Too few posts! Trying to stay so busy with work, projects, and sailing that i have no time to write… some excuse that is, eh?
Raced in the annual WEYC Sweethearts of the Caribbean Regatta aboard a friend’s ’72 Hunter 25. We were the smallest (by a fair margin) boat to complete the long course, and as the conditions (20kts moderating, sloppy seas) had forced the retirement of the only other boat in our class, we won. Corrected, we didn’t do so badly against the rest of the fleet either! My friend and boat owner Mike, a novice, had only sailed the boat 3 or 4 times before, and the other crew was my visiting stepfather, who hadn’t sailed at all, except for some youthful dinghy adventures on his hometown lake once upon a time. They both did great, and it was a fine afternoon! Sailing on and off the mooring (at the head of the packed harbour) felt good… as the outboard had stopped running the day before! Incidentally… we wone our class!
i also got out for the WEYC Dark & Stormy Regatta, sailing from Trellis Bay to Anegada, spending the weekend, then sailing back from Anegada to West End. This time ’round, i sailed with clients on their tired (but we’re working on it!) Peterson 44. Again, conditions were the high side of 15-20, and we were one of the few boats to start unreefed. The big boat was doing pretty well, until on our last port tack around the Dogs, the clew blew out on the in-mast furling main. Just about the whole of the fleet behind us got in front of us before we had the spare main up, but we managed to still make that our last port tack before coming about and barreling towards Neptune’s Treasure. Even with the slightly-smaller spare main we managed a healthy clip, 7+ knots all the way there with little fuss.
Overall, some fun days! This weekend sees the annual BVI Spring Regatta; i haven’t gotten a ride yet, but past years have shown that a handyt fellow will get picked up if it’s meant to be. Last year an IC24 lost a crew and i was pressed into emergency duty… we weren’t the most competative duffers out there, but we had a great time! We’ll see what happens this time ’round…