Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Bill Roberts
4:49 PM (17 minutes ago)
to me, BAMA
SSS Race Committee and BAMA Racers,
What an incredible Race - the 2013 TBF. This is the fifth year that Brock and I have done the TBF and this one was unquestionably the best of them all.
We want to congratulate and thank the SSS Race Committee for taking on the huge task of organizing and managing a race with 356 entrants so that we racers could go out and enjoy an unforgettable adrenalin rush. For Emma, the conditions were ideal for having a great day. As we have done every year, (after a slightly slow start to avoid the prospect of penalties) we went clockwise.
After rounding Blackhaller, we flew the screacher and had the rare experience of a straight shot through Raccoon. Emerging from Raccoon, the wind built and I think we passed every boat that was ahead of us and heading north. On rounding Red Rock, we had trouble building to full speed and were passed by Papillon and a couple of other tri's. We discovered that we had broken the second from the top batten on the mainsail and that part of the sail twisted excessively, apparently dumping power. To compensate and try to get back in the race, we flew the screacher (in winds that were a bit heavy for that sail ) all the way across the slot. The gamble appeared to be working as we gained on all of the boats that had passed us near Red Rock. However, as we approached the Bay Bridge, we had to pay for the sins of our gamble. A mighty gust caught the screacher, the lee hull submerged, Emma stopped dead, her transom lifted high out of the water seemingly near the point of no return, but then settled down unharmed. (what a strong and forgiving boat she is) After a couple of minutes of trying to get wind back in the sails we were off toward the finish line. We chased Papillon and Humdinger through the pounding waves but could not overtake them. Both Drew and Larry appeared to have flawless races. Congratulations to them and to all of the racers who came out to enjoy that sensational day on the Bay.
Best regards,
Bill Roberts
Emma Corsair 31 UC
4:49 PM (17 minutes ago)
to me, BAMA
SSS Race Committee and BAMA Racers,
What an incredible Race - the 2013 TBF. This is the fifth year that Brock and I have done the TBF and this one was unquestionably the best of them all.
We want to congratulate and thank the SSS Race Committee for taking on the huge task of organizing and managing a race with 356 entrants so that we racers could go out and enjoy an unforgettable adrenalin rush. For Emma, the conditions were ideal for having a great day. As we have done every year, (after a slightly slow start to avoid the prospect of penalties) we went clockwise.
After rounding Blackhaller, we flew the screacher and had the rare experience of a straight shot through Raccoon. Emerging from Raccoon, the wind built and I think we passed every boat that was ahead of us and heading north. On rounding Red Rock, we had trouble building to full speed and were passed by Papillon and a couple of other tri's. We discovered that we had broken the second from the top batten on the mainsail and that part of the sail twisted excessively, apparently dumping power. To compensate and try to get back in the race, we flew the screacher (in winds that were a bit heavy for that sail ) all the way across the slot. The gamble appeared to be working as we gained on all of the boats that had passed us near Red Rock. However, as we approached the Bay Bridge, we had to pay for the sins of our gamble. A mighty gust caught the screacher, the lee hull submerged, Emma stopped dead, her transom lifted high out of the water seemingly near the point of no return, but then settled down unharmed. (what a strong and forgiving boat she is) After a couple of minutes of trying to get wind back in the sails we were off toward the finish line. We chased Papillon and Humdinger through the pounding waves but could not overtake them. Both Drew and Larry appeared to have flawless races. Congratulations to them and to all of the racers who came out to enjoy that sensational day on the Bay.
Best regards,
Bill Roberts
Emma Corsair 31 UC
