Crewed Lightship on the Green Buffalo

April 25, 2011

Yesterday we posted an account of the OYRA Lightship 1 race from Pat Broderick. Today's report is from Jim Quanci of the Cal 40 Green Buffalo.

We had a strong flood at the starting line with a strong ebb just a few hundred yards north – with light 6-10 knot wind. Getting off the starting line and out to the north to catch the ebb was first priority. Green Buffalo had a poor start, fouling another entrant resulting in starting a few minutes later then the rest of our division. Not a great way to start a race – handing the competition a few minutes right off – but c’est la vie. Being behind, just past the bridge we did have a close port-starboard crossing with the Wylie 38 Punk Dolphin who started five minutes after us – which was a great opportunity to say hello to Jonathan Livingston (who was doublehanding) whom I hadn’t seen in almost two years.

The weatherman said it would be a southerly breeze out on the ocean, and, with a strong ebb, the best way to exit the Bay should be a “mirror image” of exiting the Bay in a strong ebb into a northwesterly. So that’s what we did – worked our way to the south exiting near Mile Rock and staying south of the main ship channel. We were the only boat this far south – so this was a bit of a flyer – but the strategy was clear – being inside on the wind shift to the south while getting lifted to the south by the strong ebb tide. It usually works staying to the north side when it’s a northwesterly – but this was our first time executing the mirror image in a southerly.

Two miles from the Lightship – after several tacks and beating in 9-12 knots and light seas - we were clearly laying the mark and started sailing fat and fast. As we approached the mark we learned playing the south side of the course had really paid off – having caught up all we had lost just after the start and then some - now being up with the lead boats in our division – rounding near several boats that started in front of us and rated quite a bit faster. We couldn’t fly the chute for the first mile on the return trip with apparent wind of 60-70 degrees – but the wind slowly went aft so up went the chute – reaching strut out and head stay reaching most of the way in.

We had rounded the Lightship just behind Andy Newell’s Santana 35 Ahi that rates the same as us, so the focus was finessing our way in front of them. Andy and I are on the OYRA board together, which added a little personal touch to the pursuit. The Buffalo having a masthead chute that can run deep versus the Santana’s fractional chute made all the difference. Halfway back we noticed Ohana was quite a bit in front of us – so now the race was about keeping close enough to Ohana to correct out. Ohana (Steve Hocking's Beneteau 45F5) stayed north of the main ship channel – but we had to stay south covering Ahi.

The Santana 35 Ahi. ©2011 Erik Simonson/www.h2oshots.com

We came in through the southerly route – well inside Mile Rock and jibed a few times – with classic final jibe just past the bridge – in 15-17 knots – and on to the finish. Still not sure if the north or south route was best, but we stayed close enough to Ohana to correct out.

We had a very pleasant race – starting at 11:00 a.m. and finishing well before 3:00 p.m. After two prior shorthanded races with big waves and strong wind, the modest breeze and flat seas were very much welcome. The Lightship race is the first of the four ocean races that are part of the new OYRA “Daylight Series” – four races that all start later than in the past – 10:40 a.m. first gun, with 9:00 p.m. finish deadlines. Green Buffalo is taking it easy this year doing the Daylight Series instead of the full eight-race OYRA series. The Lightship lived up to the Daylight Series billing allowing my crew to sleep in a little later then in the past – and everyone made it home for dinner.

As I write this, I haven’t seen the final finish times, and having started five minutes behind most of our competition, I am not really sure how well we did as there is some chance someone in our division went the same way we did so they stayed so far out front we never saw them. Hopeful.

- Jim Quanci, Cal 40 Green Buffalo

The results show that Jim's southerly strategy paid off - Green Buffalo won the PHRO 3 division, with Ahi second. See the YRA website for complete results. Punk Dolphin won the Short Handed Division, with Nancy coming in second. Be sure to read Pat Broderick's report from Nancy too.

Go here to view a video from onboard the Cal 20 Can O'Whoopass.