SHTP stories: delivering Elise to Corinthian Yacht Club

Getting my thoughts together and will post regularly to tell the story in more detail. I will try to post one per day with photos and videos but might not be able to do that.

Pressure Drop and Latitude 38 as well as Norcalsailing have constant updates too and interviews.

Thursday 26 June - 2 days before the start of the race

Running late, Internet problems at home took me hours to get fixed (switching from an old analog system to a new digital one) and spending a lot of time on a personal/professional issue which started to affect me a few weeks before the start. Both issues are taking a tremendous amount of time and the latter a lot of emotional energy which I would have prefer to direct toward the rest. Elise's keel is fixed up and I am getting ready to go. Equipment checklist is ready and I am loading things up into the car until it can take it no more. First trip to the boat.

My mind is not at ease - I cannot concentrate on the race. I am late on Thursday. Rusty (dockmaster) helps me launch the boat. I load her up with whatever I could take from the car as load #1. I put everything down below and get ready to cross the Bay.

Rusty waves me goodbye from the dock of the Saint Francis. I wave back. The tiller is mounted upside down, Elise is missing its cunningham, the main sheet has about a million twists and turns in it. Hmmm.. Starts well. Blowing nearly 30 knots in the slot as expected on a June afternoon. Elise is making very good progress under main only across the Bay and makes it into Corinthian yacht club right by 6pm.

Elise before the start at the Corinthian Yacht Club

Elise loaded up at the dock of the St Francis Yacht Club. All systems functional at that point.

I am both excited and worried about going. Can I take the time off given everything else that is in crisis right now in my life, can I be away for so long? How will things resolve if I am not there? I have been preparing this race for two years. The boat has new equipment tested during the qualifier. My shoulder is not completely healed up. I feel rushed through things. Stressed because everything seems to be hitting at once. Unable to focus.

Elise has passed her inspection conditionally - as soon as the liferaft actually shows up on the boat, she will be officially approved to race (it is picked up the day before the race to minimize expenses but you can show the reservation to the race committee for a conditional approval)

I worked through the evening on setting as much as possible on the boat and drive back home for some rest.