Elysium gets a break in the Hot Rum...

Hot Rum II Third Place again! Thanks to Kym Kapalla, Robert Thomas and Nellie McMurdie for providing excellent crew work to bring Elysium across the line third in class. We had a premature start causing us to fight the ebbing current to get around the pin end to restart correctly (round the end rule). That started the battle to stay ahead of the fleet that was bearing down on us. Clearing Point Loma and entering the ocean, the wind increased to 20 knots as we power reached and bore off to bleed off some pressure, as the spinaker fleet behind dealt with the mayhem of a tight reach. Their spinakers were torn or let so far out that they couldn't get them down. Others struggled to get them in and raise the genoa. Some snagged the government buoy while other just simply broke hardware including a broken mast and many had to avoid colliding with the boat next to them as one after another rounded up to avoid broaching. After rounding the first mark in 20th out of 136 boats we surfed the swells astern down to the leeward mark. We were passed frequently by the class 3 and 4 boats and rounded the leeward mark in the lead pack. The rest of the fleet bearing down towards us. Hardening up to fetch the offset mark, the 50 or 60 boats in front of us all tried to get inside of each other causing them to bear off at the last minute to make the mark. The mark took a pounding as one after another played a game of pinball with each other and the mark. Then the wind died and looked like the Wal-Mart parking lot on a Saturday, except with a lot of yelling. As we approached, there was no where to go but on the outside as the fleet drifted off in a giant raft up locked together (more yelling). As we were abeam of the mark, but unable to see it yet, Nellie said "can't we just head up for the mark...it's right there", pointing off the port beam. I looked at the wind direction and we set for a close haul, headed up and fetched the mark inside of the fleet, passing 40-50 boats. Way to go Nellie! We began the slog to windward, first working the right side of the course , then headed offshore in search of more pressure.... more of the story later.