LMSA Rum Race - Too Much Wind and Too Little Experience

If you don't like reading about the bad days then stop here cause this one wasn't that much fun. I was on time at the ramp. While rigging I found that the bolt that holds the tiller to the rudder and the u-bolt where the mizzen sheet come down to the tiller was extremely loose. I probably would have lost it tonight if I hadn't noticed. I have to assume that its because I take the rudder off every time I store the boat. The rudder moving up and down probably loosen it. I think if I get a slightly longer bolt the nylock(sp) bolt should do its job.

I was a little nervous unfurling the sails because the wind was blowing fairly strong. I don't know exactly what it was I need to get some sort of wind meter for the boat. I think it might have been around 15 MPH. Just a guess. There were white caps and the chop was a good 1' to 1 1/2'. Some how the setting sail went very well. I pointed into the wind. Unfurled the mizzen and then the main. I fell off and down wind I went.

I started the rum race course at 6:15 PM with a strait down wind leg sailing wing on wing. This was the only good leg of the race for me. The Sea Pearl was doing 6 1/2 - 8 MPH with a small amount of surfing. No one was catching me and I think I might have passed one boat that started before me.

Now the damn down wind legs always get me optimistic about sailing a decent close reach back to the starting line. Today was no different. As I jibed the main and began my port side tack I felt rather comfortable. I had a hard time holding onto the the GPS and watching my speed because I was heeled over and rounding up every once and a while but for some reason the port tack was working for me. I stayed on the first tack for around 8 minutes and tacked to the other side when I felt like I would make the fish line. Now keep in mind I have never made the finish in one tack. Today was going to be no different. From across the lake it looked like I was going to go back to the start/finish but I immediately had trouble. For some reason I could not control the boat the same on a starboard tack as I could on the port tack. I immediately started to heel over way to far. I was over powered and needed to reef badly. I rounded up and put two rounds in the mizzen after almost getting knocked down multiple times. This helped a bit but not enough. My back was killing me as I tried to control the tiller and lean out over the rail. For some reason on the port tack it wasn't bothering me but the starboard tack was incredibly difficult.

At this point several boats had seen me release both sails multiple times to avoid being capsized. Also an ugly reefing attempt that really didn't help much. I was not enjoying my self so ended up trying to point as high as I could to keep the boat under control and still make some forward progress. Even like this I was getting over powered and came close to capsizing several times. The only thing saving me was releasing both sheets and praying. I really don't think it any of this was the boats fault. A single crew member would have been a huge help. Especially one who knew how to sail and enjoyed those conditions. I could have used the extra weight on the rail and someone to help reef the main. Who knows I might not have had to reef with extra weight.

I will say that an ballasted Sea Pearl 21 running as light as possible and going to weather will pound hard into the waves. Its not that enjoyable. I have done it before with a fairly light load. Maybe and extra 150 lbs of gear below the deck and it actually does very well. But bare bones its rough.

Anyways I am on a rant and want to finish it. My overall time was 1:01:40 which is terrible. It had to be the slowest time out there. I didn't stick around to find out. Gotta a busy day tomorrow. I do feel a little better dumping it all out like this. I would like to think I learned something but I am stubborn and overly optimistic about the conditions so I will probably end up in the same position again soon.