Last Saturday we sailed the first Gambler's long distance race (open for F18 and F16 only). A fun race with an unusual rating system. In fact you had to rate your own sailing skills.

At the briefing (12:00) the course was given, together with the finishing time: 16:00.

Then we had one hour to estimate the length of the course (17 miles) and how long we would sail on it (taking decreasing wind and current into mind).

By 13:00 we had given up our starting time and the times of the other crews were also revealed.

If you finished before 16:00 you kept your original starting time. For every 5 minutes you finished after 16:00 you were deducted 10 minutes of your starting time. The overall winner was the boat with the latest starting time after deduction of any penalty minutes.

1st: Nacra Infusion
2nd: Cirrus (same starting time as us but sailed 1 minute less on the course)
3rd: Blade 2-up
4th: Infusion, 5nd: Nacra F18, 6th: Nacra Inter18, 7th: Mattia F18



We entered with an estimated 1h35min of sailing and had our beach start together with a Cirrus F18 at 14:25. In the mean time the Inter18 and Mattia had already taken off.
5 minutes after us the 2 infusions started and another 5 minutes later the Nacra F18 started in last position. All of the starting positions were kept, only the Infusion (who won the race) did catch up with us and even passed us! In real time they sailed 7 minutes less on the course.

We started off with 7 knots of wind I guess, 30 minutes upwind to the first mark (the marks were 4 weather stations). We had a bad beach start, not because of Kathleen’s running skills but because apparently I didn’t attach the port rudder properly to the transom, meaning we lost 2 minutes on the water getting the rudders ok….

By the time we were at the upwind mark we almost catched up with the Cirrus. They were double trapping but sailing a lot deeper than we did. I could only trap myself but we could steer much higher.

Then down to the second mark (downwind leg). The wind was a little gusty, between 5 and 10/12 knts I would have guessed. On the first leg we went past the Cirrus and were really going fast. Then we made the mistake to go too far to the beach where it was much gustier, making it difficult for us to keep the boatspeed up. By the time we were at the 2nd mark, the Infustion overtook us and we were again a couple of seconds behind the Cirrus.

At that time we were already racing 55 minutes and only half way the course. I thought we would never make it on time.
The leg to the last mark was a half wind one and from the last mark back to the sailing club also half wind. Meanwhile the wind had picked up and was blowing 10 to 12. The waves started picking up forcing us to stand way back in trapeze.
Because of the gusty wind and the bigger waves we had to head up once in a while causing us to end to high at the last mark. We were right behind the Cirrus but had to sail straight downwind to round the mark. There we lost valuable minutes again….

Apparently we sailed quite fast on the last 2 legs, cause we finished close to 16:00… Only 3 minutes late!

Below, the pic report.

Gill

upwind leg

Downwind

Downwind 2

nose dive!

halfwind leg.

Gilo, awesome images! Are you guys going to try to come over for next years A cat and F16 invitational?

what u doing here....
I don't see no stinkin "F16" under your name
<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

yeah and I have to replace my avatar! How about you? You ever gonna race that blade of yours? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

did once... bad stuff happened but I felt we were doing well. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
racing this weekend though but since it is a distance race I am doing it on a HT

Great picts Gill & Kathleen....this is what the F16 forum should be about.!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

That's what we also thought.

Gill

Well Done !

And allow me to express my appreciation for Kathleen who takes all the abuse the Boat and Skipper put her through without a whimper ! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Those are the women we should take care to keep in very high regard !

Nice concept for a race, by the way, worth copying.

Wouter

Hi Wouter,

here's some more abuse <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />



This time not from Gill or the boat, but from the motor boat who got to close and made a big wave that went over us. You don't have to capsize to get wet, this way...

Anyway I don't mind the bruises or other pains. The only thing I don't like is the fear I sometimes have on the water. I am scared but I can't really tell why. I try to be rational about it and tell myself nothing bad can happen, but it's not always easy to overcome this.

I guess you though guys don't have trouble with something like this? Any tips maybe on forgetting the fear? I must say that the longer I am on the water the more relaxed I am. But the first moments I get on the boat I feel anxious and don't really know why. Maybe I should get some therapy <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I think the only therapy against that is more sailing and seeking out the situations you fear to try and discover why you fear them. If you know the "why", the "how" should be easy?

Cool pict!

I'd blame whoever was trimming the mainsheet!

Kathleen,

There is photo documentation out there of the bruises, you say that you do not mind, from both Zanvoort and Gulfport.

I'm thinkng maybe there is some repressed fear of getting on a boat with Gill?? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Great shots - Looks cold though

Matt

Hey guys,
not wanting to spoil the fun here, pics look awesome.
Is it me or the shroud is not tightened properly ?Is there a reason for that ?

They are bending the mast with their bodyweight and due to the wave hitting the hull, lifting it. That is why the shroud looks slack.