Racing Sailboats

Guys, Raced today, first time out this season. Late in the water due to bottom work. Getting ready for the 100th Chicago-Mackinac Race next month. Glad it's not my boat. I'm a watch captain. Have done 3 Macs, many overnite races and I am still antsy. We have a month to go and I'm freaking. I know I need to chill out, so tell me to chill out!! Thanks, David Dobbs Cal 29 411

David, Chill, bro! The racing is nearly non-stop in my area. It just slows around the year end holidays, then picks up in the first weekend of January, climaxing during June, July and August. I haven't done my bottom now in 11 years. So I have it cleaned twice monthly in warm weather, and just before a major regatta. Next Weekend is the Channel Islands to Marina del Rey race. It's a 40+ miler for cruising and PHRF classes, with a big beef dinner at the Channel Islands YC the nite before the race, and mostly down wind. We had BIG WINDS two years ago (bumping 30 knots, yeeeehaaa!) and I won my class big time, but last year the wind gave out with this sailor twelve miles from the finish, and I retired rather than spend all night slating and drifting, with the porpoises coming by periodically giving us belly laughs. The race can be a feeder to the following weekends Marina del Rey to San Diego. The odds on finishing that race in a smaller slower boat, in my experience, aren't better than 50-50, it's all up to the wind gods. First race I place second, but haven't been able to make the finish cut off since then. Now they have mandatory motoring period for cruisers so it will help. Last two years were good ones with fair winds thru the nite. Jerry --- On Sat, 6/21/08, david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: From: david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> Subject: [Cal_Boats] Racing Sailboats To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008, 8:45 PM Guys, Raced today, first time out this season. Late in the water due to bottom work. Getting ready for the 100th Chicago-Mackinac Race next month. Glad it's not my boat. I'm a watch captain. Have done 3 Macs, many overnite races and I am still antsy. We have a month to go and I'm freaking. I know I need to chill out, so tell me to chill out!! Thanks, David Dobbs Cal 29 411