The
GulfStreamer Race News
Tales of the GulfStreamer,
January Binnacle
by IP/C Lynn McCoy
One of my closest friends is long time HRYC
member Norman Church. He has had his sailboat “Obsession”
at the yacht club longer than any other member and has owned the same
boat longer than any other member. He also has had “Obsession”
entered in every Commodores Cup series since its inception and more
yacht club sponsored races than anyone.
Let's roll back to the 2000 running of the 2nd GulfStreamer.
The event started with the traditional Rum Party, of course. We got
weather updates at the Skippers Meeting and started to strategize. Norman
had contacted one of our long time navigators to evaluate the pros and
cons of sailing out to the Gulf Stream.
Ash Hough answered the challenge. He calculated courses under hypothetical
conditions over three different approaches to Charleston. He weighed
in wind and currents and it was a crap-shoot as to whether going out
of your way to the Stream was worthwhile. Using the wind and current
information we got at the Skippers Meeting, we felt we should go for
the Stream, with a final decision not being made until we rounded the
mark at the Main Street Pier.
Winds were favorable for a fast run to the Stream. Our final call was:
Don't go south of 90° to get to the Stream and don't go west of
0° to get to Charleston.
We were in great standing at the end of the sprint Race to the pier.
Fourth boat around the mark with the leaders all owing us time, we won
that by a narrow margin (1 minute and 23 seconds) and we could sail
the same course as the leaders. That is a big advantage to “Obsession”.
Norman steered us toward the Stream on a close reach and kept her moving
fast. “Obsession” was pointed at an imaginary dot on the
chart know to us as Red #1. This should put us well into the thread
of the Stream and that ever-elusive current that goes in the right direction.
We continued towards Red #1 during the night, knowing that everything
had a good chance of changing once we got there.
The Gulf Stream shifts constantly and, with the warmer water from the
Gulf of Mexico, tends to create its own weather system. As we sailed
through the night we intercepted the Stream. The temperature warms up
and your course changes. We held our target until our course over the
bottom versus our course steered reached a 22° difference with a
push towards Charleston. We turned the square end of
the boat into the current, sent the spinnaker up and “Obsession”
was headed to the finish line We shifted course to east and west to
maintain maximum benefit of the current, and the wind was blowing very
favorably. “Obsession” was on her feet and smoking.
Daylight broke and the wind started going light, not “Obsession”
types of conditions. We changed to the light spinnaker, had breakfast
and started looking around. Four boats were visible, all of which owed
us time. That's a good thing, but can we hold on with the light air?
One of the big surprises was off to the West about a mile away. It
was identified as Jim Mitchell's “Spirit”, one of the fastest
boats in the fleet. We couldn't see “Arrow”, the winner
of our class in 1998, and a force to be dealt with.
We jousted all day with “Spirit”. As the wind built and
currents shifted, our courses converged and we were boat for boat ahead
of them. The wind started filling in as the day wore on. “Spirit”
finally pulled ahead of us about an hour from the finish line as the
wind kept building and building.
“Obsession” was headed for the finish line on a close
reach and her 1.5 oz. spinnaker being stretched to her limits with the
increasing wind. We were at the upper end of the wind range of the sails
we were flying, and Deanna was screaming to take down the spinnaker
and put up the #2 jib. We were only a couple of miles from the finish
line and elected not to change sails. Then the next challenge: we have
an incoming container ship that we are converging with and we have to
yield to since it is in the ships channel. We ease sails and change
course numerous times to bleed off some speed and try not to lose the
race in the last mile.
Norman dodges the ship, sails through the finish line and we call our
time into the Charleston pilot's station. Things are
looking good with the finish times.
“Obsession” is the third boat to finish. “Arrow”
was 53 minutes ahead of us, and “Spirit” only 7 minutes
ahead, both of which owed us time. Not a bad thing. The next nail biter
was, who behind us could blow us out. The answer was…nobody.
Norman and the good ship “Obsession” won the Sprint Race,
Spinnaker Class, and Overall, along with the highest finishing boat
with a female crew member (Deanna, Norman's late wife).
I have had the pleasure of many experiences ranging from extreme boredom
to sheer terror in the thousands of miles I have sailed with Norman,
his talented crew and the good ship “Obsession”.
This race ranks in the top of the heap. Thanks, Norman!
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