So after racing to Bermuda on WIDOWMAKER and spending a few fun days at the villa George rented we returned home to the realization that we were woefully behind in our training for RAGBRAI (www.ragbrai.com) the 400+ mile bike ride across Iowa w/ 20,000+ of your closest bike riding friends. We had been training since April to prepare and now after being gone for 2.5 weeks we needed to get back on the bikes. And we only had 3 weeks to go.
In the meantime, the third series of races had started and we were doing pretty well in the Non Spin class. It usually boils down to us and our friends on CARIBBEAN MAGIC, a sister ship to WIDOWMAKER, as to who gets first. They are much faster but owe me time. Interestingly, one light air night I was right on their heels as we rounded the first mark and slowwwwwllllllyyyyy started reaching for the finish line. We actually beat them boat for boat by 2 seconds. The whole way down that leg both crews were making smart@$$ comments back and forth teasing each other, all the while providing comic relief to the folks on the committee boat who could hear every word in the still night air. That leg was so slow I think any decent swimmer could have beaten us!
But Off to IOWA and 25,000 of our closest bike riding buddies!
Just one of the many unusual scenes greeting us as we rode into yet another town!
Okay, nice break, back to sailing! The Maryland Yacht Club Challenge Cup was approaching and as the defending Non/Spin champs we were psyched for the race. Unfortunately the wind Gods conspired against us. As in the wind was almost non-existent by the time we approached the first mark although we were leading most of the boats as evidenced by this picture.
And we did win the Fall Series even if it was b/c the last race was cancelled and thus there was no "throw out" race. That meant that by showing up for every race and not missing one we had a better score than our main competition. Sometimes it really is about being there.
We also had an unpleasant experience in a fundraising race that we've done 3 times on this boat and crewed on WHARF RAT three other times. Finished second but got protested for flying a double headsail in the Non/Spin division. Told "that's the way it's always been" and "it's always been *understood* you don't fly two headsails". HUH? Gee, it wasn't in the Sailing Instructions. And if it's not in the SI's then it isn't legal.
Very ugly situation where they wanted us to take 4th instead of 2nd (so the other local boats would place). I told them we get 2nd or you boot us out, but it's up to you to figure out how to do that.
Then they wanted us to SHARE 2nd place. They finally decided to let the standings as we finished, but then we get booed while getting our crappy little second place plaque. So much for being a gentlemanly sport.
The last race of the season we raced Spinnaker and didn't do badly but could have done better. It was a nice blustery fall day and one of my club members was out sailing and took this pic of us which Carol has since redone in watercolor.
AND now for the big news:
DIANTHUS will be racing in the Bermuda 1-2 this June. That's single-handed from Newport RI to Bermuda, a week to recuperate and then Double handed racing back to Newport. www.bermuda1-2.org
As part of this I needed to do a qualifying sail of at least 100 miles and at least 24 hours on the open ocean.
So in early September I left and sailed/motored down the bay. A frontal system was going to pass through bringing some good wind and my goal was to ride that out to a weather buoy 64 miles East of Va Beach and then turn around and sail back. After getting a decent night's sleep in Cape Charles City I left and by 9am had passed through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel channel and was heading out to sea. Wind was about 17 knots or so just forward of the beam and waves about 4-5, sometimes 6 feet. Even reefed down the boat was making 7-8 knots and handling things well.
While the Asyms are easily to handle, I love the way this sail looks and flies.
Here is a short video from about 6 hours into that passage.
The sail was a success although as I re-entered the bay the next day the wind was just dying out completely. I then spent the rest of that day and the next motoring up to just south of Annapolis with a stop in Reedville to spend the night. After another night on the hook I motored back to Rock Creek. After cleaning up the boat, Carol came over and we fulfilled our duties as Race Committee that night. All in all a VERY busy 6 days of working on the boat and sailing. Between down the bay, out to sea and back up the bay I put 410 miles on the boat single handing.
And THAT wraps up 2014....
