We had a fantastic day of sailing the Malibu and Return
January 3, the first race of Del Rey Yacht Club’s Berger series. The breeze was forecast to be light, but
turned out to be just enough to complete the course just as the sun was setting
on a crystal clear Southern California winter day. After a brief postponement, the breeze filled
in from the west. We wanted to be at the
pin end of the start line but got there too early and had to slide toward the
Committee Boat end to avoid being over early.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it caused us to
put the bow down and go for speed to keep clear of the cluster of boats at the
pin end. Fortunately, I sail with smart
people who encouraged me to stay on this low and fast course until well
separated from the pack, who were probably sailing a bit higher and slower than
they would have liked as they battled one another. After that, it was a simple race; despite
some shifts and light spots, we were able to sail straight to the windward
mark, tack and set the A-kite, and sail right back down the rhumb line to the leeward
mark. One tack and one jibe.
We hadn’t quite completed a bottom job before the race, so
the boat went in the water that morning with only a coat of primer and nice wet
sand by the MG Marine guys. I am not
sure I want to do it this way every time, but the boat was slippery quick. Our Ullman sails have a few seasons on them,
but are apparently still plenty fast. We
were fortunate to place first in Class B, with the fastest corrected time of
all PHRF classes.
Duncan Cameron
Soverell 33 "Trust Me"