I had hoped that our first race on Karma would have gone fairly smoothly, getting around the course clean with a decent result. It didn't happen. My CRA membership was not updated in time, so we were trying to explain who I was to the Race Committee 20 minutes before the start. Then, on our first set we blew apart one of our spin sheets, and without a spare, we were unable to set the kite again. We decided to race the first race, but realizing that there was no way we were going to be competitive we decided to call the racing, broke out some beer and cruised around the bay. Crew for the impromptu booze cruise was Andrew Constantine, Mike and Heather Stoll, and Shannon Bertrand and her friend. I have to tell you, the booze cruise was a very enjoyable afternoon.
Lessons learned:
1. You can't race and try to use old gear. I spent last Monday evening making new spin sheets for the boat. Next month will probably be the halyards. Month after that will be the random control lines. It isn't worth it to put the effort to get a crew together and not be able to race due to gear failure.
2. The runners take a lot more planning for your pre-start game. The new Karma is very different from the last one, and it will take some getting used to.
3. Always bring plenty of beer. In the end, the goal of going sailing is to have fun. Despite not finishing the regatta everyone seemed to have a great time.
More pics here.
Next races are going to be the SDYC Hot Rums. The calendar has been updated on the right.
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