When to douse the Spinnaker

[Coldduck]

We have had a few big storms roll through this summer and we learned a few things I thought I would pass on.

We were in our last Wednesday night race of the season and we were not in the running for hardware but we have made such progress this summer that we were boiling over with enthusiasm. At the first weather rounding we were in second place with about 25 knots of wind. My crew scrambled to the foredeck and in a heartbeat the spinnaker was up. We had a nice run with the wind building during the entire leg. At the leward mark my crew snapped into action and the chute came down like an America's cup boat.

We pounded back to the weather mark fighting heavy air and choppy seas still in contention for the overall win. We rounded the weather mark and as the wind had come up a bit I asked my crew if they wanted to launch the chute. Once again the chute was up in no time.

The second run was a bit more exciting than the first. Half way to the leward mark things started to get interesting. As the boat surged forward and rolled side to side we watched off in the distance as a J22 snapped its pole. Communications were hampered by the whistling of the wind through the shrouds. Although it was not raining there was a driving mist as the wind was taking water from the white caps and blowing it to a horrizontal mist.

As the boat rocked from port to starboard I was thinking it was time to get the chute down when in a sudden burst the boat rolled left then right and broached. In the process the spinnaker guy popped open releasing the chute. After a moment of scrambling we were able to get the starboard spreader out of the water and reel in the spinnaker. Once we got the boat on it's feet we did some house keeping and were able to finish the race.

Our windex at the club clocked the winds at 40 but I think it may have been a little higher out on the river.

My lesson learned
1) When your crew can't hear you over the wind whistling in the shouds - get the chute down.
2) When you are getting soaked but it is not raining - get the chute down

Thanks to a level headed crew we were able to take a serious situation and get it under control.