Again I have my hands full, staying out of the way so I neglect to check the course. We do a little better on this start, crossing the start line behind the leaders, but not at the back of the pack. We plan to follow the fleet. About half way to A mark we get hit with a BIG gust. Katherine is on the wire (yup the same Katherine who invented the Hobie death grip) The hull comes up, way up, I’m dumping wind and turning upwind. We avoid going over but it is now becoming apparent that this is too much wind for us to race in. A few minutes go by and we are hit with a second gust that tests our resolve to keep the mast pointed up. At this point I inform the crew that we are done. It’s too much for us. We are not having fun and I don’t want to end the season scaring the crew or worse, hurting her. I let the traveler out and the boat calms down. We head back to the marina, shocked that there are boats racing in these conditions.
Three races were run on day one, 12 boats finished the first race, only 2 finished the 3rd race. After the rest of the fleet returned we walked around and see a verity of boats with broken parts. IWindSurf.com reports the west winds at Trixies (sheltered by the mainland) to be gusting to 25, at 2:00 when we called it a day, at 3 when the last race ends its 35. Three miles across the bay, out on the course, it’s blowing at least 10 knots more.
Day 2, Sunday, Oct 27. It’s a nicer day. Warmer, a bit of sunshine, wind predicted at 8-12 for the day. In these conditions we have time to check the course posting and be in position for the starts. Two out of 3 races we start with the fleet, in the back 3rd. By race three we are figuring this out and we cross the start line with the leaders. We “think” we are going fast. The BIG GUYS show us otherwise. Where do they gat that wind? Its impressive to be passed on the windward side by a boat that is pointing higher, going faster, flying a hull, double trapped.
All in all we had a good time, a Hobie 16 wins overall on corrected time over an I20. We don’t bother checking on our standing.
If you haven’t tried racing yet I would strongly recommend giving it a shot. It’s a real eye opening experience. Kind of re-defines what can be done on a beachcat.
The bottom line is, we will never really be racers but its fun to get out with the go fast guys from time to time. We learned a couple things. We have come a long way over the past 3 sailing seasons, sailing with these guys shows us how much further, and faster, we could go. The saying goes, “If you’re not ready to run with the big dogs you should stay on the porch”. This weekend showed us that we may be able to come off the porch from time to time, but we are a long way from running “with” the BIG DOGS.
Bill