STYC Race To The Straits

The 2015 racing season has started off slower than planned due to work and family commitments.  However, Shawn and Jason weren't going to miss one of their favorite races of the year: the Sloop Tavern's Race to the Straits.  The Monkeybones Racing Team can trace its roots to the 2012 STYC RTTS, which was the first race Jason and Shawn did together (it was Jason's first race ever) so this event has become a way to mark time, and this was our fourth consecutive outing.

This year there were 111 boats signed up with nine boats in our class and two boats having the same rating (PHRF of 81) as Monkeybones: competimates Different Drummer and Kotuku. It was a brilliant day with clear skies and 8-10 kts from the north, forecast to rise to 15 kts in the afternoon. The RTTS is a rolling start based on PHRF so by the time we crossed the line at 9:25:15 the fleet was all over the course riding an ebb in the morning, which was going to switch to a flood around noon.  After an even start the three of us (DD and Kotuku) headed to the left (west) side of the course and then we tacked MB back east chasing stronger pressure. Having done only one other race (and not practicing) this year it took a while - like half of the first day - to get MB into a groove.  Kotuku rode up the east side while DD guarded the middle and we futzed around on the east side looking for a lift up the eastern shore.  We eventually gave up and crossed back to the west side and dueled with some boats between Apple Tree Pt and Point No Point.  The boat was slow and both DD and Kotuku were well ahead of us.  We tacked back into the middle of the channel and were able to get the boat powered up in the 15 kts of wind with the #1 driving us along nicely.  As we approach the mid-way mark at Double Bluff we gained on a bunch of boats and did a great job of working the inside wind and currents past the mark, which is always a cluster with too many boats in too small a space with too much current.  Jan did a great job of posting up here to take shots of the fleet and we've included some links below.  By this time the current had switched and was squarely on the nose and building fast so everyone worked up the inside of Mutiny Bay to find relief.  

Photo Link: Here's a good shot of MB (sail number 30925) at the mark in front of a REALLY NICE J-122 (can you say UPGRADE!)

Photo Link: Great shot of MB coming upwind along the shore in Mutiny Bay

Photo Link: Here's Jason advertising for SIMMS gear

We were looking for every little bit of speed and tried to flatten our main using the outhaul.  Unfortunately our outhaul has never worked well having been poorly rigged by previous owners, as well as being well used since the boat is 34 years old.  Jason cranked on it using a winch to get it to move and the increased load caused the primary cable to break.  Instead of making the sail flatter, the outhaul car slid forward and now we had a big bulbous main.  Further, we didn't have a clear way to flatten it since it was going to be under load for the rest of the race.  Jason set about jury rigging some lines to tie off the car to the end of the boom as well as set up a pulley system to pull the car back.  However, during all this the boat was losing speed and position relative to the fleet.  We made several very slow tacks inside Mutiny Bay and used those tacks to get purchase on the outhaul with little effect.  In the end we had to rig a barber hauler to the main sheet car and luff the sail to get any purchase.  Unfortunately during these luffs the boat went into irons and we were forced to do several unplanned tacks, which further slowed us.  We eventually got the outhaul half way back and then decided to focus on sailing, since we were getting hammered in the fleet.  We tacked up to Bush Point and rounded in very poor position.  Both DD and Kotuku were at least a mile in front of us and up with the leaders of the fleet.  We realized that if we didn't get the outhaul fixed we were done for so we made one final attempt, which was successful, by luffing the boat, which again threw us into an unplanned tack.  We came out of the tack with a flat sail and pointed across the channel towards Marrowstone Is.  We were also near the back of the fleet and pissed / frustrated.  In an act of indifference and desperation, we decided to sail across to Marrowstone and risk a huge knock from the flooding current coming down the channel.  This was an act of desperation and we were close to breaking into the ice cold beer.  After a deep breath we instead decided to just enjoy the beautiful day with 11 kts, flat water, blue skies and sun.  We noticed two other boats break from the fleet and cross over with us including Alex on Poke and Destroy.  After fighting the current we got a great lift as we approached Marrowstone and notice the few boats that had crossed early sailing straight up the beach with an amazing wind angle.  We were able to get into the same grove and quickly tacked up around Marrowstone Point while the main fleet was stuck on the opposite side along Whidbey.  Further, there were only a handful of boats between us and the finish line.  Those of us on the west side dueled to the finish and we crossed in 13th place overall and 2nd in class behind DD - having gone from zero to hero with our early move across the channel.  While we would love to think it was brilliant strategy this specific case was more desperation.

We put the boat away and settled in for happy hour on DD.  We then set out to find dinner in town.  Shawn spied a bunch of people on a balcony overlooking the water and the Olympic mountains and we were able to make our way to the restaurant / brewpub.  It was a brilliant evening and we had a table on the patio.  Service was incredibly slow and, while we were waiting, a band set up for the evening.  It probably took two hours (and more drinks) before dinner came and, in the process, we met several of the band members.  They convinced us to hang around, which we did (of course), and then we got a great introduction to Wild Rabbit.  They jammed some incredible tunes akin to the Limineers and we wound up staying for two (or was it three?) sets.  As a public service message - check this band out (link here)!! By the time we made it back to the boat it was after midnight and we'd gone hard all day and then harder that night.  The next morning was rough...

We were up early in search of the standard breakfast haven needing something (anything!) to break the hangover.  Unfortunately they didn't get the word out this year and the restaurant was closed.  We found another coffee shop and got some food in an effort to slowly put humpty dumpty back together.  We rallied hard and had the boat off the dock and geared up for our start.  

It was another brilliant day in the PNW and we were to be treated to 10-12 kts from the north and more sun.  Everyone was under spinnaker from the start and we dueled with DD and Kotuku across the line and up to Marrowstone Pt.  We rounded in building winds and headed down the shore into the ebb on our nose.  It was an amazing site to see 100 boats strung out along the shore as there were no opportunities to make a move.  Due to our fractional rig and smaller spinnaker MB is not fast downwind so our main objective was to minimize the damage.  

Photo link - great show of MB coming around Marrostone Point 

The fleet worked south with Kotuku in the lead, followed by DD and then us. There was a lot of commercial traffic and everyone was looking for gaps to break for the Whidbey side, which was the rhumb line.  We made a good move passing just astern of a tug and barge and, in the process, passed DD, who stayed west.  We liked our position as we passed Bush Pt and were inside as the fleet approached Mutiny Bay.  Unfortunately we got trapped by a wind hole near the shore and had to watch as boats sailed by, including DD.  Once out of it we were back in the hunt and hung off DD's stern as everyone passed Double Bluff, then Point No Point, and further south.  We worked down the west side and then went out towards the middle to sail with Great White, since it looked like they had better pressure, only there wasn't.  The inside boats, including DD and Poke and Destroy, got better current and accelerated, so we jibed back in.  This time we were inside with DD outside and we jibed back and made good gains, coming back up on their stern.  Everyone was in a final reach for the finish and we caught several boats at the end to finish very well: 2nd in class (behind DD and ahead of Kotuku) and 17th overall.

Here's a picture of us (white/blue spinnaker) catching competitors at the end.  We edged them out by 1 second.