Double Handed up date (almost a week late)

As some of you already know every year my dad and I participate in a sail boat race. This years race was last week, and I thought I would share some of the details.

Well for a third year out of the last eight “Logical Order” my dad’s sail boat did not complete the Double handed race course. This year a lack of wind and the prospect of only lack luster wind later that Thursday night can be most attributed to our lack of sticktoattivness. How ever I must admit that unlike those few who did finish (twelve hours later), that at this point in my life I have no desire to pull an all-nighter in the name of getting from point a to b…especially when finished I have to immediately turn around and race home to prepare for my sons birthday party the very next day.

For the last eight years my dad and I have competed in this LMSS sponsored race.

For me the race is a welcome opportunity to get a little one on one time with my dad.

Although the both of us have plenty of sailing experience, neither one is serious about racing. So for us this is just a fun race. However like most people both of us enter with every intention of winning.

Our quitting streak began two years ago when my step mom took my place while my wife was in labor with our son. They did not complete the course that year due to sail problems. Their sail maker reportedly said to a fellow racer after the race, “wow they really ripped the shit out of that sail”. The next year my dad and I made it slightly north of Milwaukee only to be confronted with little to no wind for 4 hours followed by way to much wind out of the wrong direction. That wind event was actually one of the more memorable I have seen on Lake Michigan. When the squall approached us out of the north the skies were clear the sun was setting over Milwaukee and we were drifting along with the current under a full spread of limp sail. On the radio other boaters told of its approach and we could see its presence on the surface of the water. It was a dark black line and it literally sped towards us. On one side of the line the waters were calm blue and shinny, and the other was deep blue almost black and the water was a matt finish with no sheen or reflection at all. The first puff to cross our bow registered well over 40 mph, and then sustained it self at around 30pmh. The wind speed while sudden and dramatic (our boat was healed over more than 35 degrees and we struggled for a few minutes to reduce our sail area) was in fact not the reason we pulled out. Direction and destination were larger factors of the equation that lead us to pull out. To finish that race we would have had to tack continuously for several more hours into the night then enter the harbor under sail in the dark, raft off the other race boats for a few hours only to turn around at first light and run home for my son’s birthday party. No thanks we chose instead to ride the rollers home for the next six hours.

Last Thursday we tried once again however this time we only made it as far as the Oak Creek power station far short of Milwaukee. The race has begins in Winthrop Harbor IL, and finishes inPort Washington WI (approximately 53 miles from A to B). The gun for our class (gold) went off at 9am during a thunderstorm with rain, lighting, and 2o mph winds from the north east. For us start actually went well all considered and we were completively placed in the middle of our class which was comprised of 6 other boats of similar characteristic. So from 8am on through 5pm we tacked up wind covered a distance of over 45 miles, however we really only completed 17 miles of the race course. At 4 pm approximately 2.5 miles due east of the oak creek power plant (36 miles south of Port Washington) all wind ceased and we began to float in circles. The weather forecast called for light variable winds to continue out of the north and east and were not in our favor. With ideal conditions we would have made our destination in an additional 6 hours, however with predicted conditions our time into port was unknown, and likely to be 12 or better (the remaining boats all crossed after 5am the next morning). So once again with a birthday party looming we pulled the plug and made for Racine and had a warm meal in port, it was actually a good time. Again I am thankful to have spent time with my dad, and next year I think I will use my head and schedule my childes party before the race.