Annual sailboat race organized by Bellingham Yacht Club (byc.org) from Bellingham's Squalicum Harbor with J109 Hravn as the rabbit and around Vendovi Island, keeping the island on the starboard side as we rounded. Hravn was asked to be "the rabbit" which is the method to establish a starting line for racing sailboats when no committee boat is available. The rabbit comes across on port tack close-hauled with "the pin" (the Outfall Buoy in this case) on our port side as we pass. At the start time the gap behind the rabbit's stern and the stationary buoy (the pin) becomes the starting line. All other boats come across on starboard and after a period (say, 90 seconds) the rabbit may tack. Because the line is created on the fly and racers need to predict where the rabbit will be rather than simply eyeballing between a committee boat and pin to see the starting line, it is a bit more challenging to get the timing right on this sort of start line. You see this "rabbit start" start at the beginning of this video. The closer to the stern of the rabbit that the other racers can cross creates a minimal disadvantage is for boats starting. Tacking upwind across Bellingham Bay in 8-10 knots of breeze we rounded Vendovi and launched our asymmetrical spinnaker for a long chute run all the way back to the finish in winds in the mid teens, and a gust or two to 17 or 18 knots of wind. Gybing downwind with an asym creates a different type of competition against boats using a spinnaker pole to achieve deeper downwind angles. Go faster if we sail at hotter angles but have to travel longer distances. In the end VMG (Velocity Made Good) is the they. Two boats finished in front of us - Intuition (Beneteau 36.7) and Outlaw (J35) crossed the finish line in front of Hravn, and then...ratings and corrections related to handicapping come into play. In any case A Good Time Every Time. Shot on Sony FDR-X3000 4K sports video camera Peter Hallett Bellingham, WA mainsheet trimmer s/v J109 Hravn
Annual sailboat race organized by Bellingham Yacht Club (byc.org) from Bellingham's Squalicum Harbor with J109 Hravn as the rabbit and around Vendovi Island, keeping the island on the starboard side as we rounded. Hravn was asked to be "the rabbit" which is the method to establish a starting line for racing sailboats when no committee boat is available. The rabbit comes across on port tack close-hauled with "the pin" (the Outfall Buoy in this case) on our port side as we pass. At the start time the gap behind the rabbit's stern and the stationary buoy (the pin) becomes the starting line. All other boats come across on starboard and after a period (say, 90 seconds) the rabbit may tack. Because the line is created on the fly and racers need to predict where the rabbit will be rather than simply eyeballing between a committee boat and pin to see the starting line, it is a bit more challenging to get the timing right on this sort of start line. You see this "rabbit start" start at the beginning of this video. The closer to the stern of the rabbit that the other racers can cross creates a minimal disadvantage is for boats starting. Tacking upwind across Bellingham Bay in 8-10 knots of breeze we rounded Vendovi and launched our asymmetrical spinnaker for a long chute run all the way back to the finish in winds in the mid teens, and a gust or two to 17 or 18 knots of wind. Gybing downwind with an asym creates a different type of competition against boats using a spinnaker pole to achieve deeper downwind angles. Go faster if we sail at hotter angles but have to travel longer distances. In the end VMG (Velocity Made Good) is the they. Two boats finished in front of us - Intuition (Beneteau 36.7) and Outlaw (J35) crossed the finish line in front of Hravn, and then...ratings and corrections related to handicapping come into play. In any case A Good Time Every Time. Shot on Sony FDR-X3000 4K sports video camera Peter Hallett Bellingham, WA mainsheet trimmer s/v J109 Hravn