Rolex Big Boat Series

Photo By: Rolex / Daniel Forster

Photo By: Rolex / Daniel Forster

San Francisco

Two long races today for the J70 fleet.

Once again we started the day on the Fort Mason race track. The committee signaled a three lap windward-leeward course in the 8-10 knot southwesterly breeze. The current was “flooding” once again so it was all about hitting the beach for relief. We had a good start and rounded the first mark 4th. We passed a couple boats on the next lap but could not get passed DFZ, who was sailing great and won the race. Our second place finish further solidified our lead in the series.

The second race was a marathon of three hours! 15 miles in a big flood tide is a long course for J70’s.

We were over early at the start but did not hear our sail number called for more than a minute after the start. Needless to say, we were deep on the first leg. Then we got in a big entanglement at the first mark and felt we fouled. So after rounding we did two penalties and once again, we were second to last. The course was a marathon all around the bay, and there were a couple of opportunities where we went a different route to some of our competitors and made some gains. The wind picked up to 22 gusting 25 knots. Our speed was good and Andy did a great job driving, especially downwind!

In the end, with the help of the leaders having a few problems if their own, we managed to work through the fleet for the win.

Tomorrow there is just one race and it will be long for sure.

For complete results go to www.rolexbigboatseries.com

Paul

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Rolex Big Boat Series

San Francisco

Friday was a very good day for us on Double Trouble.

In the first race we were on the Fort Mason race course with about 10 knots of wind. We were over the start line early and had to go back and restart putting us last in the 13 boat fleet. The current was “flooding” (coming in the bay) and our first mark was up toward the Golden Gate bridge. The whole fleet was tacking back and forth in a very narrow band, about 100 yards wide, along the shore, to stay out of the worst of the adverse current. This makes it very difficult to pass because there is a lot disturbance of the wind for boat that are downwind of the pack.

Andy Costello steering, Nick Catley the jib sheets, James Clappier calling the wind and me on the main sheet, all did a great job of working the shoreline and getting “out of phase” with the boats ahead of us. After about 30 tacks on the two windward legs and smooth sailing downwind in the favorable current, we finished second! Nice Comeback!

For the second race we moved out to the Alcatraz race course. The wind built to 15 knots by this time. The current was still flooding hard out there in the middle of the bay but there was no shoreline to close enough for the length of the first leg. This spread the fleet out a lot more than the first race. We had a good start nearly the left end of the line and were in the lead the entire race. It is much easier when you do it that way!

We are all pretty tired after a day like that. These small boats are very physical especially in the conditions on SF Bay.

Today’s 2,1 scores put us in first place overall, one point ahead of “Bottle Rocket”. Two more races Saturday and one Sunday.

For complete results go to www.rolexbigboatseries.com

Paul

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Rolex Big Boat Series

Photo By: Rolex / Daniel Forster
Photo By: Rolex / Daniel Forster

Photo By: Rolex / Daniel Forster

San Francisco

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Big Boat Series. Day 1 served up pretty familiar conditions. Moderate winds from the southwest for the first race then 18-22 knots for the second race of the day. There are 10 fleets spread out over three race courses. Sail boats racing from a MOD 70 to a fleet of J70’s and everything in between are racing this year.

Over the years I have sailed everything from 82′ maxi boats to this J70 which is about 22′ feet long. My first Big Boat Series was in 1977 on a cold molded Farr yacht called “Sweet Okole”. In those days, the Big Boat Series was a week long event with racing on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday evening, Friday and Saturday. That was back when people didnﾒt have to work I guess. The Wednesday evening race was a classic with the balcony’s around the club filled with spectators, all enjoying libations. The sailors would hit the bar around 8:00pm to find a rowdy crowd awaiting them. Also, the evening race often featured a dying wind and sometimes evening anchoring to hold position against the current.

This year, I am sailing with my friend Andy Costello on his J70, Double Trouble. The J70’s like the Melges 20ﾒs are enjoying great popularity. There are 13 J70’s here this week notwithstanding the fact that the world championship is taking place in Newport RI at the same time. The one design aspect, a vary light and fast boat, relatively inexpensive, 4 person crew all combine for big bang and big fun for your buck.

Two races were held today. The J70’s raced on the Fort Mason race course for the first race. The wind was about 8 knots at the start and the current was “flooding” meaning coming into the bay. Because the first leg was against the current so the fleet headed toward the shore side of the course, for relief. We had a bad start getting trapped outside the heavily favored right hand end of the line. We chipped away and finished 8th.

For the second race, the J70 fleet moved out to the Alcatraz course and now the wind was pumping in at 18 knots. The race committee signaled for a longer race, up and down the city front 3 times. We were in 4th place at the first mark and third at the end of the first run. Up the second windward leg, we got involved in a tacking duel and lost a bit of ground and then fouled another boat. We did our penalty turn and fell back to 6th. Andy and my team mates Nick and James did a great job of overcoming a few difficult moments to come through for the win. Sailing these little boats in 20+ knows is a handful. They are overpowered up wind so the sails fall the whole time and its about finding a balance in trim that allows the mainsail to set without tipping the boat over. Downwind they rip! but they also can crash and burn and when that happens, you lose a lot of ground over the team who keep their boat upright and planing.

Racing continues tomorrow through Sunday with 5 more races scheduled.

For complete results for all the fleets go to: www.rolexbigboatseries.com

Paul

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Copa del Rey – Day 6

© Carlo Borlenghi.

Palma de Mallorca

The short story is that we finished 2nd in today’s race, and third for the regatta.

The longer story is that the wind filled in so late that only one race was possible. When it filled it was the windiest of the week, at 18 knots.

On Robertissima, we had a great start and controlled the race, leading at very mark including the finish.

Bella Mente and Jethou both had bad starts, went right and was quite far behind after the first lap. Shockwave and Alegre sailed close to each other in second and third most of the race.

Heading into the last windward mark Alegre slipped back a bit and Shockwave slipped in right between us.

At that point we didn’t have enough boats between us to win. At 22 Knots of boat speed the run only lasted 8 minutes.

We crossed first with Alegre second, Shockwave third and Bella Mente 4th.

As it was Shockwave won the regatta and even the race because the 25 seconds we beat them by wasn’t enough. But we were tied with Bella Mente and would beat them on the tie breaker.

After the race Alegre retired and this moved Bella Mente up to 3rd in the race and second overall. It was all a bit hard for is to understand but we later found out that Alegre had touched the windward mark.

Obviously we would have loved to have had the second race as we were going sailing well but we had passed the time for the last start for the day.

All in all, we improved all week. We worked on our speed and our starts. We won more races than anyone, just had too many bad ones as well.

We were quite a few new people to the team for this regatta as the “regulars” were racing in the TP52 fleet. The next event for Robertissima is the Maxi Worlds in Porto Cervo in three weeks.

It was fun to be onboard Robertissima with a lot of friends.

For complete results go to www.regatacopadelrey.com

Paul

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Copa del Rey – Day 5

Palma de Mallorca

Two good races were held again today in slightly more wind, and plenty of sunshine.

Onboard Robertissima, we started of the day with a win. We won the left side of the starting line and therefore the left side of the race course and controlled things from there.

After that first race, we were in a three way tie for first place overall, with three races remaining. Shockwave and Bella Mente were the other two tied with us.

In the second race, we got a bad start. We fought for the left side as usual, but our timing wasn’t perfect and we got squeezed out 2 minutes after the start. We had to tack and go out to the right to clear our air, and on this one sided race course, that was it. We hung close but could never get around the others and no one made any big mistakes.

So going into tomorrow, we lie in third place, 3 points out of first and two points out of second place. Shockwave is back in the lead. We have a good situation should there be any ties in that we have won four races and the tie breaker goes in favor of most number of first places.

For complete results go to: www.regatacopadelrey.com

Paul

33rd Copa del Rey

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Copa del Rey – Day 4

Palma de Mallorca

Hot and cold today for Robertissima. Except it’s always hot here in Palma!

Two races were conducted on the Bay of Palma today in 10 knots of wind from the southwest.

In the first race we executed our plan to start at the left end of the line only to find the right side generally better. We finished 5th while Bella Mente won. Shockwave, the leader in our class was just in front of us in 4th.

In the second race there was an even bigger fight for the left side at the start. Shockwave won the fight but started slow. Bella Mente was just above Shockwave and even slower, but went over the line early and had to go back. Onboard Robertissima, we started just above Bella Mente with full speed. We quickly took control of the left and led the entire race.

Bella Mente, after fighting tooth and nail for the left, and having to restart, went hard right with nothing to lose. After looking far behind, they got an amazing wind shift to arrive at the first mark second.

After 7 races, Robertissima is in 3rd place, just 4 points out of 1st. Two races are on the cards for tomorrow.

For complete results go to: www.regatacopadelrey.com

Paul

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Copa del Rey – Day 3

Palma de Majorca

Todays race was the “coastal” race. This meant sailing a few laps around the bay of Palma. The conditions continued the same as all week, sunny, hot and 10 knots of wind from the south-southwest.

We did not have a great start and were last at the first mark of the course. Bella Mente had the lead since the start and never relinquished it. The boat was going well so we were patient and found some opportunities. We managed to get into second place about half way through the race.

The marks for the coastal race are variable and not in place at the start or even when you start a given leg. Sailing up the 3rd windward leg, our team misunderstood the range and bearing to variable mark 2 which is communicated by radio. We had understood 225 while the actual position was 205. We sailed for the 225 position and therefore “over stood” the mark by a quarter of a mile. The loss of distance put us back into 4th place.

This sprung Bella Mente even further into the lead and let Alegre out into second.

Fortunately Shockwave was not having a great race, (we might have had something to do with that), and they finished 3rd while we finished 4th.

So at the half way mark in the regatta, Shockwave is leading with 10 points, Robertissima is tied with Bella Mente for second on 14 points, Alegre is 4th with 15 and Spirit of Jethou is 5th on 22 points.

Needless to say, that very frustrating to give away so much distance and a very good score. However, we are sailing well and pretty fast. So we need to carry that with us into the last 6 races.

Tomorrow 2 races are on the card. Forecast is the same.

For complete results go to: www.regatacopadelrey.com

Paul

COPA DEL REY 2014 COPA DEL REY 2014

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Copa del Rey-Day 2

Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Palma de Majorca

Great day for Robertissima today! We won both races. It doesn’t get much better than that.After yesterday’s disappointing performance, we came out focused and determined.The wind was lighter and the race course trickier today. In the first race the left side paid and in the second race the right side paid. In both races Bella Mente looked good early and in both races they made mistakes that we took advantage of. We led at every mark of both races.

There is still a lot of racing left to do so we need to keep our focus.

Tomorrow there will be just one race and it will be a bit longer than the first four races. The race will take us around the rest side of the Palma Bay. The forecast for tomorrow is 8-13 knots from the southwest.

For complete results go to www.regatacopadelrey.com

Paul

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Copa del Rey – Day 1

Palma de Majorca

Today was the first day of the, 33rd annual, Copa del Rey, one of the Mediterranean’s largest regatta’s. I am sailing onboard Robertissima as tactician. Robertissima is a 72′ Vrolijk design IRC yacht. There are four others similar to us in our class.

The Copa del Rey has 11 races on its schedule this year, with racing Monday through Saturday. Wednesday we will race a “coastal” race, which really means one long race that day, while all the ether days we races two shorter races.

Today’s conditions were very typical of Palma, sunny, hot and moderate sea breezes. The first race started at 13:10 with 10 knots from the south. We had a good start at the right hand side of the line but the left side of the course was better. We could never get over to the left fully and ended up 3rd. Shockwave won and Bella Mente was second. Shockwave is the lowest rating boat in our group and gets about 1 minute of handicap time per race. They are about the same speed as the rest of us upwind but a little slower downwind.

The second race was started in 12 knots of wind still from the south, Bella Mente and Robertissima were over the start line early and had to restart. I have to take responsibility for that on our boat. We got in a battle with Bella Mente for the left end of the line and I didn?t manage the situation well. With the race course fairly strongly one sided..left…neither of us could get past the others and we finished 4th and 5th respectively. Meanwhile, Alegre, who finished last in the first race, was well out in front and won the second race. Shockwave sailed well again to get second and lead the series after day 1.

Tomorrow we continue with 2 races. The forecast is for a bit less wind than today.

For complete results and information on all other classes, go to www.regatacopadelrey.com

Paul

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Bacardi Cup- Day 6

Coconut Grove

No racing again today. Too little wind. We started race 5 at 10:30 and raced the first lap in a very light, fickle wind and then the committee abandoned the race at the leeward gate. Torben Greal had a big lead.

There were 3 attempts at the restart once the sea breeze filled in. Unfortunately the line was very biased in all three and they had to be abandoned at the starting signal each time.

As frustrating as it was not to race again, it is fair to say that the race may have been difficult as there was just 5 knots.

So it has been a long week for Rodney and I racing in just three races. Still, I have really enjoyed returning to the Star and will do more soon. A big thanks to Rodney for doing a great job up front! And congratulations to Lars Greal for winning this very prestigious event.

Paul

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