BI Race

BI Race
OK been awhile since last blog entry, very busy with work, life and racing on my boats and other peoples boats. A couplef olks asked me why no recent entries so that motivated me to write this entry: Wow the BI Race took a lot of time both to pre, deliver boat and the actual race. Weird, I was most concerned about the big items but the little things really crunched the time window. Big stuff included storm sails, new halyards, code zero life raft, and IRC cert. Little stuff are just far too numerous to mention. Then the logistics of getting boat to Stamford about 65nm away – that’s a 12hr delivery. Delivery was boring mostly motoring, but we left late so double handed partner could come along instead of taking train so we missed flood. Got interesting near the end with t-storms up ahead on the blackberry radar so put into Stratford. Nice wide channel and good restaurant and excellent diner 5 minute walk away next morning, cast off 0900 and 3hrs later at the Cows for the start.

After speaking with other boats we had short 45min postponement waiting for breeze and then we started. Hoisted code zero right away as wind was light, but switched to class kite when it became apparent we weren’t keep up with the two other J105s. 16 boats were doublehanding. Played shifts for awhile and caught up to the others then it grew dark. Running lights on and then battery 2 low voltage alarm came on. Ran engine an hour but it would not charge. Lost sight of J105 Jaded off our beam running close to shore, contrary to what our current charts would indicate as optimum. Gumption the third J105 got past us at we made Plum Gut and we trailed them for literally hours on towards Block Island. After the Gut we started sleep rotation 2hrs on 2 hrs off. When I awoke we had lost sight of anyone in our class. All night we sailed without instruments as we were keeping Battery 1 in reserve so we could start engine. Executed a nice light air single hand gybe 5 nm from 1BI and nailed the layline. Once around Block began long beat back to Stamford via Fisher’s Island sound. Forecast and tides were very ugly and given electric problems and my partner’s domestic concerns we decided to withdraw and peel off to home just a few miles away rather than endure 65nm beat in light headwinds against foul current. Not happy with decision afterwards but at the time it seemed more reasonable to enjoy the rest of the Memorial Day weekend as there was no way to hold time over the bigger faster boats in the class. It turned out many boats had same idea or were later forced into withdrawing as over half the boats, including all the J105s in our class withdrew. Still believe RC should’ve sent the fleet on the short (130nm) course. At least we didn’t have to do another 12 hour delivery home from the finish worrying about the batteries!

Learned a lot prepping for first IRC race and first Cat 3 race on my own boat. We raced 110nm before retiring so it was a good 2.5 days on the water. Will need to asses electrical situation, possibly upgrading alternator and replacing both batteries before another long distance race. But never again I will withdraw unless we’re in imminent danger – can’t stand the giving up feeling afterwards!

Here are some photo-boat pics: http://www.photoboatgallery.com/lightbox/index/gallery/2010%20Block%20Island%20Race/Dark%20N%20Stormy/Dark-N-Stormy.html