Pensacola Sea Buoy Race - Perspective from Adrenalin

[Cookie Monster]

Somebody Help! Kevin Smith and I raced our ARC22 to the Pensacola Sea Buoy and back last Saturday. There were 12 multihulls – ARC22, 2 - F18 Nacras, 2 - Nacra 6.0’s, 2 - Hobie 20’s, I17, H16 w/spinnaker, F24, and an F31, plus a fleet of monohulls. The wind was from the NNE at about 6 knots, which mad it a tight spinnaker run at the start. The start was an omen of the how the day would go for us and we should have been more aware to recognize it. We started out the race with assembling some abstract art on the boat involving the spinnaker, whereby being very polite and letting everyone start about 5 minutes in front of us while we converted the art back into a spinnaker. Once we were going the wind got even lighter and shifty. We caught up with most of the fleet (within plus or minus 400 yards) of 12 boats after about 3 miles and sat with them, as we were all now in a floating contest. The fleet was pretty much split, about half on the south shore along the beach, the other half towards the Naval Air Station. After about an hour or so, the wind started to fill in from the SSW, so spinnakers were dropped and we all went close hauled to the pass. It was one tack for us at the pass and we laid the Sea Buoy four miles out into the Gulf and we began to feel a little better about our chances of finishing respectively in the race. We rounded the Sea Buoy in about 4th place, right there with the two F18 Nacras – John MacDonald and Alex Perez/Mark Murray, Hobie Tiger – Chris Sawyer and a Nacra 6.0 – Charlie Harp. Up went the spinnakers for a tight spinnaker run back down the pass. After we finally realized we needed to get the spinnaker halyard up all the way, (as Bud Shuman onboard a 48 foot monohull alerted us as we passed them close enough to talk to each other) we were smokin' in the 4-foot seas and 12-15 knots of wind. The tight spinnaker run was working on us coming in, especially Kevin’s hands and back from constantly trimming and holding onto the sheet, but we struggled to stay in control and managed -- most of the time. As we made it across the shoal at the entrance to the pass from the bay, we could see the bottom below us through the crystal clear turquoise water, the Hobie Tiger – Chris Sawyer was on top of us to the west, one F18 – Alex and Mark was in front of us slightly port and the other F18 – John MacDonald was just starboard of us. (Could have lobbed a baseball and hit all three of them.) The F18 – John MacDonald on our starboard jibed over, then we heard a yell and there went the other F18 – Alex and Mark, guess we’re going too since he now has rights on us. As we came out of the jibe, we were now in a tight spinnaker reach, and fighting it to stay on course. The F18’s were doing the same, but with a lot less sail area and lot less trouble and a lot more control. It was really too tight for us to be running like we were, and in hindsight, we should have dropped down or either put away the chute sooner. Anyway, we tried to stay on course and run with them, but as I looked at Kevin in the trapeze trying to hold the spinnaker sheet, I could see tears running down his face and his hands were losing color from lack of blood circulating in them due to the spinnaker sheet wrapped around his gloves. A puff hits, the boat is up on one hull, I drive off, keep driving off, Kevin eases the sheet, the chute collapses, he brings it back in, we come up and start all over again. This cycle goes on for about the next 10 minutes or so. I looked up at the mast, good, that looks fine (don’t want to break it again). Another puff hits, the hull comes up fast, I drive off, Kevin is pulled inward, the spinnaker sheet uncoils from his hands, and I hear a noise that sounds like a bow that just shot an arrow in a cartoon. It’s the snap of the line going taught. Kevin yells, and grabs his finger, I asked, “Kevin, do you still have your index finger?” Kevin replies, “Most of it.” As I see a nice chunk taken out of the side. Ok, let’s drop the chute. Down the chute comes in some order of semblance that resembles we know what we’re doing. Now, its just working sails, and we’re cruising along. I am on the wire; Kevin is on the deck putting away the spinnaker and lines. He finishes up; jumps out on the wire too, then after about 3-5 minutes, we both go in. The wind has lightened and backed on us. Time to put the spinnaker back up. Kevin flinches as the words come out of my mouth. He goes to set the chute again – can’t find the halyard, he looks up. Oh there, up by the spreader, I see it! *&^%$@$%&^@#& Never mind. We are now in the non-spinnaker boat class. Wait, there isn’t one. Ok, let’s just see if we can maintain our dignity. Let’s just finish and not do any damage to the boat or us. As we now watched the spinnaker boats cruise away and looked at the smaller spinnaker boats gain on us, we sat silent licking our wounds jibing back and forth to the finish under main and jib. We finally crossed the finish line after sailing the last 7-8 miles “chute-less” right in Front of Mike Wilson on his Hobie 20 flying his green chute and right behind Tom Turlington on his I17 flying his black and white chute; nice job guys. We then kept sailing through the Bob Sikes Bridge back to Navarre Beach and Floridays where we keep the boat. After sailing only about 4 or 5 miles, we sailed to shore, knocked the boat over, got the halyard down and flew the chute the rest of the way back. That sounds easy if you say it really fast, but somebody should have video taped that. Knocking over a boat with a 12-foot beam and 38.5 foot mast with the sails still up – well, it would have made a good work out. All in all we sailed about 60 miles that day, no boat damage and what could be better than that much time sailing on such a beautiful day. Yes, we were both dejected and just plain ticked off at our performance, but even a bad day sailing beats working. We finished boat for boat and in the middle of the pack (around 5th), and corrected out 9th. That is actually better than I had expected. The two F18’s finished 1-2, then the Tiger, all three boats we were beside at the pass when returning, ---- before we decided to change classes. After putting the boat away, and covering it up, we each took a deep breath, drank a cool beverage, and began talking about what we will do different on the next race. Never ----- Never give up!

[thommerrill]

Don-

I was speaking with Karen Ann Xavier one day about how she handles the spin sheet. Apparently she developed some sort of drop-in cleat attached to her trap harness. This allowed her to use her leg strength to hold the sheet instead of wrapping it around her hands. I haven't rtried it but it sounds doable...

[Matt Haberman]

Hi Don,
I have a couple of quick comments to consider.
Try a stopper ball for your halyard. I use a stopper ball at the bitter end of the spinnaker halyard and have never lost one up the mast. Put a nice "Figure 8" knot inside the stopper ball and it will never go through the block/cleat at the mast base plus the knot can be easily removed since the stopper ball is doing all the work.
Regarding Kevin's hands.. Tell him to buck up, go to the gym and get a little 80 grit sandpaper to toughen up his hands Just kidding, but I was wondering if you were running 1:1 or 2:1 on the sheet? It has been a long time since I have sailed on the 22 where I couldn't hold the chute if I was using the 2:1, in fact I tend to just use the 1:1 unless its going to be a long leg and wind is blowing.
Usually we will try to set the chute, trim it and then I will cleat it and pretty much leave it set. Tom will then chase the chute if we start to lift a hull. If I have to play the sheet I have found the following works relativly well for me. I am right handed so I will wrap the sheet around my right hand 2-3 times, but I leave about 12-18" of slack between my hand and the sheeting block on the low side. I then play that 18 slack in and out as necessary with my left hand. If it really starts to get hairy I let the slack go with my left hand, wrap both hands together and play it with both hands.

Hope this helps.