The Newbie Crew View

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And now The Newbie View:

Friday 0000 AM Arrived Hyannisport marina to find the bar absolutely hopping. Wandering the docks I found the skipper and crew liberally libating some hefty Heineken's. We rocked the boat but didn't manage to dump any bilge pumpers off the stern. Other rowdy partiers on the docks didn't keep us up. Mike the 2nd slept on deck amongst the sail bags. The rest bunked below.

0600 AM Sunup, coffee and breakfast. The showers were jammed but we all got cleaned up and underway.

0900 AM We were rafted up three deep and the dock and everyone laughed when the guy three rows in ON the dock said "When are you guy's leaving? I have a ten o'clock start." but he was serious so we all cut loose and headed for the starting area.

0930 AM 210 boats motoring out to the strat was some sight! The high speed ferry zoomed by while the police boat shadowed the fleet scooting us out of the way of the ferry like a sheep dog with his flock.

1000 AM. Conditions good. Breeze about 15 knots from the West. Milling about smartly and checking out the other boats. There was a good spirit of camradarie and hopeful enthusiasm among the crew. There was a deal of laughing, joking and talking but as the start approached the team locked and everyone contributing their part as we got ready to race in earnest.

1100 AM-ish We shot the line and timed our approach. Committee boat was favored and we nailed the start. We were at the line going full speed at the gun. We're off!

The first windward beat was pretty uneventful; cranking along, everyone watching the trim and the competition. The water was a deep blue-green and we were throwing a considerable spray. Thank god for my new foulies. It was COLD! It was a bright sunny day and despite all the sunscreen I still got burnt on my forehead but the breeze was cool and strong.

Approaching the first mark was exciting! Lots of boats around and I had to haul out the sprit, free the tackline for the pre-feed, heave all taut and then haul up the "Code 0" spinnaker.
The lazy sheet got jammed when I was 2/3ds of the way up and in the excitement of freeing it no one yelled "Made" so I didn't know we weren't all the way hoisted. After a moment we got that squared away having lost but a moment. We all got back on the rail.

1200 PM-ish Holy cow! We're hauling @$$! We made a pretty steady 8 knots all across the bay. I was amazed at the way we just walked past every boat in front of us. The breeze was strong and lots of people were having trouble carrying their kites. Lots of people rounding up all over the place. We had to watch that no one rounded up into US! I saw one guy unable to get his kite hoisted and another completely blown out within minutes of one another. I have to say the downwind leg in not usually the most interesting part of a race but this was the exception by far. Too much light wind sailing on the Hudson river I guess. This Atlantic sailing is a blast!

0100-ish Rounding the final mark the take down was grand. There was a deal of strong language and confusion (as there usually is in my experience of sailing) but we got it down and continued sailing fast. We could suddenly see we were near the front of the pack! Wow! Lots of fast competitive boats around, people changing sails when BANG! The shackle on our working sheet exploded! A quick luff and some fast work by the crew had a bowline in and us back beating again in no time. Remember kids: bowlines don't break!

0200-ish There's the finish line! We stayed to windward where we could and managed to scoot across the line ahead of the boats immediately around us. OK, they weren't in our fleet but darn it they're sailboats and going the same direction as us!

We motored in past some great yachts including America's Cup contender "Columbia"
Wow! What a race! We got into the dock, got tied up and I fled to the ferry and my fair maiden
but I hear that everyone had a grand time. Way to go team! Next up: Marblehead-Halifax!
WOOHOO!
-AndyT13