May 19, 2007 CalCup 1 (Sherman Island) Results

RACE COMMITTEE REPORT

We had known for the last few days that organizing this CalCup race was going to be a challenge for Mike and I, although we both like a challenge, little did we know just how challenging it would turn out to be :-)

The morning started at the usual early time, but we had everything organized, supplies together, race tackle loaded into one vehicle, borrowed committee boat hooked up to the other. Jason Ward had offered to help with race committee and he was meeting us for breakfast at about 8.45am. We had chosen Sherman Island as the race venue as it had seemed to be the best place, but as Mike and I were looking at the wind report at 8am the wind was 25+ Had we chosen the right place? We made plans to move the race to Benicia if needed after the clinic, which we would still hold at Sherman Island Access.

After breakfast the convoy of van & boat and two other vehicles made their way to Sherman Island arriving at about 10.15am The wind was still blowing and we still not sure whether we would be able to race at this site. Alan Prussia, even though he was feeling very under the weather, came up trumps with his amazing clinic on ‘Purchase Systems & Rope Technology’ During the clinic we became aware that a ‘Rope Splicing’ clinic would be a good idea for the future and Alan has said that he will be willing to do one. Thank you Alan, we all learnt a lot today.

We decided to hold the race where we were. Time was running away with us and we still had lots to set up. Mike, Jason, Marley, and I set off in the borrowed boat to set the course. Leaving the dock, the water was very low and it was a challenge making our way out. The course was set and we dropped Mike back at the dock, to go and rig his own gear and get to the start line. (He also had to bring a watch out to us, which we had left in the van.) Jason, Marley and I gingerly made our way out from the dock again. It was tricky but we made it. We were just congratulating ourselves, when the engine died on the boat! It was completely dead and would not restart at all. We quickly got an anchor together and tried to set it but it would not hold, luckily we did not wash away down river but just washed up near the shore. Whilst I tried to call Mike, Jason tried to sort out the 4 stoke outboard that was also on the boat but by then we were not in enough water to start it! Mike’s cell phone just went straight to message deposit. Having spoken with Jason Voss earlier, I knew he was around so I called him. He immediately started looking for Mike; the van was open but no Mike. Eventually he was found and given the news. Mike now had to rig as fast as he could, try and find us, and come to our rescue. (At the end of the day we found out that he had rigged very badly in such haste, the downhaul was way out.)

Whilst this was all going on the three of us were stranded in the boat. We could see ML and other racers at the start line and testing the course. Would any of the realize their race committee was missing :-) S3 then sailed by us we waved and shouted to no avail. Then we saw SM & 46. I found the loud hailer and got their attention. They were more than a little surprised to find their race committee, broken down and washed ashore. 46 went to find Mike and tell him where we were, whilst this was being achieved, a also found his race committee in the last place he expected them to be! Mike got to the boat. There was now 4 sets of racing gear safely left in the water, three racers keeping the boat from going further aground and Mike desperately trying to mend the engine but without any luck. The racers in the water pushed the boat, got it out of the mud and into deeper water. The outboard was started, but was only a 4 stroke so we had very little power or speed. Mike would follow us to the start line to make sure we got there.

We were very nearly there, moving at a snails pace, when out of nowhere 223 hit the stern of the boat! We could see that he was fine, but the nose of his board was damaged, and he limped back to shore. Next we had to set the anchor of the boat to complete the start line. This would be a challenge as we would only have one chance. After ‘fun’ with the anchor we set it and the start line was sort of OK. We next had to get the watch off of Mike, which by now had slipped to the depths of his wetsuit which meant having him hang onto the transom of the boat whilst getting half out of his wetsuit to retrieve said watch. Getting him zipped back into it was more interesting trying to accomplish from the boat. We now had the watch but it was not working! Mike had not been able to find our second watch in the van, so we had no choice but to use his wrist watch. This meant that although we had a watch it would not be at all easy to use, but at least would have something, on the other hand Mike now had no watch at all!

We managed to get 5 sets of races off. Each start, we did ten, with the ‘interesting’ watch, which was yet another of the day's challenges.

At the end of the races we had to somehow get the boat back to shore. Mike again spent ages with the engine, and then by using Band-Aid Tape, he managed to get the engine started, but he thought we should just head straight back to the dock, as he had no idea how long this temporary fix would hold. This meant that Mike would have to go and get the pin and tackle, which included two anchors himself, and then sail them back on his board to ‘Kiters Beach’.The four of us met up on shore, and got everything together so that Mike, Marley and I, could head back to base.

Jason Ward was an excellent help with race committee and we would welcome him aboard the boat whenever he would like to, but maybe next time he will be racing out there with all of you.

Marley was as usual a great asset, and thoroughly enjoyed the day and all the activity.

We hope that you all enjoyed yourself, and look forward to seeing you all again at the next CalCup race.

Jane.

PS If I had an award to give out to the best racer of the day, (sorry everyone else,) it would go to 11 year old Marion Lepert who started every one of her races perfectly and finished them all just the same way she started them. Not only that, she followed all race rules and etiquette to the T. Her family should be very proud of her.