30′ Sailboat Racing
Once upon a time, I thought there was nothing more to do with a 30′ sailboat other than sail around the bays. Then I discovered sailboat racing and it rocked my world.
Suddenly, weekends were more meaningful and filled with excitement. I wasted no time recruiting my friends as crew members. I was determined to win. Races varied from weaving in and out of buoys to zipping around islands. One of the first things I learned was that I had to understand the tides and the winds. That was crucial to gaining the competitive edge.
When running against the tide on your race course (some race courses can be 5 to 10 miles), you definitely want to veer to the lighter side of the tide, but when running with it, you want to stay in the strongest part for that major boost in speed. Your winds are the same way in sailboat racing. In a bay, you will find more wind, possibly closer to shore where the land is warmer, driving the wind onshore. It may be only to 3 knots of wind difference, but staying on course in the middle of the bay where the wind is fickle may lose you ground.
When I first started racing, the more experienced racers stole a trophy from me many times. One time, we had a close call pulling past the last buoy to the finish line when a sailboat turned away to find stronger winds and quickly zipped past us. Over time, you learn more and more about racing; where to pick up extra speed and how to put your sails to work for you. My racing days were both exciting and frustrating. Races lasted a few hours to a few days. Always a challenge.
Along the way, I’ve encountered some very high wind conditions. The race didn’t start that way, but along the line I’ve seen sailors extracted by helicopters. Once I won a trophy simply because I managed to drift the best – there was no wind for hours and I lucked out thanks to either my deep keel or wide beam. Learning to master my racing skills in my sailboat took time and experience, but eventually you learn how to reach top speeds without straining your crew or your boat. That’s all part of discovering your boat’s point of sail. When you figure that out, sailing becomes natural, effortless and automatic.