RTTS 2018

On a whim I entered the boat into the 2018 Race to the Straits (there is only one Strait) but whatever. It is a NW classic now with a cap at 125 boats. After last week’s rainy, windless bust of a race to Smith Island I figured what the heck. With bowman Tim on as crew the weather was way better but typically PNW being all over the place, not to forecast day one and a near drifter on Sunday. Still we had a great time albeit with some disappointing moments that were all our fault. I think that is what keeps us coming back despite the level of effort required to sail a 44 foot, 24,000 pound boat with just two people.

Jan’s Marine photo from Saturday’s upwind leg to Port Townsend

 

Day one we managed 4th place in class 11 despite some screw ups on my part. Day two we sailed a hard race downwind in light air with barely enough wind to keep big old Kinetics moving. Sadly I failed to get our halfway time in before the 8pm deadline so instead of a second place in class 11 on Sunday we were dead last! Rules is rules. We really enjoyed trading places with the awesome Sir Issac all day. That boat must be just as much work to sail with two people. Here are a few pics from the two days. Mostly other people’s boats. [results changed Tuesday morning and our 12:59 halfway time would have put us in second not first on Sunday].

Scatchet Head – CYC #2 2018

What has been a bad luck race for us the past 2 years almost became 3 in a row with an adrenaline charged pre-start. I was thinking we were done before we started but the foredeck pushed through and sorted things out just in time to get us to the line for a nearly perfect port tack start. We ended up rounding the modified (for the predicted light air forecast) course’s first upwind mark second overall! Eventually the faster boats rolled us but it was fun to be up front for a while. It was hard work with just the 5 of us with the big J1 needed for 3 upwind legs. Then we had the 2 downwind legs to round West Point twice. The weather was very nice and the wind held all day. We had a few issues which cost us some time but all things considered we did well. I even managed to forget to feather the prop and that was my gift to the rest our division.

Here is a great close up of some action at the leeward mark from Jan’s Marine.

And another from one of the crew.

Blakely Rocks – CYC #1 2018

Stunning day for a sailboat race in the Pacific Northwest. The forecast was all over the place in the days leading up to March 3rd but race day could hardly have been better. Steady breezes from 12-15k out of the north with moderate current and mostly sunny skies. Can’t ask for much more than that. Here are a couple photos of us in Jan’s Marine gallery from the race. [Kinetics is in the center of both photos]

A new seasons begins

Thanks to the Shilshole Bay YC and the Snowbird series we were able to participate in our first sail of 2018. The weather could not have been nicer for early February. Pure sun, nice breeze and not that cold. Despite being over early by a nose we sailed well and finished third in class. Work on the jib halyards by Ballard Sails’ rigging shop has sped up our hoists and with some trimming tips from Alex Simanis the boat pointed well and our tactics were solid. Wrapped up the day with a very nice lunch on deck back at the marina. If only every Winter race day could be this nice!

Too busy and too short of a race for pictures so here’s a nice poem by Pablo Neruda that I like.

Here I came to the very edge
where nothing at all needs saying,
everything is absorbed through weather and the sea,
and the moon swam back,
its rays all silvered,
and time and again the darkness would be broken
by the crash of a wave,
and every day on the balcony of the sea,
wings open, fire is born,
and everything is blue again like morning.