[Public-List] 2013 Swiftsure Race - A30 division

[John Riley]

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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