[Public-List] 2013 Swiftsure Race - A30 division

[Glennb]

Gord,  would love to see the pictures...

Glenn

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 8, 2013, at 8:13 PM, Glennb <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> wrote:

> Gord, 
> Ahoy matie! So pack your sea bag and sign on Dolce.   I could use a tactician that sails with a dagger clenched in his teeth.  
> 
> Alberg rule the Seas
> 
> Glenn P.
> Dolce #318
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Mar 8, 2013, at 12:12 PM, Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net> wrote:
> 
>> Man I'd love to do that - but SURPRISE is on the wrong side of the
>> continent.  It's a great race.
>> 
>> I did the Swiftsure a few years ago aboard HMCS ORIOLE, the RCN's sail
>> training yacht.  She's 115 tons, sort of like a 1920's J Boat but with a
>> ketch rig.  
>> 
>> We started in light air, which was hair-raising for us due to ORIOLE's size
>> and tremendous inertia (at low speed it takes her quite a while to notice
>> her helm)  We trudged up to Race Rocks but like most of the fleet, we didn't
>> get around before the tide turned.  We gave in to the building pressure to
>> go after midnight and took a shot out across the straights toward the
>> American side, tacked, then beat back only to find we hadn't made much
>> ground.  Somewhat dejected, I turned in with the rest of my watch.
>> 
>> A few hours later, I awoke to the roar and hiss of water rushing past and a
>> general all hands call.  It was just before dawn and we were absolutely
>> galloping at 11 knots close reaching with the ship's company all up
>> shortening sail.  There was quite a scramble with everyone dragging on foul
>> weather gear, boots, etc with the deck at a high angle and gravity going up
>> and down dramatically as she pitched.
>> 
>> Up forward ORIOLE is like something from the film Das Boot - all iron
>> rivets, tightly tiered bunks and grey paint;  further aft one can still see
>> the opulance she once sported when she was the Gooderham family's yacht.
>> 
>> When the sun came up we were doing better than 12 and passing boats like
>> they were standing still, lee rail in the water and everyone grinning.  I
>> was one of the helmsmen in my watch and had the unforgettable experience of
>> steering her to windward over and around big waves in a rising wind.  Her
>> bow (with her bowsprit beyond that) was a long way away up forward, and you
>> could just feel the immense strength and power in her.
>> 
>> Being a Great Lakes sailor, I was particularly stunned by the length of the
>> waves (we get them just as big on Georgian Bay, but these crests were way
>> apart...) and the huge trees visible ashore.  I remembers shouting 'it's
>> land of the giants!' above the wind to my mates.
>> 
>> ORIOLE has no winches, so to trim a sheet or adjust anything, a whole watch
>> of fifteen men would line up and haul while trying to dig their feet into
>> the deck for traction.  People on the West Coast love ORIOLE, I remember
>> people in boats we were catching cheering her as we came up on them.  I
>> remember I almost wished I were in one of those boats, so that I could see
>> her flying over and under to windward.
>> 
>> Then, about noon, somebody turned off the fan and the wind dropped.  We
>> carried our way for a long time but too soon we were hobby horsing in the
>> slop with the rig slapping and banging above us.  We couldn't keep steerage
>> way on her.  Then, during the afternoon, we were notified that we were not
>> going to make the time limit to the warship doing duty as the turning mark
>> at Swiftsure Bank; so we pulled out of the race and registered a DNF.
>> 
>> Oh well.  I'd love another crack at that race some day.  An Alberg would be
>> a great boat to do it in.
>> 
>> I took a few pictures and will send them off line if anyone is interested.
>> 
>> Gord #426
>> 
>> 
>> On 08/03/13 2:48 PM, "Glennb" <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> Anybody in the PNW want to enter the Swiftsure this year as an A30 class?
>>> Three boats makes a class.  Apparently we qualify for the Victoria - Clallam
>>> Bay race with our ratings.
>>> 
>>> Also there is a single handed short course from Victoria out Haro Straits and
>>> return. Looks like a 22 mile RT afternoon thing.
>>> 
>>> I would be interested in entering Dolce if we can scratch up at least two
>>> other boats!
>>> 
>>> http://2013.swiftsure.org/
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Cheers
>>> Glenn
>>> Dolce 318
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
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>> 
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