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April 29, 2013

Whale of a Time

“Hey, what are you doing breaching on our race course?”
“No, what are you doing sailing in my swimming pool?”

© 2013 Jay Ailworth

Talk about having a ‘whale of a good time’. . . Actually, it’s hard enough to do an efficient roll tack while your competition is bearing down on you, let alone when whales are breaching in the middle of your course. But we have to believe competitors at the recent WesMex Regatta on Banderas Bay were thrilled to be accompanied by this acrobatic cetacean.

As seemingly unique as this photo is, breaching whales are actually a pretty common site on that broad crescent-shaped bay. But it’s not every photographer who has the savvy to capture one’s image. Kudos to Jay Ailworth for snapping this terrific shot!

The competition, hosted by the Vallarta YC in mid-April, saw 250 kids racing Optimists, Lasers, 420s and Windsurfers. The top four qualifiers will compete in Mexico’s Junior Olympics.

Big Fun on Little Boats

Dennis Olson of Santa Rosa sent us the following report about having big fun aboard little boats on Tomales Bay. 

“I think we should launch,” said Dave McEligot, the best sailor of the group. “It’s probably going to die down”

© Dennis Olson

"Man down!" That was the call when we saw someone capsize. Turn, keep your eye on him and hope he doesn’t need help. Putting your boat next to one that’s capsized almost guarantees two boats will be upside down.

I was the first man down on April 14, when my friends Dave McEligot, Brian Roberts, Carl Sanders and I launched our Lasers in sketchy conditions on Tomales Bay. Barely five minutes after shoving off, I was pulling a normal show-off gybe near the beach. The mainsheet slipped from my grip and the boom wrenched forward, accelerating the boat into a death roll to windward. In that situation, the boat quickly comes over on you. You have to get out from under and start making a quick clean-up to get her back on her feet. 

I hadn’t capsized in about 10 years and suddenly I was in love with my wetsuit and lifejacket. I tried to stay calm and not fight it, but it was hard not to get anxious . . . especially when I realized that the boat wasn’t drifting in the wind and the waves. The mast tip was stuck in the bottom!

Brian Roberts, the young buck of the group, screaming along with a big you-know-what-eating grin on his face.

© Dennis Olson

I swam around and tugged the bow so it pointed into the wind. You need to do this if it’s windy or the boat will simply crash over on you again. I did a pull-up on the centerboard and waited. Slowly the mud released the mast and the boat came upright. Another pull-up and I was in the boat. Let me just say, you don’t want to have to do that too many times.

The wind and waves continued to build to a solid 30 knots with what we estimated to be 40-knot gusts. It gets hard to see and breathe with so much water in the air. The building wave trains were fun to surf on, and the hiss of the boat’s passage was punctuated by grunts and yells that I was only aware of later when I reviewed the GoPro footage. We were all sailing fairly conservatively to stay safe, yet everyone except Carl had at least one capsize and swim. The only reason Carl escaped that fate was because his mast broke while he was still right side up!

As Dave noted later, "This was one of those days that was not defined by the ‘ballsy-ness’ of what we did, but by maintaining that readiness to aid one another. I think it was this group effort, something that would not have been achievable otherwise, that contributed to the success of the day. Our combined integrity outweighed that of our equipment."

Dennis, Brian, Carl and Dave credit watching out for each other as the reason for their successful day of sailing Lasers in sporty conditions on Tomales Bay. That and wetsuits.

© Dennis Olson

There is nothing quite like sailing small boats in big winds for cheap thrills. And you don’t need to race to enjoy this kind of machine. My competition is with myself and the water planet. When sailing a Laser, you hang suspended with one hand in the ocean (tiller) and the other hand connected to the sky (mainsheet). You are the pivot point between these two great fluids, the two worlds, and you get to go along for the ride.

Dinghies for Sale or Rent

"Cruisers in the Sea of Cortez have been pretty casual about securing their dinghies overnight, usually just tying them to the stern of the mothership," writes Jon Doornink of the Puerto Escondido-based Morgan Out-Island 37 Seadream. "Not only has locking one’s dinghy for the night not been necessary, if you locked your dinghy to the Puerto Escondido dinghy dock, for example, the locals thought you were impeding their progress. But on the night of April 1 — I know, I know, but this turned out to not be a joke — a dozen cruisers were anchored at Caleta San Juanico anchorage. In the morning, one cruising boat near us was missing her brand new RIB and outboard. All that remained was a cut painter. Appeals to local fishermen and land-based Mexicans — backed by a big monetary reward and a promise of no questions being asked — yielded nothing. We have been cruising these wonderful waters for 15 years, and this is the first experience we’ve had of dinghy theft in Baja. Times — as well as the price of pollo — are changing in Mexico."

Is the following a coincidence? 
 
"I live in La Paz," writes John Watts, "and I’ve noticed a sign on a trailer off to the side of Highway One that reads ‘Dinghies For Sale, Like New’. From what I’ve been able to see, it looks as if there are a couple of inflatables in the trailer. Knowing that dinghies have been stolen from boats, I can’t help but wonder if some of them have somehow ended up on the trailer. If people who have had dinghies stolen have the serial number or other identification, I would have no problem scoping things out and reporting back." Watts can be reached by email.

The Latest in Latitude Fashion

Each year we order new and different items to sell at Strictly Sail Pacific and to stock our logowear shelves here at the office. It you didn’t get by our booth at the boat show, never fear, you can still shop for Latitude gear here!

Crissy Fields tries on our latest hat in basic black, and a light turquoise ladies’ T-shirt.

latitude/Chris
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

We have plenty of ladies’ T-shirts and tanks tops that Mom would like – order by May 3 for delivery in time for Mother’ Day. (Which is May 12… you’re welcome!)

"At about 2:45 a.m. on April 20, Bridget woke up hearing what she thought was someone on the foredeck," reports Bruce Eastman of the Brisbane-based Alberg 35 Sojourn.