[Rhodes22-list] First Time Racing

[David Walker]

Wow, sounds like there might have been as much yelling going one as before,
but now coming from the crew.  An uncontrolled jibe on a J boat can be
dangerous as you found out.  Your skipper really to get more experience
before doing that again.

Dave Walker
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ronald Lipton" <lipton at fnal.gov>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 9:05 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] First Time Racing


> To change the subject, I had my first racing experience last Saturday.  I
> decided to
> get into it by crewing before I had a go myself.  It was a J-24 owned by a
> woman
> who formerly crewed for her husband but decided to keep the yelling down
by
> getting her own boat.  She had raced a couple of times before but still is
> pretty inexperienced.  Besides me there was another first-time racer
> and an experienced captain of another J-24 who was not taking his own boat
> out that day.
>
> It was quite an introduction.  Winds were 20-30 mph with gusts to 40.
> The boat really flew.  One boat was knocked down and parted it's main
> halyard.  Our skipper's husband's boat tore it's spinnaker.  We had
problems
> as well.  Our spinnaker was incorrectly packed and came up twisted.  It
> then tore the ring holding the pole off the mast.  We gave up on the
> spinnaker
> for the day.  Our skipper didn't quite get the idea of a controlled gybe,
> even
> after a couple of explanations.  The J-24 mast is only about 12" off the
> deck
> with the big mainsail so an uncontolled gybe can be quite dangerous.  I
> huddled
> on the floor of the cockpit when we were anywhere close to directly
> downwind.
> Another crewmember did't get low enough and caught a glancing on the top
> of the head.  Blood everywhere.  Boy those head wounds bleed.  After some
> convincing our skipper agreed to turn around and head for harbor.  The
wind
> was blowing directly out of the harbor entrance and it took some time to
> work our way in.  The little 4 hp motor was no help and we turned it off
> when
> we noticed here was no water telltale stream.  We ended up getting towed
in
> by the skipper's husband.
>
> In the end all crew survived and we did not drop the boat when we lifted
it
> back
> onto it's cradle.  As much fun as the high winds were I think I will wait
> for lighter
> winds for a second try on that boat.  On the other hand I learned enough
> about
> racing that with a couple more trips I am confident that I wouldn't
embarass
> myself when I enter with the Rhodes.
>
> Ron Lipton
> Empress of Blandings
> Michigan City, Indiana
>
>
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