# Doing my first long distance race, 300nm, any tips or tricks I should know?



## niceshoes6 (Jul 5, 2011)

I joined a beercan team this season and they asked me to do the Chicago to Mac race with them. My sailing background is mostly leisurely with a few charters thrown in so I don't know what to expect. Do you guys have any recommendations on what to bring, necessities or tripsavers? Any advice and tips are appreciated.


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## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

Toothbrush with the handle sawn off. Cash for beer at the other end. Start first. Extend your lead. That is all you need to know.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey,

Have fun.

Do you have safety gear? You will need PDF/harness/tether. What about a PLB? Not really required but a good idea. A good set of foul weather gear is important too. 

You should also have a headlight with red and white light, and just a few clothes. Don't bring too much to wear. If it gets cold at night remember to bring a warm hat. The guys on the boat I race on don't drink much coffee so I bring some starbucks via packets. Add boiling water and I'm all set. 

How dry is the boat you will be on? Many boats leak down below, and having to use soggy gear is a drag. I pack my stuff in a small drybag so I'm good to go.

Bring a water proof camera and take pics / video.

Have fun and when you are off watch sleep as much as possible.

good luck
Barry


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

niceshoes6 said:


> Any advice and tips are appreciated.


Yes:

Win!!!!

.


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## niceshoes6 (Jul 5, 2011)

Good stuff Barry, Thank you.


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

Yes, take no more than what you can pack in a zippered duffle. I no longer bring a sleeping bag - just a small, stadium style fleece blanket and small sheet. Bring your own personal water bottle (with screw top) and a coffee mug with a lid. Miso soup and snicker bars are fantastic during the mid watch (bring extra for your watch mates!). If the rest of the guys aren't big coffee drinkers, bring some of those single serve packets from starbucks. I also like powdered lemonaide drink mix in the afternoons. How cold does it get on the great lakes in the summer? Have you sailed through squalls before? And do you have the appropriate foul weather and safety gear? (I learned the hard way that you should always pack an extra rearming kit or two)


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## Hudsonian (Apr 3, 2008)

Your job when you're off is to rest. If you're otherwise needed they'll call you. Bring and wear a sleep mask and foam ear plugs. Set your alarm so you report on deck when you're supposed to be up.

Wear capilene underwear; at least your crotch will be dry. Bring a new pair of wool athletic socks still the unopened bag; they're like bus fare home. Watch cap. Your knife and shackle key.

Have a specific location to stow your gear; don't put it down anywhere else. Searching for your harness in the dark is the pits.

If your team hasn't done a distance race before, John Rousmaniere's article on organizing watches is worth reading.


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## Sailormon6 (May 9, 2002)

Adding to what others have suggested, I like to have a small, bright flashlight that I can use to check sail trim at night. You should also attach a strobe light to your pfd similar to this one, in case you go overboard at night.


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Pro tips- Skin Sensations wit Deet- You will thank me when the black flies start biting.

Fleece jacket, thermal shirt, polyester bottoms, fleece pants, wool or polyester watch hat, ski gloves- Sunday night you will most likely need them, Shorts, t shirts, 2 pair shoes, Rocky socks (waterproof), and foul weather gear.

Your PFD must have 33lb of buoyancy.

Good sunglasses with strap

70 Sunblock

Secret stash of energy food- Kellogg's Fruity Snacks work.

Always go on deck as soon as possible when watch is called. Keep quiet and focused. Stay positive. Have fun


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

If you read all the advice (none of which is bad per se) you'll end up, by the time you trundle down the dock, looking like Mrs. Howell boarding the S.S. Minnow.

Remember this is only 300 nm -- a day and a half for a decent PHRF boat. You aren't circumnavigating. 

Absolutely positively you need foulies and your own PFD with built-in harness. You should have dry clothes, especially socks and underwear. One set of dry clothes and three of socks and underwear. Pack all that in your duffle in a trash bag. Bring a towel in another trash bag. Bring a couple of extra trash bags. Sun screen, insect repellant, water bottle, small flashlight, and a credit card.

TALK TO THE OWNER. You shouldn't bring what he is bringing. Find out his plan for meals and snacks and ask how you can help. Find out expectations for extras like tethers, PLBs etc.

You are racing not sight seeing. Bring your phone but leave your handheld GPS, VHF, camera, etc home. Find out ahead of time what the plan is for charging personal electronics - don't assume you can and manage battery life accordingly. 

Be sensitive to owner sensitivities. For example, I don't allow crew to wear headlamps. Just too many bad experiences. If the owner says everyone sits in the head you sit. If s/he says ten pumps you pump ten times. Make sure you understand your job when on watch and you focus on rest off-watch unless asked to do something. There are only two places for your stuff - on your body and in your duffel. Don't spread out. 

If you do think there is something you have that would be helpful, ask the owner. 

Be cheerful. Be happy. Be helpful. Have a good time. If you don't like the owner's rules don't go back. 

Pretty simple.

It's only a day and a half.


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

The key is to pack small. I bring less and less these days. Just a pair of sailing shorts and pants and a tee or rash shirt (or more, depending on race duration). Then layers when factoring in weather etc. I pack one set of YC/traveling clothes. Remember, if you run short of clothing at the end, you can always buy a souvenir tee or polo at the end of the race. One thing I found really handy are those Eagle Creek packing cubes at REI. They make organizing your duffle very easy. Your smart phone can double as a camera and iPod so that cuts down on “stuff”. Depending upon the boat situation, bring a 12v USBI receptacle. On ULDBs that are power challenged, I have one of those little recharging packs that are the size of a smart phone. I get 2 -3 charges on phone batteries that are next to dead.

But most importantly, what boat will you be on and what is the race date? We would all love to live vicariously with you on this race. I would absolutely love to do a Chi Mac sometime! Oh, and SAIL HER LIKE SHE’s STOLEN!


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## niceshoes6 (Jul 5, 2011)

The race is this Saturday and like I said my racing experience is limited to a few beercans. I'll be on a reasonably outfitted j/35 so we should hit the island by Monday morning. I appreciate all the great tips here and I will report back on my experience.

Thanks
-N


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Shoes, SV Auspicious is full of hot air. I've done 19 Mackinacs (BYC & CYC) and you will be lucky to get in on Monday morning. Look at the last 5 years results for elapsed time and you will see what I mean. Your finish will be anywhere from 40 to 60 hours. It is 300+nm but seldom that is the actual distance you sail. In some races we've sailed as much as 400 miles in the race. I've raced on everything from sleds to 38 footers in that race. Making 7knots VMC is pretty tough unless you are on a sled and even then it has taken us over 40 hours at least once. The forecast calls for rain Sunday, Monday. Water temps of upper 50s to 60s in northern part of the lake. Think cold at night. And no it is not a day and a half day race as Auspicious claims. The wind forecast is favorable for an offwind race this year but not much velocity. At least you won't be cold but watch out for the flies.


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

Have lots of fun! I don't know anything about Great Lakes sailing conditions, but a J35 is pretty fast and I'm guessing a 48 hour passage. An added incentive is to arrive BEFORE the YC Bar closes for the evening. To reinforce the pack lite/keep your gear stowed: These photos are from the Socal 300 portion of the California Race week. We are seven days in and we have shed all our cold weather gear. There are five of us sharing a cabin along with four spinnakers and two headsails on a Cal 40 - lap of luxury.


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Despite it being July, a watch cap and gloves might be useful for chilly late night watches. We have also had occasion on the CHI-Mac to find dive goggles useful for seeing in 50 knot rain/hail squalls. A rule book could also come in handy (just in case).


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Middle distance races like the Mac and the Bermudas are a different mindset than buoy races.

Keep the boat moving. Look at the d-mn sails. Remember you are there to maximize VMG. Everything else is secondary unless positioning for weather or current. Unlike beercan where the other boats are is irrelevant. Forget wind shadows, positioning for right of way and other beercan tricks. Sure use them if convenient but that stuff should not be primarily in your thoughts. VMG, VMG,VMG.

To this end look carefully at that boats polar and suit of sails. Talk with owner about these things. He may tell you little important things like she's faster on port than stbd. tack. Faster with a big genny than a code in moderate air. Likes to be on her feet than rail down. Etc. 

I used to review each watches performance post race. You can guess who I invited back.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Sanduskysailor said:


> Shoes, SV Auspicious is full of hot air.


Well aren't you a polite person.

A day and a half or four days really doesn't matter. You're racing. Same packing list. Add your own container of baby wipes to my list and you're done. There isn't space or time for a lot of amenities. Too many people in too small a space.

I defer to your experience on the Chicago-Mac. For packing purposes that doesn't matter.

The most important thing is coordination with the owner, as I suggested.


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## nhsail (Aug 7, 2000)

As noted it should be only 2 days, but it might be 4. It's fresh water, so you don't need many replacement clothes, but a dry change at the end is precious. Take a SMALL duffel that's only big enough to fit your boots, foulies, harness/pfd and spares when you board. Stow it and don't leave it open. Take a pack of baby wipes to "bathe" with. 

your pfd/harness should have a rigging knife and red flashlight on lanyard. You probably need crotch/thigh straps on the PFD, and having your own tether bundled into a stuffsack is not a bad idea. 

put your NAME on each piece that could come adrift, ALL Foulweather gear & boots looks the same in the middle of the night.\

Ask about bunks, likely you will be hot bunking, and sharing the sleeping bag/blankies etc. Sleep in Dry clothes, and have your boots/foulies/harness laid out where you can find in the dark if a sudden squall. 

Keep the hatches closed at night, don't use white lights after dark and take your motion sickness meds (trans dermal scop) the day before. 

Ask owner about policies: we put on Pfd and harness to jack lines if any of: reefed, after dark or alone on deck. 

Hike when you have nothing better to do.


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Shoes-The forecast looks like light and variable on the nose on Saturday, heavier wind on the nose on Sunday. My prediction is that you will arrive sometime late Monday night. One of the challenges is to manage several variables for the race.
1. By all means attend the party Friday night but be moderate in drinking and eating. Nothing worse than being hung over on Saturday afternoon as you are bobbing around off Evanston. Your fellow crew mates won't appreciate you for filling up the holding tank with foul smelling crap from those 8 fish tacos that tasted so good on Friday.
2. Moisture management. A wicking shirt helps a lot. You don't want to be damp when you go off watch in evening. Put your sunblock before you leave the dock. Change to a dry shirt before you come on deck on Sunday. 
3. As you work your way north it will be cold at night on Sunday especially with a northeast wind. Fleece is your friend.
4. Pack a small towel. You'll need it at the showers in the Marina. You will want to be fresh when your team goes to pick up your award on Tuesday.

Have fun. Hopefully you are not on the J-35 with 6 total crew. Not enough for this race most years. My money is on Bad Dog to win the section.

PS- If you need a ride back, I'm bringing a 68' sled back to Belmont leaving dock 6:00am on Wednesday. PM me if you want to go.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

If it helps, here is a write up of my very first offshore race ever that was about the same distance of 300 miles. I also did the return delivery of the boat - so about 600 miles total. I learned A LOT:

2011 Race To The Border | SmackTalk!


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## Solar54 (May 9, 2015)

The hardest thing to do on a long race is for 100% of the crew to give 100% effort, for 100% of the time. It is so very easy to slack off for a minute or two, which can cost you. Good luck!


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## Lazerbrains (Oct 25, 2015)

I have nothing to add here other than to say a lot of fantastic advice on this thread. It should be a sticky.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Solar54 said:


> The hardest thing to do on a long race is for 100% of the crew to give 100% effort, for 100% of the time. It is so very easy to slack off for a minute or two, which can cost you. Good luck!


Its hard to hike at 2am when you are cold, wet and hungry.

:svoilier:


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## Sal Paradise (Sep 14, 2012)

Well niceshoes is somewhere in the shot of the start of the race.


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## JacksonDee (Jul 23, 2016)

I hope he's having fun and doing well. I look forward to the post race report.

This race really interests me. Next season will be my first season with a boat though and I certainly won't be ready to participate. Sometime in the next few seasons...

This is a great thread, +1 for sticky.


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Looks like a fast race. Reports from my friends say that it was cold, wet, and a little scary in the 2 storms. There were several retirements and 1 48 footer that sunk with 10 crew. The crew got into a liferaft and were rescued by another boat. Wow. Shoes should be finished by now. Sounds like an epic race


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## JacksonDee (Jul 23, 2016)

Yikes and now a report of a crew member having a heart attack mid race and needing immediate Coast Guard intervention. Helicoptered out.


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

pic of sinking 1D 48


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## JacksonDee (Jul 23, 2016)

I read they said it was a broken rudder that caused the boat to sink.

Question from a total newbie- why does a broken rudder cause the boat to sink? You can't steer the boat out of rocking back and forth in big waves? Then eventually it gets capsized?


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

If the rudder breaks off you just lose steerage. A requirement of the race is that you have an alternative method of steering if this happens so that wasn't the problem. In this case, the rudder post most probably broke off leaving a 3" diameter hole in a very inaccessible place in the boat. My guess is that 1D48 has a carbon fiber rudder post which is extremely strong. Who knows what caused the failure?


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## nhsail (Aug 7, 2000)

tearing a 3" diameter rudder post out of the stern would probably leave a much bigger hole. Well beyond the pumps capability to keep up with.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

JacksonDee said:


> Question from a total newbie- why does a broken rudder cause the boat to sink?


Depends on the boat. If the rudder shaft seal is below the waterline and the entire rudder and shaft is lost you have a big hole for water to get in. Put a slew (ten is a slew) of people (=weight) on the boat and the hole is deeper yet. Water gets in and the boat gets heavier and more water gets in.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

3 inch hole inbound. 2 inch pipe outbound.

Inbound wins.

But with water pressure and pump capacity I would think a 1 inch hole would overwhelm a 2 inch pipe on a bilge pump.


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## Skyeterrier (Feb 11, 2016)

JacksonDee said:


> I read they said it was a broken rudder that caused the boat to sink.
> 
> Question from a total newbie- why does a broken rudder cause the boat to sink? You can't steer the boat out of rocking back and forth in big waves? Then eventually it gets capsized?


The rudder post is a vulnerable point on many yachts, breaking it off can leave a good size hole that may not be easy to get to as others have pointed out and the loss of steering can't help much either.

It seems to be one of the more common events on ocean passages that lead to rescue of crew and/or loss of the vessel, another recent example is the loss of the well known racing vessel Locomotion making passage on its way to a new owner, the delivery skipper was apparently experienced and well regarded but it's one of those events that sometimes can't be fixed or jury rigged in time or at all:

https://www.socalsailingnews.com/20...cues-3-sailors-150-miles-west-of-los-angeles/


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## Pendragon35 (Jun 26, 2014)

I believe based on news reports that it wasn't the loss of steering, it was the hole in the boat that caused flooding. A 3" hole will let a lot of water in fast. The crew wisely abandoned to a life raft and were picked up.


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## niceshoes6 (Jul 5, 2011)

Hey Everyone, 
Well I made it back in one piece albeit tired, bruised and hungover. The boat, well not so much. We suffered a snapped boom and blew a spinnaker or 2. As most of you know the race was marked by extended squalls and a fresh breeze which caused its fair share of damage. 17 boats dropped out, 1 sunk, 2 collided and there was 1 broken arm and even a heart attack. For my first race all I can say is WOW what a ride and I don't think anything could have prepared me for it. 

The start of the race was pretty uneventful and we had some nice sailing that afternoon, I even managed a nap laying on the rail. We were using Weatherwx so we knew what was coming down the way and before the storm decided to switch to the #3 jib to be prepared. When the storm hit we threw in a reef, furled in the jib and managed fairly well for a while. None of us got sick and were all able to grab some Zzzzz when offwatch. Since this was my first time with weather it was terrifying and awesome all at the same time. The boat handled well and we never broached or heeled over so I was comfortable except for the nonstop lightning. A few watch shifts later very early Sunday morning we did an accidental gybe and the boom snapped at the preventer. We scrambled to get the main dropped and then lashed everything down until the storm calmed. We sailed under Jib alone and I was impressed that we were still managing 7-8 kts.

Sunday afternoon the storm subsided and the sky slowly cleared up leaving behind some pretty big waves. I'm glad we didn't have to deal with that during the storm. I took the helm for a while quickly realized how tough it can be in big seas. 

Monday morning was my first glimpse of the bridge and I felt relieved that we were getting close. The winds were around 10-15 so we sailed to the finish nicely under the spinnaker alone. I'm glad we finished and never quit. Living in close quarters with 5 other people in these conditions can be trying but the crew worked together well and we all had a great time. Ill skip the details of the party but it was great being there with everyone knowing what we just came through.



Happy sailing
-shoes


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Glad you had a good experience.

It sounds like my estimate on duration was not so far off. *grin*



niceshoes6 said:


> we did an accidental gybe and the boom snapped at the preventer.


I'm sorry you had that experience. I suspect the issue was an improperly rigged preventer. It was probably a vang-like (or relocated vang) tackle from the boom 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the boom from the mast taken to the rail near the mast. The geometry of that very common "preventer" is fundamentally deficient. The best preventer runs from a bail at the very after end of the boom to the bow and then back to the cockpit(ish) where it is secured. Use the least stretchy line you can. Ease the main way out (even putting the sail on the rigging), set the preventer up hard, and then grind the main back in to avoid chafe.


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## JacksonDee (Jul 23, 2016)

niceshoes6 said:


> For my first race all I can say is WOW what a ride and I don't think anything could have prepared me for it.
> 
> Since this was my first time with weather it was terrifying and awesome all at the same time.
> 
> ...


Those are my favorite parts of your story. Sounds like a ton of "fun." Would you do it again? Congratulations.

When we get done at the motorcycle track, the feeling of camaraderie and adrenaline I imagine are quite the same. Its hard to go back to work the next day after you "cheated death" for a weekend ripping around a track at speeds up to 150, knowing any tiny mistake can throw you from the bike. Or the same after 3 days of high seas, lighting, and a broken boom, at any moment knowing the boat might go under or you might be thrown from it. Very cool.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

niceshoes6 said:


> Hey Everyone,
> Well I made it back in one piece albeit tired, bruised and hungover. The boat, well not so much. We suffered a snapped boom and blew a spinnaker or 2. As most of you know the race was marked by extended squalls and a fresh breeze which caused its fair share of damage. 17 boats dropped out, 1 sunk, 2 collided and there was 1 broken arm and even a heart attack. For my first race all I can say is WOW what a ride and I don't think anything could have prepared me for it.
> 
> The start of the race was pretty uneventful and we had some nice sailing that afternoon, I even managed a nap laying on the rail. We were using Weatherwx so we knew what was coming down the way and before the storm decided to switch to the #3 jib to be prepared. When the storm hit we threw in a reef, furled in the jib and managed fairly well for a while. None of us got sick and were all able to grab some Zzzzz when offwatch. Since this was my first time with weather it was terrifying and awesome all at the same time. The boat handled well and we never broached or heeled over so I was comfortable except for the nonstop lightning. A few watch shifts later very early Sunday morning we did an accidental gybe and the boom snapped at the preventer. We scrambled to get the main dropped and then lashed everything down until the storm calmed. We sailed under Jib alone and I was impressed that we were still managing 7-8 kts.
> ...


Oh hell yeah!!


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

The preventer must be able to break before the boom!

My preventer is lashed to a loop of 1mm line with a 100kg breaking strain. Theres 3 laps in the loop giving it a 300kg breaking strain.
This allows it to take the load of most gybes, and lessen the load before it breaks the boom on a major accidental gybe.


Glad you had fun 

Btw, i am glad you realised that nothing this thread had told you would have prepared you  Ya just gotta get out there and do it


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

​


smackdaddy said:


> Oh hell yeah!!


Grumpy bugger!


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

Shoes, glad you had such a memorable race. A lot of sailors will race many years and consider this sort of race a capstone to their career and lucky you, to experience this first time out. Be warned – this stuff is about addictive as crystal meth and it won’t be too long before you are looking for your next fix! Living with four or five crew for a few days on a race boat can get a little close, but to put it into perspective, think of Columbus’ crew on the Santa Maria. Now you know what’s behind the advice of keeping it simple, light, and easy to store. Like the rest of us, you will be packing less for your next race.

If you don’t mind, a couple of technical questions regarding the boom breakage. How was the preventer rigged? Did it attach to the back of the boom and lead to a bow cleat or was it half way down the boom and attached to a chain plate amidships? Did the boom end dig into the water before breaking or did fly over and break on the other side?


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Just got back from delivering a boat from Mackinac to Chi. Race was cold and windy with 3 major storms. Record times for most boats and no Auspicious, it wasn't a 36 hour day sail down the Chesapeake and back. Crews were cold, wet, and battered so proper gear was important. I'm glad that Shoes had a good time and I'm sure he will doing it again next year. Pic is us at the dock on Friday morning in Chi.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Sanduskysailor said:


> Just got back from delivering a boat from Mackinac to Chi. Race was cold and windy with 3 major storms. Record times for most boats and no Auspicious, it wasn't a 36 hour day sail down the Chesapeake and back. Crews were cold, wet, and battered so proper gear was important. I'm glad that Shoes had a good time and I'm sure he will doing it again next year. Pic is us at the dock on Friday morning in Chi.


Wow. Nice boat.










And Ausp? Heh. Ouch.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Sanduskysailor said:


> Pic is us at the dock on Friday morning in Chi.


What the #%€£¥ is that boat??? :captain:


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

And what flag is it??????


:eek


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Nelson Marek 68. Flag is the boat Flag for Sagamore. That's Soldier Field in the background. I brought it back with a couple of friends. Nice trip with an overnight stop in Frankfort Mi. We had pretty good weather.


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## Lazerbrains (Oct 25, 2015)

Congrats on a memorable race! Get yourself a copy of "Heavy Weather Sailing" by Adler Coles. After what you went through, you won't be able to put that book down - he documents several races where he got hit hard.

I bet you will want to do it again.



niceshoes6 said:


> Hey Everyone,
> Well I made it back in one piece albeit tired, bruised and hungover. The boat, well not so much. We suffered a snapped boom and blew a spinnaker or 2. As most of you know the race was marked by extended squalls and a fresh breeze which caused its fair share of damage. 17 boats dropped out, 1 sunk, 2 collided and there was 1 broken arm and even a heart attack. For my first race all I can say is WOW what a ride and I don't think anything could have prepared me for it.
> 
> The start of the race was pretty uneventful and we had some nice sailing that afternoon, I even managed a nap laying on the rail. We were using Weatherwx so we knew what was coming down the way and before the storm decided to switch to the #3 jib to be prepared. When the storm hit we threw in a reef, furled in the jib and managed fairly well for a while. None of us got sick and were all able to grab some Zzzzz when offwatch. Since this was my first time with weather it was terrifying and awesome all at the same time. The boat handled well and we never broached or heeled over so I was comfortable except for the nonstop lightning. A few watch shifts later very early Sunday morning we did an accidental gybe and the boom snapped at the preventer. We scrambled to get the main dropped and then lashed everything down until the storm calmed. We sailed under Jib alone and I was impressed that we were still managing 7-8 kts.
> ...


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Hey Shoes, congrats on finishing the race. Sailing with five others can be a little tight. I noticed that the class leaders sailed with 8 or 9. That's definitely tight and requires a lot of planning but needed to have 4 on deck.

Tips for next year:

Pack island clothes in separate bag and have one of the spouses take them up to the island.

Pre cook meals like Lasagna and freeze them and put them in boil bags. Heat them up in boiling water and you have a good hot meal.

Have water pump connected with good filter. Pump drinking water in from lake once 50 miles north of Chicago. Good for ice tea, lemonade, coffee. 

Cut up an old spinnaker to make light weight sheets. Great for keeping the flies off you and fold up into a small square that fits in your pocket.

Keep morale up by having a contest between shifts to see which shift has the most miles logged total. Losers buy winners a beer afterwards at the Pony.


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## sailordave (Jun 26, 2001)

Did the Mac race also. Third time. Not very good... At one point we were 2nd in class but sailed into a hole, broke a furling line and had to repair that whilst battling a squall and 30 knots, blew out a spinnaker and really could have used a few more (capable) drivers! Boat was really pretty worn out and had some issues but it was fun. The 18 hours of rain (drizzle to full on squalls and downpours) sucked. The 14 and 15 knots were really cool and the one blip at 18 knots surfing an 8 foot wave had us whooping and hollering! Glad I had lots of extra clothes; I changed out of soaking wet clothes 3 straight watches.
When WHO DO went down we were close enough to hear all the VHF chatter quite clearly but not close enough to aid. I have to admit it's nice sailing in unsalted water; no spray to make you all sticky and smelly!


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## mbetter (Jun 13, 2010)

Also did the race, was certainly a wild one. Saw the remains of WhoDo in Charlevoix after they refloated her and towed her in. Rudder post tore out, not the first time she sank because of it. I was told by someone that was around last time she sank that there was very little solid glass in the hole around the rudder tube, and the core surrounding it was like soggy bread.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

mbetter said:


> ...not the first time she sank because of it. ...


Whaaaat???!!! :eek


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