Here's the story. I race a 69 cal25 in San Francisco. We do a bay series and the YRA offshore series. At 222 she's fairly competitive.
I wanted to do the Nationals but couldn't find a reasonably priced trailer and didn't feel like sailing her down. So 2 weeks before the Nationals I take a look on Craig's list LA. And low and behold there's a 1969 cal25 in LA for $900. It was in reasonable shape. Someone had spent a lot of time and money modifying it. It was very close to my SF racer. The lady selling it really wanted it raced again so we worked out a deal.
I striped my SF racer of rigging, blocks, boom, sails, etc, and packed up my sentra ser. Even had to pull the rear seats to get the spinnaker pole and boom to fit.
Left work Tue evening and drove to Marina Del Rey.
Wed I dealt with paper work and getting a slip for her after the race. Then single handed her to Long Beach.
Thur had her hauled and I sanded the bottom. Luckily all the bottom paint was gone. However there were lots of blisters. It wasn't all that bad as some one had done quite a bit of fairing on the bottom.
Friday I fill the blisters and sand fair. The bottom looked better than my SF boat's. Splash her by noon and sail over to the LBYC. Got my sails measured and they start on the boat. Someone had shortened the spreaders and moved the chain plates in 3 inches. Measurer says move 'em back to stock if you want to race with us. Nice. What is this the freaken 105 fleet? I start in on the project of moving the chain plates out only to realize the dam shrouds are going to be too short. By this time its getting dark and I haven't been drinking and am getting mad. I'm thinking of ditching the cal25 fleet and doing the 2 around Catalina. I decide to leave the plates where they are and go to bed.
The fleet chair comes by in the morning to check on me and instructs me to request an exception to allow the cheater plates. I didn't really get what he was trying to do until he says just repeat back to me what I just said. Ohh. Thanks Art.
So they decide to let me race with one caveat. No trimming the 150 inside the lifelines (when near the RC). OK.
The adventure doesn't end here
My one crew member who's actually sailed before flakes at around 10:00AM. Nice. Luckily my college buddy shows up 1/2 hour later with his girlfriend and her friend. I tell them about the uniform policy and they both undress revealing their bikinis. Maybe this will be OK.
We make it to the starting area. Hoisted the 150 and during the second tack I hear a rippppp. Look up to see my nice light 150 with a 6 inch reap near the spreaders. The dam spreader boot came off and I can see a piece of wire sticking out. Then we hear the 5 minute gun. SHIT. I left my bosons chair in SF so we're yelling at the rest of the fleet for one and someone throws one to us. I climb up to the spreaders and duct tape them up while my crew tapes the 150.
We're the last boat over the line and play catch up. The boat goes well and everyone's having fun. Nothing better than watching girls in bikinis help tack the boat. Had to have one help steer while I pulled the strings. It was even more fun when the jib car blew up and I had to make some new ones from blocks/snap shackles and mount them to the spinnaker cleats. Then the traveler cam cleat broke. Nothing like doing repairs while racing.
The second race wasn't any better. We missed the 5 minute gun and were again the last boat over the line. Played catch up to the windward mark. Thought we could catch the back of the fleet downwind. However it became evident that no one could steer down wind while I worked foredeck when we got a head-stay wrap with the 150. At this point I'm pretty gutted and realize this isn't going to work. So I call to the RC chase boat and tell them were done for the day. Time to show the crew a good time.
We harden up and take off on a nice reach away from the fleet. Its HOT and the crew wants to swim. Who am I to argue with chicks in bikinis? So I sail over to a small island (oil filling facility) and anchor in the lee. We all go for a nice swim.
The best part was when the entire fleet sailed by after the 3rd race. Nothing but props upon our return to LBYC, 3 hours later. I guess we did win.
Sunday had very light winds. I was actually looking forward to racing as I had another crew member who’d sailed before. The story goes on but the short version is they call the race for lack of wind and I end up sailing back up to MDR.
Good times.
Dylan CL2 and Fried Green Tomato
We're doing the OYRA lightship2 Sat if anyone wants to join. Bikinis take preference. Weather should be hot.