Dec 29, 2019-Racing Season Begins with a "Blast"

wingssail images-lisa diel
Starting on Port Tack

With a “Blast” in December our racing season got underway.

On day one of the Banderas Bay Blast, after a pretty decent start (seen below) we sailed well on the first beat and controlled the small but competitive performance class. We rounded the windward mark first only to watch Olas Lindas sail past on a tear and extend their lead to the finish. We could do nothing to stop them, but we retained second place. It was not unforeseen; it’s happened before in this event, and as usual, it left the next two races to determine the overall score.

Day two, however, was our day; the long beat to Punta Mita is our favorite race of the year and the conditions were perfect this year, once again. The fleet set off one by one, slowest boats first. Over 30 minutes after the first boat got underway we started in pursuit of them, and, staying close to shore and out of the tide, we quickly began to overtake.

Over and over we tacked into the shore, twelve times, while our competitors stayed out. Each time, as we approached the rocks the tensions on board Wings became high. I called for the crew to be ready but I held the course steady; straight toward land. The depth gauge ticking down, 25, 20, 19…

Judy finally made the call, “Let’s get out of here, Fred!”

“TACKING.”

The boat turned suddenly, away from the shore, and we sheeted the sails in on starboard tack, heading out. The depth was 15 feet.

Other boats know this strategy too and we watched behind us to make sure none of them got inside of us, but how could they? We’d completed the tack as close as it was safe to go.

At the halfway point we were in the lead and then the big right hand wind shift began to show. Over the next half hour the wind rotated from 240 degrees to 330 degrees and it increased to over 19 knots. We were inside the shift which provided further gains.

We were being lifted towards the shore now on starboard tack and in fact we had to turn away from a couple of the rocky points. We were flying with the big genoa but becoming overpowered. It took a careful hand on the helm to stay in control but I didn’t want to lose the time it would take to change sails. I feathered up when the nearness to the shore permitted, and, nervous about the depth, closely watched the depth finder. The boat speed increased, we grew closer, and luckily we hit nothing.

We finished the 8.6 mile beat and the race at 2:35:14PM. 1 hour, 35 minutes, and 18 seconds. It was our best time ever for this race, 13 minutes better than last year, and two minutes faster than the previous best time, in 2016. And nothing on the boat was broken.

Obviously we were pleased.

Day three saw different conditions. This 12 mile downwind race started off fast with up to 25 knots of breeze and we set the spinnaker and flew at over 9 knots, pole to the headstay and barely in control.

At the mid-point of the race the wind died entirely.

The fleet stopped.

We scanned the ocean. Except for two catamarans which had gone far to the south, no one was moving.

Behind us two of our competitors coasted to a stop within yards of us. I could hear them talking.

Then I felt the slightest breath of air and somehow the sail filled. We moved ahead a little. The boats behind didn’t catch it.

More air came and we gained some speed. It seemed like only a few minutes but it must have been half an hour or more before I again looked behind us. There was nobody in sight. No one! A door had slammed shut.

The two cats were now just ahead and we worked hard to catch them, but to no avail.

We finished third, a minute or two behind the catamarans, but it was enough to win the regatta: a second place, first place and third.


More Social Events:

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Party on Wings

Jimmy and Robin came for a visit and we had a good time with them, including a dinner party on Wings with several of our common friends.

We enjoyed the “Sailor’s Splash Party” put on by Nayarit tourism and we saw Mexican folk dancing at the Sunday Market.

For Christmas Dinner we joined other friends in La Cruz.

All in all it was a good month.

Click here for more photos and another video.

Fred & Judy SV Wings