The first capsize anyway.....

I was going downwind and I got a puff and I was trying to drive the boat without being too twitchy. I saw the leeward hull go into the water and I told myself, I got I got, I'll just bare off. Then as the hull came up a little higher than I wanted, my mind obviously went into panic mode and I ended up shoving the tiller over the wrong way, then over I went...FIRST CAPSIZE!!!

Anyway, I couldn't get it back over and a chase boat came over and helped me. After I thought about it and talking to someone, I wasn't using the correct technique. First, I wasn't putting the righting line in my trapeze hook, and I didn't have the bow pointed into the wind... I did have the downhaul off, the traveler out, and the mainsheet uncleated though. I had all of the correct stuff, but my technique was bad. I still might need a bag though cause I do own a HEAVY Viper.


BTW, this is my first EVER capsize as me skippering a boat. I've never capsized going upwind or downwind on my TheMightyHobie18. Kind of hard going downwind on an 18, but upwind it's not that hard...I probably drove to conservative though and that's why I didn't in the past.


Anyway,
I just wanted to share my experiences over the weekend.


BTW,
The Cinco-De Mayo regatta at Lake Lanier was a very nice event. There was only about 15 boats, but the club was a very nice setting and the races were run real smoothly.

Does anyone have the results and some photo's of the event? I saw someone taking pictures and I wouldn't mind seeing them....



Mike