Aug 29 2003 Windjammers
Santa Cruz Yacht Club
With a crew of 6 on board we entered Division B (motoring) of the Windjammers race, 67 miles down the coast between San Francisco to Santa Cruz. Wind was light at the start on the back of a slack going into a 4 knot flood. We have a motoring allowance of 2.51 hours and elected to immediately motor out the Gate to get clear of the flood and into open water.

There followed a light air beat as we headed south down the coast, tending towards the west side of the course and staying nearly close-hauled in an effort to skirt the Montara hole. We didn't quite get outside enough and spent an hour or more in light air (but we never stopped).

Setting the jib top got us out the last quarter mile into the backing breeze, and with 11 knots on the stern quarter up went the 3/4 oz kite. We carried that for several hours as the breeze gradually built to 18-20 knots, running deep in the moderate 5-6' swell. About 3 pm we passed Ano Nuevo perhaps 8 miles offshore, sailing under kite with an overcast sky. At this point we decided to gybe and change up to the 1.5 oz kite as the wind was building up to an apparent of 12-14 knots, approaching the limit of the what the 3/4 is designed for.

Douse/Gybe/Set went fine and we carried on into the evening. Best part was surfing along in the swell, which was now nicely oriented to be exactly in line with our course, the pole well back and wind about 30 degrees off the port quarter. We steadily sailed at 9 knots, running out to 12 on the waves. We managed to catch two waves in succession and shot off at 14.8 (a new record for the boat), raising quite a rooster tail from the transom.

We sailed until boatspeed dropped to 6.5 knots, at which time we doused the kite and kicked in the motor, powered across the transition zone from the westerly running breeze to the descending cooler mountain air easterly, and ran around the corner to finish.

We were first to finish in our class, and placed 2 in class (Annalise, a well-sailed 34' custom boat, corrected out by 20 minutes).

June 25, 2003 SSS LongPac