Another benefit race but more serious from the sound of it. We’ll give this one a try. Seems more like our kind of course than the windward, leeward thing that tests our stamina on the winches and spinnaker hoists. Hopefully the weather will hold and we will get the benefit of a decent day.
Pink Boat Regatta 2013
At last Kinetics is ready to get out on the race course again. This time for another of the Northwest’s benefit events, the Pink Boat Regatta. It has been taken on entirely this year by our own Sloop Tavern Yacht Club after the original guy behind it packed up and left the country. We really like to participate in the benefit events and I’m happy the boat is able to make this one. It is still a bit early but we need some more boats to enter and support this event. It’s tough to draw big numbers this time of year but hopefully the turn out will improve as the calendar ticks down to August 17th.
Here is a link to the fund raiser page for the boat over on BCRF. Team Kinetics races Pink Boat Regatta
The two faced main
After months of bad luck, mistakes and other strangeness the new main sail from Island Planet Sails is on the boat and working well. The whole experience was an interesting one. Some of the problems were mine, most were not. In the end I have a sail I’m satisfied with. Now we shall see how it holds up and performs. I will continue to leverage the huge savings I got by investing in other things needed on the boat and to offset my current travel expenses. That was the plan from the beginning and now I can finally put it to the test. The main is built using older tech called Structural Tape. An early version of the Tape Drive most people have heard of. I opted to go with an additional singled sided poly material on one side which makes the sail look different from port to starboard. While odd to look at it will increase its life span by quite a bit over a mylar only sail. The boat now prefers to be photographed from the starboard side!
Stranger than fiction
Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for this weekend’s third attempt at uniting Kinetics with a new main sail. It’s hard to know where to even begin with the bad luck tale that describes what has taken place with the purchase, delivery, install, removal, return, re-delivery, re-re-delivery and pending reinstall of this main sail. In fact, even I have a hard time believing what has happened. So it is with a large amount of cautious optimism that I head back to Seattle this weekend to try once more to bring main sail and boat together as one.
Let’s hope Kinetics can get back to sailing soon instead of being marooned at the dock.
Back to racing
Fingers and toes crossed the main is fixed and ready to be shipped back to Seattle in time for STYC’s Three Buoy Fiasco on June 15th. I’ve asked that it be shipped the week before just to be sure. New Dyneema lifelines are almost all done being installed. The rig has been tuned by Chris Tutmark. The funky steering issue has been fixed by me (not without plenty of knuckle banging, head scratching, and, of course, swearing). There is still plenty to do before the boat is ready to race but it’s doable in a few hours of concentrated effort.
Should be able to make the first Elliot Bay Thursday night race on June 13th as well. My fingers and toes will be cramped by race day but I’m intent of making it happen this time! Come on wind, go away rain.
It’s the main problem
No Vashon Island race for Kinetics this year. Bummer. Boo. Sucks. C’est la vie.
The new main sail had to go back for rework. It was major rework and it went all the way back to Hong Kong and I was hopeful it would make it back to us in time but no such luck. With no backup sail we’re stuck at the dock. Looks like a good time to tackle some maintenance and upgrade tasks instead. Sorry crew. I’m as disappointed as you. Heck, I flew up from LA to do this!
The boat will be ready to rock the 3 Buoy Fiasco.
BRBR Review and Vashon Island Decisions
Well the BRBR was fun but not without its challenges for team Kinetics. We finished well back after being knocked on our ear most of the race. I got us off to a horrible start. Something we can fix with a bit more experience and by getting out to the course a bit sooner. We were over powered for most of the beat to the rock and it slowed us down I think and then not getting the kite up after the turn sealed our fate. It went up with a twist and then things just got worse. We need more time on the boat for everyone to feel confident with the equipment and the process. We’ll get there.
Vashon Island is next up on May 11th. We still need to decide if we want to do the short course from Shilshole to north end of Blake Island (47.560N 122.500W) or the slightly longer race down to Point Robinson (47.400N 122.383W). This is all dependent on getting the new main back in time and sorting out the other issues on the list from the BRBR. I think we should try to do the Thursday night Elliot Bay fun race if possible as we need the practice.
Here comes the sun
With Spring here the racing season is getting underway. I’m starting to post the events I’ve got us entered in to the calendar as well as those I hope to make. Will do the usual email blast but thought this might be a good way to keep everyone up to date on which races are on the schedule and the timing.
First race of the season will be STYC’s Blakely Rock Benefit. This will be our first outing with the new main. If the weather cooperates it would be nice if we could get out the Thursday evening before to make sure the main is behaving. Otherwise we’ll be figuring it out like true rookies on Saturday!
See the STYC site for details on the BRB.