2011 Chicago Mac Race

[Kyle Ewing]

Donnybrook leaves for the 103rd Chicago Race to Mackinac (http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/) Friday!  Follow us on the tracking web page: http://race.ionearth.com/2011/cycracetomackinac/.  Find Cruising Section 2 and look for Donnybrook. 

Time permitting, I'll also write about my experiences at www.saildonnybrook.com.  We'll see how my various improvements (electric head, new engine mounts, LED lighting down below, improving reefing system, etc) work.

[Stu Jackson]

Fair Winds, Safe Journey, Kick A$$.

Remember last year, too!  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4454.0.html

Go for it!  Look forward to your reports.

[tommyt]

Kyle,

Good luck. I will track you and if the timing is right watch you sail through the Manitou Passage. Have a great race. I am sure you already have all the weather reports as the Mac is great at it. For others, the wind is supposed to shift from the S late tonight at 10-20 and stay that way for the next two to three days. Could be Spinnaker run all the way....or it could be L. Michigan and die completely.

[tommyt]

Has anyone heard from Kyle and Donnybrook as yet? The tracking for the race went down the first evening and there are still boats not in...his being one of them.

Last night a big storm went through the middle of the course with winds reported at anywhere from 60-100 kts dependent on the sourse. One boat was capsized with the loss of a captain and one crew. The other 6 crew were rescued by a competitor and are safe today. These were the first deaths in the 103 year history of the Mac other than a heart attack of one sailor years ago.

We all pray for the families of the sailors down.

[scotty]

Please let us know how things went.  Prayers for all.

[Footloose]

Kyle/Donnybrook finished today, 7-19-2011 @ 1108.

[tommyt]

Great news. Thanks!

[Kyle Ewing]

We finished the race!  This is the first night I've been able to sit down with the laptop and wireless.  We're in Leland, Michigan.

The storm was an adventure.  We were in the Manitous when it hit.  Predominate winds at that time were from the south and we were sailing north.  We dropped all sails, set the auto pilot, went below (there was more lighting during this storm than I've ever seen), and kept watch for other boats.  At one point we were doing hull speed (7.1+) with all sails down.

Unless I'm doing something seriously wrong the Catalina 34 doesn't sail well dead down wind, at least with a 150 genoa or reaching cruising spinnaker.  Most of the race was down wind so we spent a lot of time trying to figure it out.  The other time was spent sitting in dead spots.   

Thanks to all that tried to follow.  I was told the tracking company lost the server that captured position data from the satellite.

I wrote about the race and am updating with the return in my sailing blog, www.saildonnybrook.com.  I'll post a summary of what I learned on this board later.

[Stu Jackson]

Very, very, very glad you're safe.  Well done.

Downwind?  Haven't you heard?  "Gentlemen Don't Sail Downwind"

Guess as a racer you took your dodger down.  We get at least 1/2 knot PHRF downer by having one -- the racers feel it gives us an undue advantage.

[Kyle Ewing]

Damn!  I didn't think of the dodger!  My crew gives me grief because I don't let them race with it up (too easy to put a arm through it).  It would've helped during the race until the 70 knot winds shredded it.  I even told them at the begining of the season the way to sell me on the idea of putting it up is to remind me it helps going down wind!

[Footloose]

Kyle,
I was also glad to see you finish.  I also agree that the C34 does not go down wind well.  We hold our own on the upwind legs of the beer can races, but get killed on the downwind legs.  If anyone has any insight it would be appreciated.

[Stu Jackson]

Tack (gybe) downwind, or use a pole.  Only ways I know how to do it.