More racing shots aboard Giulietta

[Giulietta]

OK,

last weekend we had more races..terrible..no wind..was pure murder for us..we couldn't get the boat moving..what a disaster..

Saturday we DNFed, along with 75% of the fleet (only 7 of 40 finished), Sunday we DNSed, along with 10 other boats..we were pointing at the start line moving away from it...BACKWARDS!! we DNS by 10 seconds..so we went home..frustrated and pissed off with the money we spent to show up at sailing races in no wind..

here is the account..or the tale..whichever you prefer..

SATURDAY

we left Cascais in complete fog..we motored the 15 miles to Lisbon in dense fog and pretty wet and coldish weather (for us 50 is really cold weather), obrigado pelo Radar, amor...we set the boat and made her ready on the way..which in fog preparing a bot to race is pretty funny and scary at the same time.

Here we are motoring to Lisbon..see how cold it was?? 55deg F!!




my beautiful piano man


and companion of a life time..racing enthusiast since this year, TG its a wonderful thing for the heart to have the wife and love be part of the racing team in a sport one loves so much..I am blessed indeed.


Wonderful friend and main boat "talker man"..Antonio...man does he "talk"...he just never shuts up!! all the time..in 2 days of races he said yes twice, no once and there's a boat at 4 o'clock..some swear he said something else, but not confirmed..I really like him...he is the only person in the world I speak to and does not speak back to me...what a listener


Miguel steered a little..you can see the Lisbon bridge pillar in the background


This bridge!!



we saw the start line being towed..the start was downwind!! yes..downwind! off course this time we were going somewhere..we used the sym spi,


I got the boyeys marked on the GPS..


off course Miguel helped


programing the GPS which for me is in it self a feat...
drives me nuts!! and makes me do weird things


and amuses everyone!


we then waited for the start..and had some food..I had a cookie



Turns out wind shifted in the 3 minutes before the start! Down with the sym, up with the assym..





all this while looking for a place in "the sun for the start"..and avoiding other boats, being pushed into the start by the current






OK..start sounds..off we go..

on the VHF we hear.."race committee..boat so and so is racing with engine on"...then we hear.." to all fleet in the race announcement.."some boats did jump the line"..we thought everyone was going to be called back, so we turned back!..

no way..they decided to do an "individual call", which they never did...so 7 or 8 boats got a head start..if you know what I mean...(btw, these boats were never called, but the one with the engine was OCS). there is law..or semi-law..

Antonio here is meditating again!!


the fog cleared some


and I even had time for some lovin!!


OK...what the hell are we gonna do now?? we started like in the end of the fleet...among several spi downs and gybes and up spis and down spis..time to re-think the whole thing..


The wind shifts again...we are now going with the curent, and even have a head wind...look how the rest of the fleet is so far away from us..





we will eventually catch ALL of them..I shit you not!!

the wind picked up a little..UP with the BIG BLUE !





so we start passing everyone..and I mean everyone!




trim trim trim...we're doing it!






but we are passing one by one..







OK...what do you do with no wind?? and the boat moving sideways??



you unbalance the boat..that's what





and wait...and wait...and wait...I whistled some..but didn't work..

then.. a little wind..up with the assym again..the 25th time in 20 minutes!!

BUT we started moving..while the others...did not here the passing sequence of shots





spi guy by hand to feel it in the puffs









OK.. we passed the first marker in 5th or 6th..not bad a recovery..my boat hates no wind..me too..but once a breeze blows..we pass everyone...

here a view of the boats we passed before as they pass the marker..almost 5 minutes after we did! slow sailing I mean...dead slow...annoying sailing






OK...that is where we need to go! damn its far..and there is no wind...




which we would never make...as soon as we got mid channel..the current was stronger than the wind..we and the rest lost this one on DNF..

Anyway..off we went to Lisbon where we left the boat as the next day we would have a race..

On the way there..we noticed something funny in the boat handling..we all believed we were dragging something in the keel.

I am pretty sure we were dragging something..why? in the morning, while we motored in the fog we all heard the boat tremble and a weird noise coming from our feet...

We entered the marina..and had to do some research..



to get in, there is a pivot bridge that open every half hour..so we waited





the bridge finally opened






some nice old shoes inside


1600's churches..



more old shoes..this is old shoe heaven here..geee....makes my eyes hurt.







looking for our spot



Once inside, brave Miguel took a dive to check the keel and rudder..


Homage to the brave that dives in pure inside marina crap water for the good of the team!


END OF DAY..we all went home and had a HUGE Halloween party for Fred and his friends that night!! (TG will post about that later)


SUNDAY

BIG RACE!!

many many boats..many leaving the marina with us, just like in a procession..was a pretty sight!!

enjoy the views

















moral was high...this lady here no one ever sees is Leonor..she is seldom seen because she lives inside the bilge...her task is bow auxiliary/sail manager/dungeon slave.. she does some bad ass photos too



and off we go..no wind today..(we're screwed I think to myself).. we all go to the start







Antonio...well..Leadhead was absent today..so Antonio got to bow man...he is in love with the spi...(sicko)





me?? I am at the wheel.pissed off..no wind again today..and the damn current again..



OK..same old same old..

watch the boats on start..try to find a sweet spot..and we are NOT MOVING!!!



We didn't even start this one...my boat is a pig with no wind..unless water flows over that nice low aspect ratio keel...no lift..meaning..in no wind we sail sideways...no matter what we tried..was so frustrating..

problem is we had a side current of 3 knots the wind was 3 knots, parallel with the current!!!

Apparent wind was same as true!! with our keel, and the boat moving sideways..we were actually heaving to all the time..only painfully managing to move in puffs..what a mess..

We were pointed at the start..but moving sideways and away from it..we got so behind everyoine we got blanketed..only solution was to go ashore..no..not an option with 10 foot draft.

so..we bit the bullet and went home

Off course 20 minutes into the ride home, the wind blows steady 15 knots! screw this...better luck next time..



I am disappointed but in the end we had a wonderful sail home..where we re-evaluated our options and decided we'll only do ocean races from now on..enough of this river/current/no wind stuff..not for me...



we just enjoyed the ride home..we were sailing after all...and so many can't even do that..so we are thankful anyway










PS..remeber Fred was going to be with us for the race??

Well he was...but as soon as we left the marina, he and his friend Miguel went down to sleep amidst the sails and only woke up when we got to Cascais..

The night before he had his Halloween party, where 10 kids slept at our house, yes...the day of the Saturday race and before the Sunday race..no one slept..we had a big party at home!!

Hope you enjoyed once again a frustrated tale...

That's racing for you..better stories will come

[Camaraderie]

Looking forward to the better stories Alex...but this one was good to read along with too.
The picture of you and TG is great...you should frame that one...the first one...not the one where she is saying "get off me you pig!"

[Bubb2]

Give it up! All that Portuguese discovering everything like Australia. Maybe if those Portuguese sailors would man the old shoes they could get a boat moving.

[Giulietta]

Give it up!

sorry...don't know the meaning of that word...

is it popular in the US?

[CharlieCobra]

That looks like Summer racing in the PNW. All current and little or no wind.