Sequoia YC Summer Series Race #3

Saturday was the third Sequoia Yacht Club Summer Series Race of the season. I crewed for Stan on Smokin' J for race #1, missed race #2, and crewed for Stan again on Smokin' J for race #3. We were short-handed. Kerry, Steve Skinner, and I were Skipper Stan's only crew.

We left the dock a little after 11am, as soon as Stan returned from the skipper's meeting, and headed out to the starting line between channel markers 3 and 4. The conditions were pretty perfect... about 70 degrees, a bit cloudy (but the sun came out strong in the middle of the race, and it warmed up a bit), and about 12-15 knots of wind out of the northwest. We did some practice tacks and gybes, and then started timing our start. We started right on time, along with 8 other boats, and went full speed ahead toward our first mark.

We were racing from markers 3 and 4 (the starting line) to 12, back to 3, out to S, back to 12, out to Y, and back to 3 and 4 for the finish line, which meant we had two downwind legs. I was looking forward to flying the spinnaker twice, although being shorthanded didn't help, and both Kerry and Steve had only flown it once or twice each. So Stan assigned me to foredeck. Although I took a spinnaker handling course and have had some practice, it had been a month or so, and I'm still pretty slow. Plus I discovered that Stan and I use different terminology to indicate the side of the boat where we're raising the spinnaker.

Before I got to the docks, Kerry and Steve had rigged the spinnaker sheets and halyard for a port-side set (my terminology). As we started the first leg up to marker 12, I thought Stan told me we'd be doing a starboard set. Later, I realized he said we'd be on a starboard tack, which means we'd be doing a port-side set. My misunderstanding actually made sense to me, because we were on a starboard tack, and I thought we were going to tack around the mark and would be on port tack and do a starboard set.

Because of my misunderstanding, I scurried around the foredeck moving the triple to the starboard side. Ugh... We got close to the mark, and everyone started yelling at me to move the spinnaker halyard to the port side outside the jib. I did it, because they all seemed to agree, but I couldn't understand why. I figured maybe the wind shifted or they changed their tactics or something... I'd find out later. Then they all started yelling to move the sheets and the chute to port for the set. I did, but it took me forever.

When I was ready, we raised the chute. It filled immediately and started increasing our speed right away. It was a beautiful thing. I got ready to lower the jib and yelled back for someone to release the jib halyard. Little did I know that we'd passed marker 12 some time ago, and we were only about 2 minutes from marker 3, where we'd have to douse the chute and head up to S. Double ugh... So we didn't lower the jib at all! I vowed to do better on the second downwind leg.

I started getting ready for the set early. The first thing I had to do was go below and repack the chute, which I did quickly, because it was really hot down there! I came up, clarified the side of the boat where we'd do the set (port again), and set about getting everything ready.

I was ready this time when we reached marker 12 again. We raised the chute and, again, it filled right away. I thought we were golden until the guys started yelling that the pole was stuck. When I looked behind the jib, I realized that the guy was wrapped around the bow pulpit, and I would have to detach it from the spinnaker's clue, untangle it from the bow pulpit, and reattach it to the chute in order to release the pole and properly fly the chute. I offered to do that, as I hung over the bow pulpit, curling my body around the forestay, but Stan said no, it was too dangerous while the chute was loaded. Bummer! So we had to douse the spinnaker again and sail the downwind leg without it.

The rest of the race (out to Y and then back to the imaginary finish line between markers 3 and 4) was uneventful. As it turned out, we came in third out of five boats in the spinnaker class, so that wasn't half bad! I definitely need practice with the spinnaker before I do foredeck in a race again! Thanks to Stan, I seem to get a lot of opportunities to practice. He's one of the most patient, supportive, and encouraging skippers/teachers I've ever had. Thank you, Stan!

By the way, these pictures were all taken on other days. I didn't have a minute to take any pictures during this race!