Category Archives: Rum Racing Reviews

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Rum Race 09/26/12

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Rum Race 09/26/12

Florida evenings in late September are some of Natures finest artistic creations. Last night’s weather for the Rum Race in Sanford was a master piece. The temperature was comfortable, like favorite chair comfortable. The northeast sea breeze, is the most predictable and consistent of any of the possible wind patterns on Lake Monroe. A little squall washed the dust out of the air just before the competitors began to gather at the starting area. I have lived here since 1976, evenings like this are a large part of why. Lucky thirteen was the number of boats, and I was there to run Black Jack Pete through the spinnaker drill that we avoided on Lake Crescent last weekend.

The plan? Hit the start at full speed, kite flying, stay clear, fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. Therefore, step one is get the spinnaker up. Actually there are a bunch of little steps that have to take place first. Can’t do anything until you get to the right place to do it. That place had to be upwind of the start line, just far enough to get the spinnaker up and pulling with maximum horsepower. In addition we had to; Hit the start at full speed, kite flying, stay clear, exactly at twenty minutes after six (eastern daylight savings time). Remember? The plan.

We think we are the right place. We raise the spinnaker pole. Time to add some sail area. I have found the most snag free way to get the kite up, out of the companionway bag, is to take the chute out and set it on the deck behind the leeward shrouds, then pull the halyard. While Pete did that I pulled the guy, to move the windward clew to the pole. Perfect, half a boat length to the mark,  Byron had already started so the timing must be right. Why are both clews at the end of the pole? Sheets crossed, figure eight, too late now, we got to go. Pete went forward and was amazing. He wrestled and fought until the kite submitted, tapped out, and filled, each clew and the head moving to its own corner. A quick glance behind revealed Show Me’s massive blanket directly upwind. Up we go,  almost into the bad air of Ole Yeller, but not quite, there is a thin line of  nearly clear air, we latched on.

My spinnaker trimming skills got a significant upgrade during a Jager Race, watching Steve Hayden. I learned that over-trimming is really unacceptable, worse than that, it is slow. I emphasized that to Pete, and I think he got it. We did well down wind. We were preceded at the turning mark by Patrick’s Viper and it’s pretty new jib.

Maryann’s 29erXX, and Richards Hobie 21, also rounded in front of us as we should be. Strangely they did not seem to be that far ahead. I think even Byron’s Force 5 rounded ahead of us, no problem, a mile and a half of upwind would take care of that. I was a little surprised that more boats did not tack quickly after rounding. The fundamentals that I know of say, sail the long tack first.  Upwind, there was a little problem with the jib, it seemed to be faster when stalled somewhat (leeward tells dancing). I don‘t know if it was over-trimmed, under-trimmed, or the draft was incorrect, or improperly positioned. I decided to focus on moving big butt out further, and it seemed to work. I did not really expect to make the finish line on one tack, so I took a bite to windward periodically and worked diligently at taking full advantage of every lift. The totally predictable condominium header landed on us just as I was working on getting to windward of one of the anchored powerboats/obstructions. We eased the sails, headed off and squirted out around the canoe/tender tethered to the back of the inconvenient cruiser. The lift needed to make the mark from that position was not available, so we short-tacked at the mark and finished in 00:35:22. Not bad, the Viper, the 29erXX, and the Hobie 21, had already finished, Show Me, and Monkey Butt were close behind.

We had sailed well, clocked a decent time, provided a decent spinnaker lesson for Black Jack Pete and had a really fun race. It was not until I pushed the scoring button on the Sailwave software that I realized we had won. That was cool. Then Ariel picked number 1 out of the box so we got the Rum also. This was a very good day.

Rum Race 09/19/12

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Rum Race 09/19/2012

It finally feels like sailing season, the storms blew on through by four o’clock, and the temperature was in the low seventies. Seven regulars and a first timer braved the bogus forecast of torrential downpours To make the start window. Twenty fifth Rum Race of 2012, twenty fifth bottle of Malibu Red, fifty trips between Old Glory on the PVC post and channel marker #8. Seems like a sailor might get tired of the same old stuff doesn’t it? I admit to being skeptical, how is it possible to do the same two leg three mile Rum Race and not get bored?  Never a dull moment, that’s how.

Getting ready to get Ready

Surely we can get Andy this time…

Ron’s Hunter 23.5

Andy brought two computer specialists to ensure his start time would be undeniably accurate. Apparently the rest of us are two minutes behind the times, and at least that far behind the start. Shortening the start window has certainly been effective at creating a more competitive start. Ron Semans and I sailed the Hunter 23.5 with freshly tightened rigging.  We were inside at the flag with the whisker pole up for a dead downwind start. Unfortunately there was no room to be taken. Helm down, jib backed, and up we went, crossing at least two transoms before being able to head down to proper course.  The breeze was consistent for Lake Monroe, and the Hunter seems to do well downwind in light air. The Catalina 25 and 27 just didn’t have enough breeze to get cranked up just jet. The Precision 18 stayed right with us, and both boats suffered as the Sea Pearl 21 tri went wing and wing behind us. I adjusted to try and catch a breath but it didn’t help. Eventually the Sea Pearl went between us and the P18 and then Fisk, who had wisely started last, covered us up with the San Juan spinnaker. By the rounding it was Andy’s and Diane’s Show Me, followed by Wile E, Brent’s and Maryann’s 29erXX reaching in from the other side of the lake under the big blue a-sail. Then Fisk’s SJ 21, Scott’s Sea Pearl, the Hunter and Greg’s Precision 18. Show Me was far ahead with Wile E closing in. The SJ 21 was directly upwind of us, but we were both pointing higher than the Precision 23. We tacked out from under Fisk, we were not that close but dirty air goes a long way. Then the wind shifted. It was a header for Show Me and Wile E, but they responded differently. The Precision tacked and the 29erXX bore away. Consequently they entered into that situation defined as constant bearing decreasing range, or to be more succinct, a collision course without inadequate time to respond in a seaman like manner. Brent and Maryann tacked, and flipped. Andy avoided contact but parked to ensure Wile E had no real problems. Show Me did penalty turns after Wile E was sailing again. We had gone to the right side so most of this event we learned about later, although we had noticed some close quarter drill.

On what we thought was the last tack a huge header forced us to go behind the houseboat that has been anchored in the middle of our course for months. As we neared the obstruction Ron noticed a dog, in the water, with front paws clinging to the boarding ladder of the house boat. Unbelievable, a good size Pit Bull, hangs tough on a swim ladder while some yappy little varmint barks at us for being We tacked to approach the pooch and started yelling to see if anyone was at home in the low rent yacht. Just about the time we were thinking about the best way to approach eighty pounds of wet, struggling, Pit Bull, and considering what consequences might be involved with tying up to some ones house without being invited, a resident emerged. At first I believe he thought we were complaining about his yappy dog. Eventually we managed to get him to look at the boarding ladder. As we sailed away, he looked down at his dog and said “what the hell are you doing down there?”  Never a dull moment during a Rum Race.