Saturday, July 9, 2011

Race Prep

Saturday, July 9.  21:45.

Time very short to accomplish anything else.  We are mostly provisioned with only frozen foods to be put on tomorrow.  Last two nights spent at the Boston Yacht Club with pre-race festivities- dinner, bands, usual sailor camaraderie, old friends, new friends, and of course, a heavy flow of rum (but not for me and Peter Dowd,  the Whisper crew who are instead into scopolamine and Stugeron (cinnarizine)).

Race weather may be to our liking, but not until Monday.  We start (it seems) out near the Orkneys, then sail west to Marblehead, then south along its seaward coast before finally heading for Halifax.  But the wind is forecast as very light for the start.  Just thinking out contingencies, we may be in a situation of no wind and no forward motion and being pushed into the rocks of Marblehead by the tidal flow.  Be embarrassing to throw out an anchor just after the start!

But Monday, and especially into Tuesday and Wednesday, mostly SW winds, Beaufort 4 to 6 (11 to 26 knots) and even into Beaufort 7.  Whisper, being old, slow and heavy, will be happy if that forecast holds true.

The double handed start is at 13:20.  Joe Cooper of Newport via Australia competes against us sailing in Jaded, a J 105.  Joe was very helpful last year in sharing his extensive knowledge of building a Solent stay from which to fly heavy weather and storm jibs.  Hans Himmelman from Lunenberg, NS is a friend from previous races and will race Delawana, a much, much faster Swan 51.  By ratings, we are the slowest boat in our class.


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