Men Overboard

by Joe Carobene

1997

We're still at the dock; it's 9 A.M. A gentle breeze (NNW) wafts over the bay hardily ruffling the water. Perfect conditions for a yacht race. Sails-check, rigging at proper tension-check; main and jib sheets-check; rudder movement check; hull bottom clean-check. All seems in order.

 It's time to sail for the line. Check wind direction and review the race course. Ready crew that was the one-minute gun! Keep the boat moving-maneuver for room: 5.4.3.2. 1. BOOM!

The start. We cleared the line on time. Good start. Now settle down and focus on the course and the oscillating breeze.  

Watch out! the blue boat seems to be sailing a faster course and could catch us at the windward mark. We tack and work as hard as we can to hold the slim lead. We just barely round the mark and still ahead.

Downward and sailing well. The helmsman is very careful not to oversteer or the boat can spin our and 'round up to windward. This would be disastrous for the race and would surely be lost!

We're sailing the boat a little high of the leeward mark and maintaining good boat speed. So far, we remain ahead but again by a very slim margin. The blue boat continues to dog us. A new white yacht gaining fast becomes another threat.

We reach the leeward mark and round to windward without losing the lead to our competitors.

The beat to the finish becomes a harrowing experience. The other two yachts continue their relentess pursuit and gain on several tacks. We cover each tack but lose boat speed. Must remember: tack smoothly and not throw the tiller sharply to leeward and thereby lose that small but valuable amount of boat speed which chips away our slim lead.

Several more tacks (much more smoothly) and we are sailing for the finish line. The blue boat is at our stem and almost ready to overtake us. The white boat sailing on the alternate tack is also moving very quickly to the finish line. We cross the line by less than a boat length to the blue boat. We were almost caught at the finish line. If the course was longer ???? But the course was just fine for us and a win is a win, even if by just a second.

Passing the line we relax and bear off to enjoy the breeze and just sail. Relax now, the next race will soon be announced. Let's check the prevailing breeze again and be ready for the next start.

Yes. Yacht racing can be an exciting and rewarding sport; yet conventional wisdom tells us it's an expensive sport, it's often said that a boat is nothing more than a hole in the water into which the owner pours vast sums of money, cost of the yacht; maintenance; winter storage; depreciation; not to mention free time to sail and favorable weather.

But yachts and racing are attainable, especially when the boats are in small scale when compared to the full-size boats at their moorings in the bay.

The boats in the above race were actually radio-controlled model sailboats three feet long and five feet high. The excitement of sailing and racing these model boats very closely mimics the fullsize craft at a fraction of the cost.

Fairwind, the class of model sailboat used in the races is easily assembled by each owner (with ballast carefully measured for equal performance) and launched ready to race for approximately $350. Just think, no yard fees, sailmakers, keel fairing, Teflon bottom paint, etc.

The fleet sails and races most Sunday morning (9-10:30) weather permitting at the dock during the summer until the floats are removed and the dock is closed for the season. Oakland Lake is used when winds blow too strongly at the dock and during the periods when the floats are stored. Racing at the lake is controlled by the extent of summer weed growth. which hampers and stops boat progress through the water or when the lake water freezes in winter. At that point the boats are "hauled" until the ice melts and racing resumes.

Come see the action and get hooked. The fun is contagious.