| Author | Message | ||
     Ron Spainhour (Paganbaby) Rating: N/A |
The S2 9.1, Pagan Baby won the millineum 2000 Around Lake Huron 500 mile double handed race. The first leg starts at Sarnia, Ontario rounding a mark at Goderich, Ontario then finishing at Rogers City, Michigan for a total of 220 miles. It was spinnaker work in light air to the mark at Goderich (58 miles). The wind increased from the southwest at the mark. It was tough flying spinnaker up without rounding up. The headsail went up, in preparation to dropping the chute, when it was noticed that the speed went up a full knot. We stayed low 5 degrees or so and footed off -- going fast. We figured the wind would lighten before we got to Presque Isle 100 miles away and we could then reach up at a good angle. It worked! When we reached Presque Isle 14 hours later the weather forecast from Alpena, Michigan was indicating that the wind was going from the SW to the NE and then around to the west. We jibed on the new wind from the NE. We were worried though. We couldn't see any other boats. As we got to the point of rounding Pesque Isle figuring jibing on on the rhumb line to Adams Point, the wind died and when it came back it was from the SE. We then saw alot of boats rounding Presque Isle along the shore and we couln't get there. Luckly, they sailed into a hole and could not get out, giving us a chance to catch up. When we finally got there hours later we found that one of the boats was a Capo 30, rating 111 (not in our class), and a Catalina 34 with a double spreader mast and tall rig that was in our class. The wind shifted to the west. It was now a beat of 26 miles to Adams point. The Catalina tacked to cover us. We sailed into a 30 degree header and tacked to cross and cover them. It was a 26 mile match race. We changed to the heavy 150. We were then pointing higher and going faster than the Catalina. They tacked away into a fog bank. We couldn't see them! What do we do? We checked the GPS and decided we had to sail our own race without covering. We managed to hold on and finished around 10 PM Sunday. This was the first leg of the race. The next day was a lay day with party, food and awards. On Tuesday the second leg started and we finished at Port Elgin, Ontario 120 miles away at 5 AM Wednesday. The wind had shifted around to the NW and it was a sleigh ride until the wind died and went east early Wednesday morning. After finishing, there was breakfast and then BBQ in the evening. Thursday morning the start was in extremely light air we jibing away from the Capo 30 to catch a shaft of air along the shore. They jibed to cover in light NE air. The wind continued to build all day reaching 20 knots. We did everything we could to hang on to the faster Capo 30. The finish at Sarnia (120 miles) was at around midnight. We figured that we might have won on corrected time over the Capo and over the Sabre 34, Jenneau 34, and the others on actual time. On Friday we then took Pagan Baby up the Michigan coast to the Les Cheneaux islands (238 miles)arriving at 5 AM Sunday. That's quite a bit of sailing for a crew of two! Sure was fun though. The race from Sarnia to Rogers City is the annual Lake Huron Doublehanded Challange. This was the 15th time Pagan Baby has sailed that race. It is appropriately named. |
