Thinking About 2018 SHTP

[AZ Sailor]

I've been a regular reader of the website and forum for a long time, though I haven't done a lot of racing. I've been planning on doing a single handed sail to Hawaii for a long time, and have long thought I would basically prepare as if I was entering the SSTP (e.g., a 400 nm qualifier, SAS seminar, most if not all of required safety gear). Now that it looks like 2018 will be the soonest I can clear the time to go, I have begun seriously considering entering the 2018 race.

The next thought that idea brings on, is to spend less of my sailing time in 2017 cruising, and concentrate on getting as much ocean racing experience as possible. Trouble is, as far as I know, there aren't any regularly organized solo races in my home waters in San Diego. The PSSA runs a nice set of races out of Marina Del Rey, but that's too far away to be practical for me.

So, I'm basically looking at regular PHRF races, but do not intend to hand steer a whole race. Suggestions?

 

[sleddog]

So, I'm basically looking at regular PHRF races, but do not intend to hand steer a whole race. Suggestions?

If you choose PHRF races, consider sailing DH. It's safer in crowded waters having two sets of eyes, and DH is basically singlehanding with an autopilot that has eyes. Best to get a partner with as much or more experience than yourself. ~sleddog

 

[svShearwater]

The benefits you get doing regular PHRF races will still be beneficial if you sail with crew. Mostly you will be working on boat handling, sail trim, tactics, sail selection, and just general boat speed. Having others onboard might be helpful for all of those things and speed up your improvement.

The differences racing solo aren't so much about the race itself as it is about boat handling, sleeping, eating, managing energy, weather routing, etc. You can practice all of those things without actually racing.

If I were you, I would do as many PHRF races as you can either DH or with crew and then spend as much time just out in the ocean solo as you have available. Plan a day to sail down around the Coronado's and back and work on using the autopilot, raising and dousing the spinnaker, cooking, etc. Learn from that experience and then repeat it again soon after.

Also, if you primarily sail in San Diego, you might want to seek out the windiest days to head out into the ocean. Leaving SF Bay can be a whole nother world from sailing in San Diego. It's not uncommon at all to see 20-30 knots the first day or two or more. Make sure you are comfortable with that. You might only get a few days a year in SD with that kind of weather.

What kind of boat?

 

[AZ Sailor]

If you choose PHRF races, consider sailing DH. It's safer in crowded waters having two sets of eyes, and DH is basically singlehanding with an autopilot that has eyes. Best to get a partner with as much or more experience than yourself. ~sleddog

That's a great suggestion, and one I'll definitely try. Thanks.

 

[Gamayun]

From my perspective, the more you race, the better sailor you will be. But make sure you practice anchoring (and ensuring a good hold) from time to time, too

 

[AZ Sailor]

What kind of boat?

She is a 1985, sloop rigged Valiant 32. Purchased in March of 2015, specifically in hopes of solo ocean crossings.

As to your other comments, I appreciate the suggestion that time on fully crewed race boats would also be valuable. I will remain flexible, and just try to race as much as possible. As far as getting out on the ocean alone, and in tough conditions when possible, that is what I've been doing for more than 10 years. Bought my first keel boat in 2005, and in both that one and this one, the majority of my cruising has been single handed, off shore. November's cruise included an overnight sail (mostly under A-sym) from Avalon to SD. October's was 200 nm non-stop sail out to Cortes Bank, around the Bishop Rock buoy and back. Gimballed propane stove to cook on; Watch Commander to help me keep 21 minute sleep cycles through the wee hours of the night. SSB, Monitor wind vane, solar panels, radar, AIS, etc., all installed and working.

I think I've got a pretty good experience/knowledge base on those things. If was cruising to Hawaii, I think the only things left would be the 400 nm qualifier, and getting the life raft re-certified. But I would not enter the SHTP in order to cruise to Hawaii. So, 2017 is to be my year of racing, and then we'll see.

 

[AZ Sailor]

From my perspective, the more you race, the better sailor you will be. But make sure you practice anchoring (and ensuring a good hold) from time to time, too

I know racing will help me be a better sailor, so that's part of why I've decided to concentrate on racing this year. Binging almost exclusively a cruising sailor to this point in time, I've done a lot of anchoring. I prefer it to guest slip or mooring when out of SD, whenever possible.

 

[svShearwater]

She is a 1985, sloop rigged Valiant 32. Purchased in March of 2015, specifically in hopes of solo ocean crossings.

As to your other comments, I appreciate the suggestion that time on fully crewed race boats would also be valuable. I will remain flexible, and just try to race as much as possible. As far as getting out on the ocean alone, and in tough conditions when possible, that is what I've been doing for more than 10 years. Bought my first keel boat in 2005, and in both that one and this one, the majority of my cruising has been single handed, off shore. November's cruise included an overnight sail (mostly under A-sym) from Avalon to SD. October's was 200 nm non-stop sail out to Cortes Bank, around the Bishop Rock buoy and back. Gimballed propane stove to cook on; Watch Commander to help me keep 21 minute sleep cycles through the wee hours of the night. SSB, Monitor wind vane, solar panels, radar, AIS, etc., all installed and working.

I think I've got a pretty good experience/knowledge base on those things. If was cruising to Hawaii, I think the only things left would be the 400 nm qualifier, and getting the life raft re-certified. But I would not enter the SHTP in order to cruise to Hawaii. So, 2017 is to be my year of racing, and then we'll see.

Interesting. I've owned 2 Valiant 32's. Hull #1 and Hull #2 from 1977. You must have one of the only V32's built in Texas. Very nice. We actually, live aboard our V32 in San Diego from 1997-2000 and sailed it from Seattle to the Sea of Cortez. Given your fine choice of boat, the potential for strong breeze in the early days is much less of a concern.

Do you have an inner forestay? You mention sloop, whereas a lot of the Valiants were cutters. Just thinking that an inner forestay would be a fine place to fly a staysail with the spinnaker for a little more sail area.

Sounds like you are in a good place with 1.5 years to go.

A Valiant 32 did the SHTP a few years ago. Around 2004 or so, I think. Rob Tryon was the skipper, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[AZ Sailor]

Do you have an inner forestay? You mention sloop, whereas a lot of the Valiants were cutters. Just thinking that an inner forestay would be a fine place to fly a staysail with the spinnaker for a little more sail area.

No stays'l stay. As I understand it, most or all of the later V32's were sloops, with the mast stepped forward from where it was in the cutter configuration; a design modification to reduce the weather helm that was evidently something of a problem. And yes, s/v Morning Star was launched on Lake Texoma, after the Valiant move to Texas. By various sources there were either 65 or 67 V32s in total. Morning Star is number 62.

Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Lanikai]

200 nm non-stop sail out to Cortes Bank, around the Bishop Rock buoy and back. Gimballed propane stove to cook on; Watch Commander to help me keep 21 minute sleep cycles through the wee hours of the night. SSB, Monitor wind vane, solar panels, radar, AIS, etc., all installed and working.

Well, yeah, spoken as a naive and not nearly as prepared but hopeful SHTP 202x participant: sounds like you have the offshore SH part under control. Throw in some gnarly swell and big wind and call it good.
Not sure how much doing short-course (<20nm) races, singlehanded or crewed, compares to a 2000nm slog to Hawaii, especially if the priority is just getting there over pickle dishes. I understand you get the bronze belt clip regardless.

The handfuls of SSS bay races I've attempted have taught me that (1) sailing fast is key (2) local knowledge is key (3) 1 & 2 can be practiced outside of race context; just put the beer down and try. Maybe next time. This beer is good. And so is this song...aah, who am I kidding? I'm a croozer!

 

[AZ Sailor]

Not sure how much doing short-course (<20nm) races, singlehanded or crewed, compares to a 2000nm slog to Hawaii, . . .

Yeah, I'm definitely not interested in racing around the buoys inside SD bay, and will be looking for the longest races I can fit in. That said, I doubt it's possible to really understand sailing to Hawaii without actually sailing to Hawaii. Time and chance permitting, I expect to find out.

 

[MichaelJefferson]

Hi,
You have a robust boat well suited for ocean sailing, and it sounds like you have the gear to manage a long passage, and can probably maintain and fix it. That is a good part of the difficulty. We frequently say that the hardest part of the TransPac is getting to the start. I suggest getting the 2016 Rules and Requirements from the website if you have not yet done so, and reading them carefully. There are always things that end up needing to be done! One thing that cruisers sometimes have to learn is how (and how much) to push the boat. Getting to Hawaii in under 21 days is not horribly difficult from a speed point of view (circa 100 nm per day, or average speed of 4 knots), but in reality, many things can contribute to a slow passage. Broken gear (especially autopilot or rudders), bad weather or calms, and general mental burnout/depression can all take a real toll on boat speed. Even if your objective is not to win, but to have an adventure (which is JUST FINE!!), pushing the boat is a good skill to have. The boat will not just sail itself to Hawaii, so if you are going to do it, do it as fast as the situation permits. This is where a racing background helps. Instead of just sitting there going slow, get off your duff (speaking generally, not to you specifically) and make the boat go faster. Need a reef- put one in. Need more sail- put it up. Sounds easy, but trust me, it is a lot harder than it sounds.

One issue that a heavy boat has is not enough sail area, especially in light wind, or deep running. I highly recommend twin 125% or so jibs poled out as a minimum downwind rig. 2 poles is really essential in my opinion, as is a well used, debugged way to deploy them. A spinnaker is very helpful, if you can set and douse it safely and with confidence. Snuffers (ATN), top down furlers (assymetrical), remote blows for guys, and Massive chafe protection for poled out lines are really good things to get right. Minney's Yacht Surplus is your friend. I also highly recommend a spectra staysail or Solent stay with halyard that you can use for either a heavy air jib (60-70 %) or a soft furler. Removing jibs from a wire stay at sea in heavy conditions is damn tedious and can be dangerous singlehanding.

People do the race successfully with a huge variety of schemes for doing things. There is no "best way" to do stuff. Preparation and practice is kind of important, although I personally never seem to do enough of it. Anyway, there is a huge amount of experience in the SSS and people are generally VERY helpful. I hope you will do the race. It is a LOT OF FUN!!!

All the best,
Michael
S/V Mouton Noir

 

[AZ Sailor]

Michael:

Thank you for the great information and perspective. Of course I'm interested in the adventure, but the more I have thought about actually entering the race, the more I want to try and compete. I've got a lot to figure out about sail combinations. The boat has a whisker pole on a track on the mast, but in more than a year and a half of sailing her, I've never poled out the head sail underway! The a-sym has the ATN snuffer; it is good from an AWA of about 150 degrees off the bow to well under 90 degrees off the bow in light wind; and it is pretty easy to rig and launch. So I've basically just thought of the pole for the 125% genoa as a back up system. Now I'm going to start playing around with it and see what it can do for us. Also going to add a back stay adjuster, and tackle to adjust the jib sheet blocks without having to get out and stand on the sheet. Going to try to learn how to push this 12,000 pound girl for all she's worth.

Lee
s/v Morning Star

 

[CRC1965]

You boat is very different than what I took to hawaii but if you are trying to "compete" consider thinking in terms of energy management. Specifically yours. If you are in better shape that will help a lot.....and anything you can do to make your boat/sail changes/sleeping/eating///////etc demand less energy the more you will have to making the boat go fast.

Part two is tactical.....getting your boat in the right place (trading distance for wind). This is where you will need to know your boat (what you can do in your boat) and some way of obtaining weather information as you go.

Best of luck,
Chris (Ventus)

 

[AZ Sailor]

Thanks, Chris. As Webb Chiles says: "Make yourself as strong as possible and your boat as easy to sail as possible."

The boat came to me with SSB and Pactor modem, and I recently joined Sail Mail. Their email client program makes getting gribs and NOAA forecasts pretty easy. Reading the other thread going on right now about sail selection tells me I've got a lot of learning and testing to do in that area. Blast reacher? Jib top? I had to look those up.

So, you did the SHTP once, think you'll do another?

Lee

 

[CRC1965]

If you can find someone with a similar boat with significant offshore time....their advice is gold. I tortured Bob J with questions and the advice was worth its weight in carbon fiber.

Sail selection is a great exercise in weight, space, likelihood of need, expense.....etc. I made a last minute decision to get a code zero. Lots $ for sail and associated rigging and changes. I had exactly one hour where it would have been useful (I was sleeping soundly).

Repeat?......ask me in the fall. I am not a hard core competitor....so a repeat would be focussed on enjoyment. Things like a SSB, better food and being in better shape......

 

[Harrier]

Good advice from M. Jefferson...and he's done the race a number of time in two boats. However, insofar as his twin headsail info is concerned, I prefer to use only one pole when using twin headsails off the wind. I pole out the upwind sail, but sheet the leeward sail normally. The upwind sail funnels air into the leeward sail, which sees the wind as if it is coming from abeam. I sheet it in as if we were beam reaching. Looked at from above, the "footprint" is similar to a spinnaker. Works well at 150/160 degrees off the wind. BUT...as I mentioned in a previous recent post, carry at least one extra pole! I carry two spin poles and a telescoping whisker pole which is within 2 inches short of my "J" dimension...so I can use it as an emergency spinnaker pole also, when it's slid to its shortest length. The whisker pole should also have an uphaul/downhaul capability.

 

[CRC1965]

It is worth having a set up that allows you to sail dead down wind. You may not choose to use it, but having that as an options can be quite useful.

 

[Harrier]

True enuf...A "normal" spinnaker has always worked for me on the ONE SHTP occasion that I decided to do DDW for a short while.

 

[Philpott]

True enuf...A "normal" spinnaker has always worked for me on the ONE SHTP occasion that I decided to do DDW for a short while.

Oh, Sir! Now you're just showing off.