Today we had a fifty mile distance race. The wind is blowing from the North West and expected to be breezy. The carbon main is on and the battens are in. The last minute call to switch the main is an odd one. This is the main that we took off shore and I put my shoulder through. There is a big square patch just above the second reef point and is almost a two foot square patch. Not fast. Our train of thought; if we blow out a main it would be better to blow this one out and be DNF or DFL versus blowing out our carbon one and be out for the regatta.
This helped to be mentally unfocused. Myself and Don feel relieved and happy to be hoisting the main. The rendezvous point was not too far and we had about twenty five minutes to the gun. It was blowing hard enough to make the call for the reef line to be installed. Who doesn't like more weight aloft? This was a safety incase our main ripped and was able to save boat speed by using the reef.
The reef line was never secured properly and went into the piss. It got wrapped around the prop. Not good. The next plan of action is to get the reef line unfowled. Engine off! I went down below to get the anchor. Don and I are up forward getting ready to drop the hook while Guinness is stripping down getting ready to cut the rope loose. Hook set, Guinness is in. There were lines over board for Guinness, when I got to the back of the boat Guinness just popped up and was in arms reach. I dove down and grabbed his hand and pulled him in.
No one knew what to expect. The majority of the line is off the prop and its time to put up the main and get to the starting line. I think we were already into our five minute sequence and we had to go up with the jib and get on the line fast. Don and I are up front trying to sort out the mess and got soaked by a wave. From that point on I was never warm. I had my shoes on instead of my boots. Lesson learned.
The race was fun. The two reaching legs at the beginning were fast. Once we got to the second make Numbers was gone. Up and around the 'Bay' we get to our windward mark. Turn and burn baby. We were in the twenties in no time, screaming down wind and ready to go. We caught up to 'Hissar' but could not quite pass her.
It was a long upwind beat back to the start/finish line. The main did not break. Time to get warm.
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