Libations Too
New member
I'll add this little anecdote hoping that it will be of help to first-time LongPac participants.
For those who will be attempting the LongPac for the first time, don't forget to focus on skipper preparation too.
Beginning in January of 2007 with a focus on the LongPac I spent a great deal of time with the boat...new dodger, wind vane, emergency rudder, AIS, life raft, storm sails, etc. I managed to do the SSS races in the Bay, but rarely got outside the Gate for some extended ocean sailing. And nowhere in my preparations did I fully appreciate how difficult it would be to continue to point the boat offshore in the face of seasickness, fatigue, and cold.
The 2007 LongPac was my first. I retired after the first day due to seasickness. After the race I kept trying get out to that 200-mile green line. I tried and failed a second and third time...also due to sea sickness. Finally after getting some prescription meds (Scopolamine) from my Doc I actually made it on my fourth attempt.
For first-time ocean racers I think it worth some time to make sure that you are physically able to stand up to the conditions that you will face. Also spend some time thinking about when and under what conditions you might actually retire from the race. For me I retired after the 9:00 am role call on the second day of the race. Within half an hour of starting the engine and heading home I was feeling much better. I am glad that I turned back when I did but I also regret not spending the time before race day to better understand my own reaction to the combined affects of seasickness, fatigue, and cold.
The LongPac is a serious offshore race. To be sure, the boat must be ready. But the race also places unusual physical and mental demands on the skipper. Take the time to be sure that you are up to the task.
For those who will be attempting the LongPac for the first time, don't forget to focus on skipper preparation too.
Beginning in January of 2007 with a focus on the LongPac I spent a great deal of time with the boat...new dodger, wind vane, emergency rudder, AIS, life raft, storm sails, etc. I managed to do the SSS races in the Bay, but rarely got outside the Gate for some extended ocean sailing. And nowhere in my preparations did I fully appreciate how difficult it would be to continue to point the boat offshore in the face of seasickness, fatigue, and cold.
The 2007 LongPac was my first. I retired after the first day due to seasickness. After the race I kept trying get out to that 200-mile green line. I tried and failed a second and third time...also due to sea sickness. Finally after getting some prescription meds (Scopolamine) from my Doc I actually made it on my fourth attempt.
For first-time ocean racers I think it worth some time to make sure that you are physically able to stand up to the conditions that you will face. Also spend some time thinking about when and under what conditions you might actually retire from the race. For me I retired after the 9:00 am role call on the second day of the race. Within half an hour of starting the engine and heading home I was feeling much better. I am glad that I turned back when I did but I also regret not spending the time before race day to better understand my own reaction to the combined affects of seasickness, fatigue, and cold.
The LongPac is a serious offshore race. To be sure, the boat must be ready. But the race also places unusual physical and mental demands on the skipper. Take the time to be sure that you are up to the task.