Wizard, Newport to Cabo race, one slow race south

Wizard sailed the Newport to Cabo race as a tune up to this year's assault on the Trans-Pac Barn Door race.  Wizard, as Bella Mente, already owns the elapse time record for the TP in the last race.  Now with a new crew headed up by Dave and Peter Askew, the boat is at it again.  Wizard is perfect for the Pacific races, long, light with lots of sail area and stability.  There is not much to do to the boat.  Main work is in the crew and sail program.  We used this Cabo race to try some ideas out.

Best wind of the first day was at the start.  Stacked and sailing through the boats that started before us.  Fully powered up with the R2.

I think I will explain what we did with the sail program after the TP.  The race was slow but it was a good practice.  We all got along well and got plenty of rest.  First day was very light, almost no wind on the water.  Still we made good progress and was leading the fleet.  This day of light air made it sure it was to be a little boat race as the handicap was time on time and every time we stopped the clock did not.  We would have done well on handicap if we did the race 24 hrs less.  But that is the way it is, still second in class was a good finish, over course added to the first to finish, which is what we are after...

Crew:

Dave Askew     Skipper and watch Captain

Peter Askew     Co Skipper

Dee Smith         Co Navigator/Tactician

Ian Moore         Co Navigator/Weather guy

Trevor Baylis   Watch Captain

Sean "Doogie" Couvreux    Bow guy

Ted Haaland   Bow Guy

Arnis Baltins   Big guy

Mike Howard  another Big guy

Bill Jenkins      Trimmer/Pit

Matt Smith       Pit/food guy

Dave Culver    Boat Captain

Matt Beck        Trimmer/ Driver

Grant "Fuzz" Spanhake    Trimmer/sailmaker

One should mention that everyone did everything really.  It was great to work with people that had no problem doing anything at any time.   Everyone worked hard and kept the boat in good working order. We did not break anything and was able to sail fast 100% of the time.

All good!!

Dee

Final day at the HPR Midwinter Chsmpoinships

Team Premier was 4 points behind fellow Farr 400, Chessie Racing and Spookie, the Carkeek 40 sailed by Steve Benjamin, with his wife Heidi calling tactics.  It was a big ask to get the 4 points in four races, but we decided if we sailed well and won all three we still needed some help from our friends in the other boats.  The conditions were perfect, 10-18 knots from 25 to 66 degrees.  Big sheers in the wind both in direction and pressure.  We got 3 good starts.  But we were in faze with the shifts all day.  Don't think we missed one.  Spookie would get away with their speed but we kept cutting into their lead with a better shift that went our way.

We did get our three wins on the last day.  Good starts and called some great shifts.  Boat was going well and it was a lot of fun to get the boats up down wind over 15 knots in 17 knots of wind.

In the end after looking over the results for the series, a painful fact came up.  Int he first race we lost 3 place by one second.  If we had that third we would have won the regatta on a count back.  Very close I would say.  Of course you can look at the last race and see we won the race by 4 seconds....  Karma?

Results: http://www.transpac52.org/news/year-2013/Results-Gaastra-52-World-Championship.html

How do we like the HPR rule?  Very much.  It was the talk on the dock that the boat that sailed best won the race.  It was great to see the Farr 400's win 6 out of 8 races.  This happened because in most part, we got good starts and shifts.  The Carkeek's match races a bit and slowed each other down.  We would cut the corner.  Nobody said a boat won because they rated better...  I think this is the first time I have heard this on the dock durning a series...

Here is a site with more info:  http://www.hprsailing.org/hpr-media/press-releases.



more pictures from Rick Tomlinson:

HPR Midwinter's second day

Racing started on time but the wind did not stand up.  So after 2 legs the race was abandoned and we were sent in.  The Farr 400 had a good first leg in the shifty very light conditions against the Carkeek.  We were first to the windward mark for the second race in a row.  Hopefully we can do that in the next race that counts.  Web site for HPR  http://www.hprsailing.org. Here are some great shots from Rick Tomlinson:

HPR Midwinter Championship, Miami

all photos from Rick Tomlinsom

The HPR Midwinters started off with great sailing conditions yesterday.  This regatta is being run along side the TP 52 world's.  Wind was a fantastic 15-23 knots yesterday out of the 265-315 as there was a small cold front that passed through durning the races.  This brought some good shifts along with good puffs to ride.  I was sailing on Team Premier with a crew of very good sailors.  It was the first time we got together and we had a few issues in the first race, but in the second we sailed very well.

The fleet consists of 2 Carkeek 40's, Spookie and Decision.  Along with 2 Farr 400's Chessie Racing and Team Premier.  Not a lot of boats but all sailed very well.  First race saw Decision over early.  Chessie and Spookie sailed off to the left while we after a good start tried the right.  Left won. It was close.  Both Farr 400's lost some time because with the big breeze the spin halyard slipped through the stopper..  Took a while to sort it out and get going.  So our runs were not so good.  Spookie won, with Chessie second, followed by Decision and us.  

The second race, we very interesting.  We can see the clearing coming over the course from the north west.  We really wanted the right and to get there as fast as possible.  We decided if we could start on port at the committee boat it might be the race winner.  With the small fleet, so it was a small risk we could not get through and after seeing how the other set up we went for it.  Ducking the three others and clearing the committee boat by a boat length, we were off.  This saved us the tack in big breeze and made us the right hand boat.  Sure enough, the 15-20 degree shift came in when we were very close to the layline and we rounded first.  Chessie who was the right boat at the start on starboard, tack on our hip and followed us.  Spookie and Decision match raced out to the left and got hammered.

With the big right shift we gybed set.  3 minutes later Spookie sailed over us going faster, they give us 4 minutes an hr.  The rest of the race was holding position with no screw up.  We won and Chessie was second, Spookie third.  Decision had some problems with their spinnaker....

Points  Spookie           1,3 =4

            Cheesie            2,2=4

            Team Premier  4,1=5

            Decision          3,4=7

As you can see, very close racing.  Times are very close and the best sailed boat corrects out.  

Finished the Caribbean 600

48 hrs and 11 minutes to do 600 miles around a lot of islands and marks was not easy but it was a very rewarding race and a new experience for the crew of Bella Mente.  The boat preformed very well in all conditions.  We had a very tight race with a very well sailed Cookson 50, the Canted keel Privateer.  The canted keels gives a very large advantage sailing in this type of racing as it is mostly power reaching, and they have the added advantage of more RMC given with the keel out over 40 degrees.

here you have a Tim Wright shot of the start, and Bella has the jump on the fleet.

The course of 600 miles starts off English Harbor, Antigua.  We rounded Antigua after a short beat and then reach off to the North Sails Mark just off the island of Barbuda.  Leopard, the 100' canted keel fastest boat in the fleet, took the lead of around 2 miles as we gybed around and headed to Nevis on a fast run in 16-22 knots of wind.  The sailing was really perfect as this video shows.  In the video you can hear Bella screaming, in over 12 knots of boat speed, the keel hums, at over 20 knots, it is quite loud.  But we get used to it and it help keep the boat moving at speed.

The sun was going down as we rounded St Kitts.  In darkness we then rounded Saba, St Barths, St Marteen and again St Barths to head south east to Guadeloupe.  We were leading the race for a few minutes over Privateer as we got near the large Island of Guadeloupe.  We had a plan and it was not so go.  We ran ran right into Leopard and stopped for 3 hrs.  Boats behind could watch our travels and head in around us toward the shore.  Many did not stop at all.  We continued to sail hard and make large gains back.  Only to lose to Privateer by about 20 minutes.

look Ma, no hands

But we did set an elapse time record for mono haul, non powered or non-moveable ballast boats.  We also won our class and was first out of all non powered and non moveable ballast boats.  We could have won the whole thing but our stop under Guadeloupe was too long.

Bella sailed very fast and hard the whole way.  The crew kept it moving fast but in a very safe way.  only problems we had was some batten problems on a couple of jibs.  600 miles about 110 miles of beating and we averaged over 12.5 knots. pretty fast including our 3 hr tour...

I really enjoyed the race.  So much fun sailing in strong trades, warm water...

Check out the website: http://caribbean600.rorc.org

Bella Mente does Caribbean 600

I arrived here in Antigua a few days ago to get ready for the 600 mile race on Bella Mente.  The wind has bee in the 15-23 knot range, water and temps in the 75-82 degrees, which is pretty nice for February.  There are around 50 boats in the race from over 200 feet to 30 feet.  It has been a while since I have visited Antigua and the big surprise is the mega yachts that are here now.  Many huge sail and power.  I have counted 3 J class boats.  Old classics and others that just get your mind spinning on how big they are.

The race starts in a few hrs.  Our routing has us finishing in around 1 day 20 hrs which is pretty fast.  We hope to get through the holes under the islands well and keep moving.  Most of the race is reaching which Bella really does well.

You can follow the race and read news at this site:

http://caribbean600.rorc.org

Tracker:

 http://caribbean600.rorc.org/race-information/tracking/2013-fleet-tracking.html

A good Cause

You all know I have tried my best to support cancer research over the last few years.  Mostly from working with the Leukemia Society, we have been able to raise some really good money.  This year I would like to put my efforts, though a bit late into the decease that I went down with, Lung Cancer.  Some of you might know that Lung Cancer is the biggest killer but because most people think it is a self inflicting it does not get much funding as other forms of cancer.  Some of you know my late friend Rob Moore.  He, like myself was a non smoker and he lost his battle over a year ago after a very well fought 2 year battle.  We have a chance to support Lung Cancer in Rob's name.  Check this out:

The Rob Moore Memorial Regatta Auction is now Open!

Live Event

Sat Feb 16, 2013
5PM - 8PM PST

Corinthian Yacht Club

Make Your Bid to Support Lung Cancer Research and Awareness!

Rob died just over one year ago from lung cancer-- an otherwise very healthy 58 year-old guy who never smoked.

Help us raise money for the #1 cancer killer -- lung cancer by bidding on some amazing items donate by Rob's friends and associates. This online auction is part of the fundraising efforts of the 1st Rob Moore Memorial Regatta, being held on February 16, 2013 in conjunction with the CYC Midwinter Regatta. Jointly organized by the Corinthian Yacht Club and the Bay Area Racing Federation, all proceeds from this auction will go directly to the National Lung Cancer Partnership to support lung cancer research and awareness.

The NLCP's mission is to decrease deaths due to lung cancer and to help patients live longer and better through research, awareness and advocacy. They are a 501 (c) (3) organization with a four-star Charity Navigator rating.

Web sites to check out:

• http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=robmoore
• http://www.bayarearacingfederation.org

Please feel free to look over the sites and give if you can.  There is a big regatta at Corinthian YC this weekend in San Francisco in Rob's name.  They have around 140 boats and there will be big parties going on.  I just wish I could be there.  

Thanks for your support

Cheers

Dee