Steve: Sounds like you played the hand fate dealt you very well.
While a long way from the first sail, I was out over the weekend too. Our sailing club had a Pirate Adventure this weekend. Each boat was given a set of clues to "Treasure" that had been planted ashore. Had to know the lake's named coves, etc. follow a map and directions, figure out a way to go ashore and claim your treasure. And pirates being what they are, were prone to stealing it from you if you got there late. But then the fun started. We all then had to sail up the lake to a cove for a raft-up. I had beached the boat on a steep shore, claimed my treasure and it was then time to sail. Rather than firing the motor, I just raised the main, backed it....which backed the boat off the lee shore, fell off and we were away... but one of the last boats to leave the cove. When I got into the main lake, there were two boats way ahead and two others about 200 yards downwind and on the same tack...a 22 footer and a 24 footer. I left the first two way behind and in the span of about two miles and two tacks, had managed to catch the other two....both 30 footers. They pulled into the raft-up cove about 100 yards ahead of me. New sails and proper mast rake do wonders. Right or wrong...my sails and trim choices were: full main and 155 genoa, jib leads forward to increase the draft in the jenny, downhaul loose, traveler centered. Wind was blowing about 8 to 10 knots...a few puffs maybe to 12....boat doing 4 to 4.5 knots and heeling about 5 to 10 degrees. While most of the folks in the boats 28 foot plus look on these little boats with disdain from the standpoint of interior comforts....I don't hear much about being slow anymore. Normally, I manage to keep up with the fleet. Not bad for a 17 footer. My only beef is with the wind. On the nose both days....the 2nd it was blowing all of 3 knots. Someday before I' too old to know what happened, I hope to experience a beam reach! _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
