03/19/2010
A snufu with the genoa before the start saw Wind Child in an unheard of position - 2 minutes late to the line. After the air cleared we settled down to having to work a little harder to make up. The course was a windward leg followed by a fine reach and then a run to the finish. Course length 10.4 miles. Not particularly good for making time on the bigger boats. J80 were not doing too well ... too much wind we thought. By the windward mark we had passed all of our division but the reach to the turn mark was only a few degrees off close haul and the gap between us and the closer keel boats, including Thursday's third and fourth place finishers, widened slowly. Will it be enough?
At the turn mark we jibed and set the spinnaker in about 15 knots of wind. Second round was another Beneteau, then the Columbia Tripp 34. Chicken Joe was way back. On the run to the finish the two behind, having longer waterline, closed a little. At the finish we were ahead by about two minutes. Enough? we will have to wait and see.
And wait we did, until after 9pm, but here's the news: 3rd place, Adios the Columbia Tripp 43, 2nd place Full Quiver, the Beneteau 405, 1st place, Wind Child!!
| Leg 05: Banderas Bay Regatta |
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Regatta opening show. If interested, copy and paste to to your browser
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strangebird/sets/72157623513805163/show/
| Leg 05: Banderas Bay Regatta |
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03/18/2010
We took a comfortable win in the first race today, after one of Rudy's typical great starts. We led up the windward leg, increasing our lead over nearby J80s that we had thought would give us some competition on the beat. We then started overhauling multihulls that had started 5 and even 10 minutes ahead of us. The wind at the start was in the 8 knot range, but it gradually increased to 15, which we feel is our optimum wind speed.
We set the spinnaker at the windward mark and sped across leg 2 on a beam reach. A jibe, followed by a reach to the start line completed the triangle part of the course. Then followed another windward-leeward leg to complete the 11+ miles course. None of the boats in our division were anywhere near close to us at the finish and we scored a first for .75 points, correcting out ahead of nearest rival Chicken Joe .. a J80 by eight minutes. Third was a Columbia Tripp 43.
Everything ran smoothly and everyone pulled their weight but kudos to Angus for a stellar job on an unfamiliar foredeck.
Race 2 tomorrow is a distance course and the final race on Saturday will be on the same course we sailed today.
| Leg 05: Banderas Bay Regatta |
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03/17/2010
"BahÃa de Banderas is the premier sailing venue on the Pacific coast of Mexico, one of the largest natural bays in Mexico with recorded depths of over 3,000 feet. The blue waters are home to whales, manta rays, sea turtles, dolphins and deep-water fish. Steady afternoon winds consistently range from 12-18 knots, making it a perfect sailing venue. The race course begins only 2 miles from the channel entrance to Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit.
Now in its 18th year, the 5 day Banderas Bay Regatta, held March 16-20, 2010 is specially designed with Cruisers in mind - fun but competitive races between boats designed for coastal and offshore cruising. Race boats and catamarans join the fun too in this non-profit event. With nightly fiestas, live music and entertainment, this is the signature event of the Vallarta Yacht Club."
The Grand Welcome event yesterday afternoon featured a fine Mexican band playing music and instruments from all over Central and South America followed by Rythms of the Night dancers from Vallarta Adventures taking us on "an amazing voyage that will transport you to a mystical and spiritual land that time forgot".
There are 58 yachts entered this year, one of the biggest entries ever. At 9:30 today skippers sign in and receive handouts, there is a dinghy parade at noon and this afternoon we sail out into the bay to review the start line and courses and practice starts. This evening there is a St Pat's party at the yacht club.
Somewhere in all of this we hope to do a Costco run.
More later.
| Leg 05: Banderas Bay Regatta |
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03/15/2010
Remember I told you that the Spinnaker Run was a low key, multihull-friendly fundraiser - not a race? Well they had a start and finish line and ran a start sequence, so it was a not-a-race race. The "event" was a downwind run from Punta Mita to Nuevo Vallarta. A dozen entries included cats, tris and 3 keelboats
Angus from Periclees, came to the dock at 8am and we motored out of the marina at 8:30. There was very little wind so we motor sailed, anchoring off Punta Mita at about 11. Angus, as promised, donned his scuba gear and scraped barnacles of the bottom of the keel.
We got a panga ride to the beach and joined the no-host lunch with about sixty other spin runners, many in pirate costume. Teapot Lady, collected donations from participants, proceeds from which go to local schools. After lunch and the pirate judging at about 1:00pm, we got our "race instruction" and people started making their way back to the boats. We were supposed to be starting at 1:30 but things somehow got unexpectedly delayed, and certain multi-hulls seemed partial to their piece of mud. We set up our sails, hoisted the main and waited.. and waited. But hey! it's all for fun and charity and not really a race, right. At about 2:19 they started the count down and at 2:29, we launched the spinnaker on a port jibe and crossed the line in great style and about equal first over with a J160 named Blue followed by a dozen assorted. The J with its huge spread of canvas, pulled steadily ahead and as he closed on the shore, jibed to starboard and went off-shore. Rotcat, a second cat and a trimaran overhauled us and continued to go towards shore. But multi-hulls being multi-hulls, had to sail a little higher than us, and they closed in on the shore while we were able to stay out. Guess what! they ran into lighter air under the lee of the coastal hills - no surprise to us as we had discussed this probability. They jibed, we didn't, and were able to carry our wind much further down towards La Cruz.
At precisely the optimum time, Angus and Rudy pulled off a stunningly perfect short handed jibe (a bit hyperbolic aren't we?) and, still in fresh (+/-15 knot) wind, we found ourselves able to lay the finish line, still about ten miles away.
Meanwhile, the boats that had gone out continued to go out. We worked the shifts and gusts to our advantage and as we passed La Cruz, the wind backed a little and we were set for a broad reach toward Nuevo Vallarta. Blue and the others jibed back in but now found themselves having to sail deeper than they would have wished to lay the line. One huge cat named Humo Humo (could be abbreviated to Ho Hum) that should by rights have been out of sight ahead, overtook us abeam Bucerias and Blue converged. The other outliers were out of it. As we came up to the line at about 4:10 we were neck and neck with Blue and they ended up crossing abut a minute ahead. Blue radioed us his compliments on a great sail.
Forget the handicaps, ratings and corrected time. On a 100 minute "event" anytime a 35 footer can finish within a minute of a J160 (about 50') and within easy sight of a massive cat, you can throw away the calculators and declare the non-race race winner. As announced on the radio net on Monday morning, "Wind Child kicked everyone's butt". Funds raised were $1000 with more expected. Well done Teapot Lady.
Well done Rudy, who read the winds and called a perfect line.
| Leg 05: Banderas Bay Regatta |
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03/13/2010
This morning we turned the boat around and Rudy cleaned the bottom. In the process, his suction cup that he uses to stabilize himself and apply pressure, got away from him. Since it floats he launched the dinghy and went on sucker patrol down current but came back empty handed. Visibility for bottom work is not good, apparently you need to be close enough to the barnacles that you could lick em ... if that's your kettle of fish.
We hiked over to the YC after lunch to send e-mails, then took the bus to Wally Mart but ducked the big guy in favor of a nearby local mercado where we bought fish, pork loin, chicken, pork tenderloin and beef. According to our purchasing manager, it is so much better than Wally's and who am I to know any different. Certainly the fish we had for dinner was ocean fresh.
After stacking the freezer with today's spoils, we added up the meal count and concluded that there were four 5-person meals in it. We plan another sortie just to make notes of what is available, then we will get our heads together to plan actual menus for the Marquesas leg. Rudy is sure we will catch fish and will not starve.
Tomorrow, Angus joins us for the sail to Punta Mita and the spinnaker run back. This is not a race (but wherever there are two boats...) you know how that goes. It is a fund raiser for local schools. There is a potluck dinner at Vallarta YC following.
More later
| Leg 05: Banderas Bay Regatta |
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