Santana 22 White Sail Series #3
Saturday June 19th saw us trying to get away from Alameda with a borrowed engine which quickly choked and left us rocking the boat to make way back to a slip. Tom ran home to get the other engine, which was needing service, and Javier and I removed the little iron corpse to the parking lot to await his return.
Motor swap complete, we held our breath on the way out the estuary into building wind and slop. By the time we got to the race start it was blowing hard with 3 foot chop and we were already being doused. It was really apparent how much better this race was being run compared to the last, radio communication, signals on time ( and not using a duck call as a horn ).
I had thought all my various camera widgets were set and ready to go, but once we were out there, I discovered the back stay camera batteries had croaked ( they had shown a good charge the night before) and the H20 proof point and shoot I wear around my neck didn't have a card in it, leaving only the HD GoPro on my head. Lesson learned I guess. I got some decent footage, but the head cam along is just too squirrelly as my head tends to swing around during my duties on board. I do try to hold shots when I have a moment, but still.
The race was lesson in reading currents and wind. I know it sounds obvious, but the cuurents around here are insane. Passing Point Blunt on Angel island we watched as boats would pass through a current line and instantly be swept away from the intended goal ( the windward mark). This race was much longer than the previous White Sails race and after 3 hours of racing Meliki took winning honors by just two seconds. The finish was a slow motion affair and Tom picked the line with better wind and closed about 3 boat lengths in a quarter mile. Oreo took second place and it must have been a bummer as it looked like their gutsy move earlier in leaving the pack would pay off.
Motor swap complete, we held our breath on the way out the estuary into building wind and slop. By the time we got to the race start it was blowing hard with 3 foot chop and we were already being doused. It was really apparent how much better this race was being run compared to the last, radio communication, signals on time ( and not using a duck call as a horn ).
I had thought all my various camera widgets were set and ready to go, but once we were out there, I discovered the back stay camera batteries had croaked ( they had shown a good charge the night before) and the H20 proof point and shoot I wear around my neck didn't have a card in it, leaving only the HD GoPro on my head. Lesson learned I guess. I got some decent footage, but the head cam along is just too squirrelly as my head tends to swing around during my duties on board. I do try to hold shots when I have a moment, but still.
The race was lesson in reading currents and wind. I know it sounds obvious, but the cuurents around here are insane. Passing Point Blunt on Angel island we watched as boats would pass through a current line and instantly be swept away from the intended goal ( the windward mark). This race was much longer than the previous White Sails race and after 3 hours of racing Meliki took winning honors by just two seconds. The finish was a slow motion affair and Tom picked the line with better wind and closed about 3 boat lengths in a quarter mile. Oreo took second place and it must have been a bummer as it looked like their gutsy move earlier in leaving the pack would pay off.
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