The Race - not so Great Pumpkin 2009

Sailing like Salmons...






The Great Pumpkin race is a fun race - (some) people dress up, there are floating pumpkins along the course which we can pick up and get an award for, there is a quizz distributed to each boat to run for an 'intellectual award', there are random awards (this year was to the 6th, 15th and 26th finishers), award for the best costumed boat/crew and award for the last two boats to finish.

If we had finished, we would probably have been the only DFL boat going home with two awards.

The other special feature of this race is that boats can choose which way they want to go around the islands. If ever faced again with this decision, we will pick the other way around.

We lost over an hour drifting toward the bridge with 8 or so other boats who had made the same choice, and some 3 other Express 27s, only to meet the rest of the fleet already going down Racoon Straits under spinnaker. It was quite a unique experience to sail in a sea of spinnakers (really bad for your air though). The breeze filled up from the North favoring the other boats on the same course as we were and quickly turned Southerly (not planned)

Looking at the time, we decided to head back to Elise's home Club straight after the Straits, where some more food and beverages consoled us.

Strangely enough, I felt really bad about the race - not because of the actual situation (we live and learn, it's just a sailing race, there will be plenty of other ones) but because I thought that everyone else on the boat was sorely disappointed and really resented that decision (which we made jointly, reasoning around currents, etc...)

I do care about race results to the extent that I want to sail well, and better and better each time, racing makes me a better sailor. What I care even more about is to make sure that everyone on the boat is getting what they want, and part of it is getting good and challenging racing.

Today, I wasn't sure that it was the case, I wasn't sure that anyone was satisfied, and it felt like I hadn't done my job right. One person on the crew was offered a ride on a winning boat and turned it down as he had committed to Elise already. I apologized to everyone. It wasn't about driving or sailing well, it was about making a bad tactical call.

Everyone on the crew cheerfully pointed out that we don't get to be frogs every day, that it was great to just be on the water. They are right of course. We were on a sailboat on a beautiful sunny October day, in one of the most beautiful Bays in the world - with some great people. I believed them and started smiling again :-)

And frankly, sailing into this sea of spinnaker was truly magical, and we don't get to do this too often...

And I am lucky to sail with such amazing people.

The Making of the Frogs - Great Pumpkin 2009

This is Roger - the red thing hanging out of the mouth is the tongue. We got some long twisted candy to serve as tongues.

Hence quotes on the boat
'hey there's someone's tongue in the cup holder'


Mark' tail
Mark's quote of the day at the end of the sail 'is my tail straight?'

Michael's aerodynamic frog
Elise's mascot was brought up on deck
Our froggy hands and our green treats which we threw away at other boats (in particular the Race Committee boat, and no treats on Halloween do not qualify as bribes)

Froggy Nat
We all jumped around going into RYC. Even if our costumes did not always make it obvious that we were frogs, the jumping was the only needed cue for everyone to go 'OOoo, they're frogs!'

Andy's ear piece
Check out these froggy gloves

Mark's full length costume

Elise's bow figure (pretty slim waist for a frog)






Getting our bow figure ready

Mark pumping up our frog flag

The Mystery of the Stanchions

I ordered some new stanchions for going around the Bay (Elise is still set up with the Ocean ones) - I received them right before Vallejo 1-2. I took them off the boat as Nathan was getting ready for Vallejo 1 (of the 1-2), I put them somewhere saying 'I will put them so that I will remember where they are'

And now I cannot remember where they are. I have looked everywhere at home, on the boat, at the Club, in my car, etc...but I just can't find them.

Oh well, new stanchion order I guess...

Evening sail with Benoit - scenery

The clouds were so interesting, it looks like they were going somewhere (away from us)

Sail with Benoit - the boat

Upwind

and downwind

and crosswind

Evening sail with Benoit - Oct 2009

Friday - 4PM, Benoit and I set sail for a leisurely evening sail around the Bay. Winds were moderate (about 15-18 knots on the city front, 22 knots, 16 past the gate and before Benita Pt, down to 0 knot near Angel Island...)

We sailed past the Golden Gate Bridge (thus under), turned around after a mile out or so, set the kite and sailed toward Tiburon, down Raccoon Straits, around Angel Island, Alcatraz, up against the city front and back at the Club, silently gliding on the water by then, past sunset, at around 8/8:30 (Benoit did make his Red Eye flight)

It was so peaceful at night - there was no one else out in the Bay but ferries, tugs and cruise and container ships. We saw seals and sea lions...The city and bridge lights were absolutely stunning and working their mesmerizing magic.

Proud driver!

Wow - what was I not so happy about???

the wine and cheese

of the wine and cheese sail this past saturday

Elise Health Bulletin

Did some maintenance work on Elise this afternoon. Beautiful day for it and no one around.

• fixed broken sheet bag
• replaced broken clip for tiller extension
• hooked up boat hook and oar alongside the starboard quarter berth (previously, they were just sitting on the floor under the berths)
• emptied, cleaned and de-salted (boat soap and hosed off) the inside of the boat
• rinsed off most salty boat items (lifejackets, cushions, lines etc...) and cleaned other interior fixtures (sink, etc...)
• re-packed the 2nd spinnaker
• partially cleaned the bilge
• sanded and spray-painted blue the engine post
• mounted a new way to adjust the backstay from the high side, without having to look back. Will try this. It's very easy to undo
• Fixed a couple of scratches on the gelcoat on the cabin top (apparent fiber glass)
• tried a 'restore the gloss of your gelcoat) in places where the gelcoat is patchy
• applied teak oil/cleaner to all wooden surface
• re-charged the battery
• removed and cleaned uneeded items (stove, glasses, etc...)
• put boat cover on to prepare her for the night

turns out that she might not need a bottom job yet (looks like the anti-fouling paint is still working) and apparently it is normal for paint that is designed to stay in the sun to lose its color. Sounds like it has to do with a high copper content.

As for the kink in the mast, the only solution would be to physically try to bend the mast back. only 40% success rate. It only affects performance, so I will wait for the rig to die of natural causes (hopefully) before I replace the mast. And I need to be careful not to tighten the aft lowers too much and not release the backstay completely to maintain some tension aft. I will probably change the rod before the next big ocean race for Elise.

The 2 of Vallejo 1-2

flying away from the clouds

A seal played around the boat for a few minutes on the delivery trip back from RYC

Hat weather. Must be less than 85 degrees (see heather's fashion statement video)

more photos wine and cheese sail

This is so peaceful. Going out sailing is a great way to medidate. Your thoughts will flow just like wind and water do

There was a race nearby, loads of (beautiful) wooden boats

All photos from all these posts are curtesy of Justin!

full link is at: http://jv.smugmug.com/Sports/Wine-and-Cheese-and-Sailing

Setting up the spinnaker during leisure sail