Notes and Results: Wednesday July 29th

Last week I passed along my Chicago Mackinac Race thoughts. This week we have the following from an email Mike Fahle sent in. Mike crewed aboard one of the fastest of the multihulls in the Port Huron to Mackinac Race:

Hi Kent,

I raced aboard the "Cheekee Monkee" this year and spoke with this reporter (from the attached Detroit Free Press report on the race). I thought that you would know the people who might like to see this and be able to share it with them.

I read your Chi-Mac race report and hope you enjoy this brief account of racing the Cheekee Monkee. We had only three aboard so it was a workout and both nights it was probably the most difficult helming I have ever done.

Although I have known Ron White (who was the PRO and is the current chief measurer for the Chicago Mac) for many years, this was my first sail on Cheekee Monkee which started life as a stock Corsair F-31 and some of its modifications include: mast canting of about five feet side to side at the masthead, mast rake adjustment of about six feet at the masthead (both while under sail), lifting foils on each ama (not pontoons as per the article), a taller and longer chord all carbon wing mast, better designed all carbon beams with higher clearance (the rear beams on these boats typically act as brakes in wavy conditions), a whole new carbon interior, two feet added to the transom on the main hull, higher aspect ratio and better designed daggerboard and rudder, and all synthetic fiber rigging.

During the storms at night was probably the most difficult helming I have ever experienced. There was no horizon, no steering references, nearly constant firehosing, and chasing headings on the GPS or compass with even just a few seconds lag on a boat that can accelerate to 25 knots in a few seconds and quickly start flying the main hull was not only frustrating but also nerve wracking, especially when you do not know how much wind might be coming. The boat would easily plane and be out of the water to the daggerboard, feeling much more like a powerboat than a sailboat. It has a very flat bottom so it was slap, slap, slap on the wave tops with each slap sending big spray through the nets directly to the face (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHXve23fCZw&feature=fvw ). Just glad the great lakes are fresh water! The foils are amazingly effective and Ron told me that they were calculated to lift as much as 8000 pounds. That is why the beams had to be replaced (two broke under the load before they realized that the foils changed everything) and that is why the interior had to be redone in carbon to keep the hull from oil canning under the beam loads. Ron said the history of the boat has been responding to the next weakest llink as the previous one got upgraded. So it was a treat to be able to race the Cheekee Monkee and Ron is a passionate racer who would be fun to spend time with doing anything.

Thanks to Mike for that report. Cheeky Monkee took 3rd in the multihull class. So how about the rest of you? Still dreaming of racing aboard a multihull?

North Cape was represented by Nice Pair and Time Machine. Nice Pair with Bruce Geffen, Gary Hall and compatriots followed up their ChiMac win with yet another first place in the Port Huron Mackinac Race. Robert Gordenker’s Time Machine with Jeff and Colin MacKay, Rick Cross, Fred Berutti, William Hewett, Jim Schlee, Dennis Maurer, Carol Lybarger, and Shawn Hughes brought home a 4th in the J35/Thomas 35 class. Congratulations to you all.

This Wednesday was just another in a long line of great sailing nights we have had on Wednesdays this year. Fourty-four boats participated in another downwind start (we should be getting good at these), first leg to the South Mark, a beat (well, a port one-tacker) to the North Mark, and then a pretty tight off wind leg to the West finish. The wind either shifted between the time that the RC chose the course or else the direction was a little different out further on the lake then it was near to shore because Course #4 looked to be a good choice before the start with a fairly square beat from South to North. The first run was favored on port so that always sets up an interesting start line scenario. The few starboard tackers approaching the start have the right of way over the majority of the fleet coming in on port. It pays to pay attention and not get yourself in a position from which you have no options for escape. There was one starting line port-starboard protest in the PHRF A fleet but everyone else seemed to get away pretty cleanly. The run found some boats just pointing at the mark, some sailing the angles, and the asymmetrical boats touring the lake. None the less, at least in the PHRF B fleet we were all pretty close together by the time we got to the South mark. When we rounded South the beat was heavily favored on port tack and then freed up marginally by the end of the leg. I believe most boats ended up laying the North (or Center) mark and so with flat water and about 6 to 8 knots of wind, it was a good leg to work on boat speed compared to your competition. Turning the corner at the North mark, the question was “jib or spinnaker?” Of course I waited longer than necessary to decide and then called on my crew for a late change from our normal full shouldered downwind kite to the flatter small shouldered reaching chute and Davey, Barb, Helene and Sandy pulled it off flawlessly in the last couple of tenths before the mark. The PHRF fleet was divided on the “jib or spinnaker” choice with probably the majority leaning to jibs. Rounding the mark and setting the chute it seemed that perhaps it might have been the wrong choice as it took a couple of minutes to get everything in the groove and settled down for the leg. But we didn’t make a rash decision to go back to the jib and once squared away the chute speed was better than those who opted for jibs. It turned out to be a lovely last leg of the race even if fairly tight and was a really nice sail. Splash Dance pulled off one of the moves we are (in)famous for, going to weather with their kite to lay the finish pin, but they made it work. Thanks to the John Heagy and the bunch from Autumn Wind for Race Committee work. Another great night on the water.

In JAM B, Bill Comber’s Beachcomber3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXhJ3HeTaBU ) showed Catalina 27 quickness in taking the win over Aftermath2 in 2nd and Full Ride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IxXRqLjg5s See what happens when you wear a tinfoil hat?) in 3rd. Apparently that “3” in the name beats a “2”, huh Jonathon?

In JAM A it was Les Lashaway’s turn to shine with Mega ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbKYXiB5bKw OK, I apologize for that, a Britney Spears reference was just uncalled for.) in 1st besting Orange Crate in 2nd and Breakway in 3rd. Look for Bill Summers to be repainting his red boat orange this week to get in on some of that action (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxmu-UxQTVU ).

PHRF C found a common situation this year as Russ Atkinson and crew on Wildcat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFBbt-6yfU They take no prisoners!) got out early and stayed ahead to place 1st with Flak-Bait in 2nd and the aforementioned Splash Dance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJtNh1F1mdk OK, I don’t understand it either but then that’s what Laszlo sounds like to me!) in 3rd.

PHRF B found Full Tilt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXZQDtxV_8w ) taking the win with Sweet Carmela (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9hyu56wgtg ) in 2nd and Wizard in 3rd. Less than 45 seconds separated those three.

PHRF A saw Abracadabra (1st) sneak in 18 seconds ahead of Bill Phillips’ Natural High (2nd) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yci7PK6E7M There’s some cool cuts in that one) with Dave Branson’s Three Niner (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Larty_Three-Niner ) in 3rd.

Overalls in JAM went to Mega and in PHRF to Wildcat.

Oh, and just a little postscript. So you have thought that maybe someday in the future you could possibly be interested in considering serving as a flag officer at your yacht club? Well, let me tell you that here at North Cape we have incredibly high standards for our commodores. One must always comport themselves properly both off the water and on. Only the highest degrees of seamanship and proper boating technique and etiquette are acceptable for one who is willing to represent the club’s name. When out sailing for instance, one would never be caught with their fenders over the side. Or would they? See the attached photo. After all we don't want to encourage this type of behavior: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-HEkMWkDVU . I trust that Northcape's Board will be convening a court of inquiry in the near future.

Have a great week. For those who are going to the Bay Week Regatta or on the Deepwater Race, good luck, have fun and sail safe. Midweek Racers: remember that next Wednesday there will be no midweek race because of Bay Week so we’ll see you at the remaining midweek races on August 12th, 19th and 26th and Sunday August 30th. After that will be the Captain Morgan’s Series on September 2nd, 9th, and 16th.