Race to Solomons
Light Winds and a Long Upwind Sail
On Saturday, 21 Sept we started the AYC Fall Race to Solomons. This 36 nm long distance race starts near Annapolis off Thomas Point Lighthouse and finishes in Solomons, MD. John Tersoni from U.S. Patriot Sailing and Jane Millman were onboard Terminal Leave for the race.
The morning began with an early mooring departure from Spa Creek to catch the 0730 draw bridge opening. With little wind, the 6 nm long motor out to the starting line was a bit longer than our small electric outboard could handle. Luckily the U.S. Patriot Sailing J109 was close by and provided a tow, thank you team!
The breeze picked up just enough to get the fleet started on the race course. Our goal was starting near the race committee boat so we would have room to tack out. This would help clear our wind and set us on a course for shallower water for current relief. Upwind light air starts are tough in Minis when most of the other boats are faster, but the crew did a great job getting us off the line.
The next few hours were a pleasant upwind sail in relatively flat water down the bay. As we approached the first mark, we were just 8 nm into the race and had just under 30 nm to go. There were a few considerations we started to discuss. With the forecast not improving, especially for the wind direction, the rest of the race was going to take a long time. Without a shortened course, we probably would not finish within the time limit. We had limited range with the small electric outboard motor and few options if the wind died halfway into the race. And finally, the delivery back to Annapolis on Sunday was beginning to look even worse with a light air upwind sail. Therefore, we decided to make the responsible call and retire from the race.
Shortly after retiring from the race, we turned back towards Annapolis and hoisted the spinnaker. This became a lovely sail home with a slight increase in wind speed and plenty of sunshine. The boat just feels so much happier sailing down wind! Making the call to retire while we were still enjoying the racing was not easy, but it was far better to make the call at that moment than later in the evening farther south in the Chesapeake Bay.
Thank you Annapolis Yacht Club race committee for hosting an excellent event and for all the competitors who were out on the course. Overall I was proud of our team in the preparation, execution of the race, and ability to remain flexible based off the weather. Thank you John and Jane for racing!
Annapolis Sailboat Show
Visit U.S. Patriot Sailing and Terminal Leave at the Annapolis Sailboat Show this year
10-14 October 2024
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U.S. Patriot Sailing
Supports the veteran community navigate the hardships of transition to civilian life, rehabilitation after injury, and the complex life challenges associated with combat deployments. The organization accomplishes its mission by welcoming veterans back onto a winning team, provides camaraderie, a sense of mission accomplishment, and new dynamic experiences
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