1st ocean race in preparation for PacCup

This past weekend 3 or our 4 crew participated in the OYRA Lightship race. This ocean race is about 25.2nm from the St. Francis YC out to the SF approach buoy and back. Conditions were lumpy to say the least due to high offshore winds leading up to the weekend. Winds for the day were 7-10 kts at the start building to about 12 kts as we approached the buoy. As the sea breeze filled in, winds built to mid-teens, and then low 20's as we came under the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather couldn't have been nicer and we had a nice ebb to help us on the way out and a flood to bring us back. This was perfect practice for PacCup because it also starts at StFYC and takes us out the Gate and along the approach channel. We also had a nice longish spinnaker run back (which we'll be doing a lot of on PacCup).

You can see the video of the race here:  https://youtu.be/cK-d0oEDGok

Next month's practice race will be the Duxship Race: StFYC start, out the gate, up to Duxbury Reef mark, over to the SF approach buoy, and back.  At 32nm, a bit longer than last weekend's race and another opportunity to fine-tune our crew. Our final practice race will be the Farallones race (58nm) in early June and then it's what we've been waiting for: PacCup (2,070nm) in early July!  

PacCup 2022 Inspection Complete!

This past Saturday we completed our Pacific Cup Equipment Requirements inspection - and passed (of course).  For those that aren't familiar, the race has a long list of safety related equipment requirements. The good news is that we had to get all this stuff for the 2018 race so it was mostly a matter of digging it all out of my shed at home and taking it to the boat. Setting up all the safety equipment on the boat was a good exercise, especially for our two new crew members.

                                                                        Storm sails

Alternate means of displaying sail number

Reviewing the list with our inspector

PFDs, tethers, knives, flashlights, re-arm kits

The whole process with our inspector took about 45 minutes. It's nice to have this required activity checked off the list. We spent the rest of the afternoon out on the water practicing person overboard recoveries and testing out the emergency rudder.  Videos of these activities can be found on YouTube. Next up John and I will overhauling our steering system cables and then it's ocean races the next three months (one/month) leading up to the start of the Pacific Cup the week of July 4th.  Three months away!!

We're back....  It has been a minute since I last posted on the blog.  But, we're now four months out from this summer's race

and activity is ramping up.  Due to COVID and vaccination requirements for the race, we had to make a "last minute" crew change near the end of 2021.  After casting around for crew replacements we found two excellent options and decided to take them both and increase our total crew from 3 to 4.  We've been spending the last few practice sessions getting the new guys familiar with the boat, POB practice, exposure to the emergency steering process, and provisioning discussions.  The boat is currently over at KKMI getting the bottom painted and we needed to get a rig inspection (thanks Ben @ Easom Rigging) for our insurance company.  We replaced the standing rigging 2 years ago in preparation for the 2020 race (that didn't happen), but they wanted an inspection anyway.  We've also been in discussions with the PCYC technical committee regarding our downwind rating and whether we'd get placed in the PHRF or ORR fleets (turns out we're right on the cutoff for going one way or the other).  Based on a desire to race with boats that look "more like us", we petitioned to be in the PHRF fleet, and just recently PCYC approved our request.  This also means starting earlier in the week (probably Tuesday or Wednesday, July 5th or 6th).  Once the boat's back from the yard we've got several practice ocean races in April, May, and June.  The last will be the OYRA Farallones race, where we plan to have the boat in full PacCup mode (dodger, solar panel, etc.).  This will be an excellent "dry run" for the start of PacCup (except we'll turn back after rounding SE Farallon Island). 

That's it for now.  Lots of details to work on over the next four month, which, undoubtedly will go by in a flash.  I'll leave you with a shot of the new crew out practicing.

Sailing to an island (no, not that island)

This past weekend was the Bay Area Multihull Association's (BAMA) Doublehanded Farallones Race.  Yes, they allow monohulls in the race too. The start was at 0800 off Baker Beach, just outside the Golden Gate Bridge.  The course is from the start out to SE Farallon Island (rounding in either direction) and back, finishing off the Golden Gate YC.  About 55 nm overall.  I've done this race about six time before, always finishing around 1800.  That was not the case this time.  We finished at 1949 making for an extremely long day.  We left the marina at 0545 in order to get to the start area and by the time we got back to the marina after the race it was nearly 0015.  But, we had nice weather, flat seas, and saw a bunch of marine wildlife.  Unfortunately, we didn't see much wind.  We had 5-10 kts of wind at the start but that quickly evaporated to 3-5 kts for most of the trip to the Farallones, mostly from SW to W.  The forecasted afternoon shift to the NW, with increased wind speed, never happened.  As a result, it took us 8 hours to get to the Farallones and about 5.5 hours to get back.  As is typical, the wind increased as we approached the Golden Gate Bridge and was its usual 20+ from the bridge to the finish.  Of course, this was all well after dark, and it felt like every commercial freighter, tanker, and barge decided to leave the Bay as we were coming in.  In the dark, with lots of traffic, it was a bit nerve racking.  Overall a good test of sailing skills and navigating in the dark.

Here's us as we round SE Farallon Island.

You can see the video of the race (as least while it was daylight) here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_EU7D09KWM&ab_channel=TracyRogers

More ocean racing

 After the disappointment of the Drake's Bay race a couple of weeks ago, the forecast was looking better for the SSS race to Half Moon Bay (about 24 nm).  Once again we had good breeze at the start off the Golden Gate YC, but it got lighter outside the Golden Gate bridge and the flood current made exiting the Bay very difficult.  We figure we were 1 for 3 on current calls, with the first two going badly and us losing boats.  Most of the fleet was in the center to north side of the entrance and we decided to stop battling the current and point at HMB.  That sent us just east of Mile Rock, where we tacked out just enough so that we could clear Seal Rock.  By the time we cleared Seal Rock we were among the four leading monohulls and the multihull fleet (that started first).  The rest of the fleet was still struggling to get clear of Lands End.  From there we could point directly at Colorado Reef buoy (the only mark of the race) about 15 nm south.  We eventually passed all but one of the multihulls and all the other monohulls except for one of the other J120s (Jamani) who had the benefit of a larger genoa and their large A2 spinnaker.  We ended up 2nd monohull to finish, correcting out 3rd in our division, and 3rd overall.  A really nice, albeit more wind would have been nicer, day on the water.  We arrived in HMB just before 3pm, grabbed a slip in Pillar Point Harbor for the evening, and then motored home (5 hours) the following morning.  A great weekend.

Video of the day can be found here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr7-oy4-cNQ&ab_channel=TracyRogers

On final approach to the finish in HMB.

Back in the Ocean - Drake's Bay Race

 Hokulani is back out on the ocean again.  This time for the annual SSS race from SF to Drake's Bay (about 31 nautical miles).  We started of the Golden Gate YC in a nice breeze and the day was looking promising.  Unfortunately, the wind forecast was accurate and once we got past Point Bonita heading up the channel, the wind started dying - settling in at 1-2 kts.  With the flood coming down the coast it was rough going.  We were able to get about a mile up Bonita Channel doing okay on port tack, but every time we'd tack away from the coast on starboard, the current would push us south.  We passed the green buoy off Tennessee cove at least twice.  After five hours, and with over 20 nm to go, we called it quits at 3pm and headed home.  Of course it was blowing 20-25 kts inside the Bay, so we got some nice sailing back to Brisbane marina.

Video of our day can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhXg_edqJvg&ab_channel=TracyRogers

 

Parking lot on the way up Bonita Channel.

Finally back on the water to do some racing.  Cris and I doublehanded the SSS Corinthian Race. We had winds from 0-22 kts and from almost every compass direction.  But a beautiful sunny day so sail on the Bay.  Looking forward to some ocean racing in the future.

Randy got this great shot of us during the race (when the wind had filled in).

See the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSjfYi_xZ8o&ab_channel=TracyRogers