This is basically an email I sent to a friend and I am to lazy to rewrite it.
Brian and Chuck won the event, Kathy and I got second. B & C won the first day and we won the second but he had enough on us on day one to take the gold.
What a kick a$$ run… did I mention I LOVE the Infusion!!!! Saturday started off cloudy and wet with the wind west and veering a little north making everyone put on their colors. We started a little late in a fading breeze and the whole fleet is on a very tight spin reach. A squall approached and it brought new breeze with some teeth. The new wind was backing to the north, giving us the start of what would turn out to be a great ride. Our first casualty of the new breeze was Scott Hubel, and his imported crew. At this time the water was still very flat and you really couldn’t hear the boats. Then over my left shoulder this hiss FWAP! I look back and I see Scott’s hulls pointing directly into the sky… hard pitchpole… so I go a little deeper in anticipation of the new breeze (thanks for the warning Scott). Karl and Jay are first through the Eau Gallie bridge (bridge 2) with a comfortable lead then the M20, us and Brian is on our hip. Shortly after the Eau Gallie bridge time runs out for the M20… they pitch pole hard and snap their stick 2-3 from the top. Kathy and I hove to and asked them if they needed help or wanted a tow. Bret sent us on our way and he said to not worry about it, and as soon as we turned to sail off a power boat showed up and rendered assistance. Wait, wait there’s more.
So now we are mid pack and right behind Matt sailing solo. He sticks it, looks like he’s going to save it then no, he’s swimming. So we hove to again to see if he needed any help. At first I thought he said he didn’t so we hung around just to make sure he could right the boat. After 5 or more attempts without success I sent Kathy over to help him. They had the boat up in less than a minute. I got her back on the boat and we on our way.
We are now through the final bridge (Melbourne) and it starts to rain HARD! It must have rained for 20 minutes and we could just barely see one shore so keeping our bearings was a bit sketchy.
Anyway everyone made it to the finish except for Bret. Come to find out all the spin boats flipped except Brian and us, yep that's right Brian didn't flip struck me odd too. What a great run, and many of you were not there to share it… W-T-F?!
Sunday was uneventful…almost, it was a classic on the nose beat back and about ¾ of the way back Karl broke a rudder pin and had to drop out.
Great event, and the new landing location is excellent. There is NO reason why this shouldn't be a 30 boat event year over year. It's always an adventure, but yet not so much that it gets miserable. It's enough to keep this old man happy and the kids interested.
M-20 mast busted? Ow!
Yup-Awesome. Sounds like serious following winds.
That's what insurance is for. His new mast will cost about $500 (or whatever his deductible is)
And I agree with Dave, this is an excellent race for a number of reasons:
- It's a great primer for those who want to experience what it's like to
distance
sail without all the risk of going offshore, ocean conditions, etc. You've got land on both sides, and cell phone service the whole way
- Race distance is just right (25 miles each way?). Long enough to make tactical decisions, but short enough to get in to the bar before dinner. You get a fresh start Sunday in case your finish position Saturday is less than what you wanted.
- Logistics are pretty straightforward. Launch and finish areas are wide, grassy, and have facilities. Perf Sail's got lots of parts in case you need something (or break something!). We stay both days at same hotel, which is a 35 minute drive up to start area (moving toddlers from hotel to hotel is a bit too challenging for me).
- Host hotel is really top notch and priced respectably for waterfront. Rooms are pretty big comparatively (two queens, couch, wet bar/fridge, outside seating area overlooking pool, free breakfast). The beachside bar really helps, too! Hotel is family friendly.
- weather always seems reasonable. I don't know what Scott did, but I think I've sailed at least 6 of these races, and at least one of the two days is great weather. Most of the times I've sailed it, both days have had good breeze (8-15 mph)
- Competition can be tough, but you won't often find a nicer bunch of folks. Top tier teams with the latest
go fast
boats right down to the $500 P-15 gather and joust along the coast. I know there were a few Getaways sailing one year (but don't know if those were owned or just rented for the event).
- Need rigging/tuning help? Experts are more than happy to share tips. Thinking about a new piece of equipment or boat? You'll probably get to see it up close and maybe try it out.
- Dinner on Sunday included in entry. Can't beat that with a stick...
- For as casual a race as it is, the PRO is expert and put a lot of time into making everything work smoothly
Definitely put it on your calendar for next year. You won't be sorry you did.