What would you have done different?

rhr1956 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

Wednesday night beer can race last night. Temperature 102 at race time..7pm. Wind out of south at 5-7. The wife said it was too hot so I went by myself. I was 15 minutes late for the start so I took off chasing the fleet in a southerly direction. Mainsail full and hanked on 150 genoa. After the fleet rounded the second mark they were headed toward me on their run so I tacked to their leeward so as not to get mixed up in the midst of them and spoil someone's air. The wind was starting to get a little better. I was approaching the lakes shoreline maybe a quarter mile out. There was a sizeable gap in the group which allowed me plenty of room to tack back through them and not mess anybody up. Just as I made my tack I saw the wind coming down the hill of the shoreline, blowing the hell out of the trees as it reached the water and headed my way. I don't know how hard it was blowing but when it hit me everything changed in an instant. I let the mainsheet go and dumped both genoa sheets. The genoa sheets were whipping around out over the water on the starboard side...barely getting wet and the mainsheet was all the way out. The genoa was flailing like crazy. I got the halyard loose and moved out to the bow pulpit. I got the genoa down and piled it into the pulpit and secured the clew to the deck cleat with the sheets. I got back to the cockpit and trimmed in the main a little but the wind was howling even more. I looked at the fleet and they were all scrambling trying to get their spinnakers down. After about 5 minutes the wind started dying pretty fast. Fifteen minutes after the whole thing started it was over. My heart rate and the wind was back to normal. When I got home my wife said a big storm hit a town about 20 miles to the east. I remembered seeing the cloud but it didn't look like much and it was not coming my direction. What did I do wrong...if anything?

kd3pc · #2 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

I think you did great, the only thing I would do next time, is to watch the weather a little closer. I would run the sheets through a stopper or block or tie the ends off, just because I hate chasing them down while whipping about.

Congrats on handling the drill! Next time your heart rate will only jump a bit...

treilley · #3 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

Question: Why did you feel compelled to avoid the fleet and not respectfully assert you rights as defined in the racing rules? Just because you started late does not disqualify you from the race, right? I watched a boat go from last to first one night after they got a late start. The lead boat was going to the wrong WW mark and the fleet followed them. Once everyone realized this, the order reversed and the trailing boat was first over the line and won the race.

As for the storm, sound like you did ok. Maybe rig a down haul for the genny and lead it back to the cockpit in case this happens again.

I disagree about the stopper knots in your sheets unless they are long enough to allow the sail to luff in a sudden burst like you experienced. If they are too short and you cannot release them, the sail could contribute to a knock down.

CharlieCobra · #4 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

The stopper knots at the sheet ends will help, if the sheets are the proper length to start with.

rhr1956 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

Yes, you are right about stopper knots. I will put a figure 8 at the ends next time. Thanks...Ronnie

rhr1956 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

The downhaul for the genoa is something I would really like to do. I like the way a hanked on headsail performs but they aren't easy to deal with in a pinch...especially solo.

rhr1956 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

I agree with you about watching the weather. In this case however, even the weatherman talked about this one being a pop-up surprise. It was nowhere in the forecast. As I mentioned in the original message, I saw the cloud and watched it move from west to east about 10 miles to the south of where I was. It didn't look like anything special. One thing about Texas weather...it's may be the only place in the world where you can step in a mud puddle while walking blindly in a sand storm!

OtterGreen · #8 (**permalink**) 07-28-2011

double over hand it. it will hold better if thats what your looking for .

rhr1956 · #9 (**permalink**) 07-29-2011

Thanks for all the ideas.

Cptken · #10 (**permalink**) 07-29-2011

You didn't say, did you head up into the wind? That helps keep sails and sheets in the boat and reduces the chance of a knockdown while you get the sail(s) down.