Last Preparation Day: Weather Briefing with Gulf Stream Update
Thursday June 2, 2011
It’s getting down to the wire for tomorrow’s start. It’s a bright, sun filled day here in Newport. Some final sail handling checks this morning. I’ll put the on. The transponder for tracking the fleet through the race is on the boat, but not yet activated.
The skipper’s meeting is at 2pm and includes a weather briefing. In the past two days, the gulf stream has changed dramatically. It is now very close to shore, rather than it’s usual position. Expect the weather and stream briefing will be very interesting! The organizing committee has a five page that helps to explain the complexity of the stream and the roll it plays in the race.
Following the skipper’s meeting: a massive offloading of unnecessary gear to the truck. Cushions, spare sails, extra clothing… the works.
June 1, 2011
Two more sleeps. Today was a great day of doing homework. Gulf stream got reviewed, weather and currents as well as the Skipper’s check in and the charts. A few more tasks to do tomorrow and some sailing and we’ll be good to go! I’m really tired….sorry for the short post 🙂
Diane
May 31, 2011
Well the list is getting shorter which is good because there are only two more days before the start! The keel is sanded and we got out sailing today. The rig tuning looks great and things are coming together. Now if I could just get all this stuff off of the boat! There’s barely room for me! 🙂
Diane
May 28, 2011
We’ve arrived in Newport! First stop was to our favourite West Marine in Middletown to get Trilux 333, which you can’t get in Canada. That’s the fancy red bottom paint for the keel. Then we sanded up the keel and painted her up. FORTUNATELY! Our Howard Johnson hotel and the West marine practically share the same parking lot. It was a familiar picture…..two Canadians in a parking lot with their stuff spread wide and far and a box of beer in the middle 🙂 Here’s the end result!
Today’s mission is to get over to Sail Newport and get in the water. Then over to the Newport Yacht Club for our inspection at 15oo! Busy day 🙂 Maybe along the way we’ll see some of our friends in the other minis.
Diane
May 26, 2011
8 More Sleeps to the start of the Bermuda 1-2 Race from Newport to Bermuda and back!
Diane
May 22, 2011
There are only 12 more sleeps to the start of the Bermuda 1-2. It’s shaping up to be a great race. There is a predicted significant meander in the Gulf Stream which will make this a spectacular race from a navigator’s perspective, and there are 4 MINIS in racing 🙂 Nick is coming with me to Newport to launch the boat on Friday the 27th, and then I’ll race single handed to Bermuda. The second leg starts in Bermuda and comes back to Newport starting on the 16th, double handed with Nick onboard. Transponders and trackers will all be engaged so you can not only follow along, but you can spectate the other racers as well and see who’s ahead and behind!
Nick and I got the rig up today with all the new standing rigging. There are a small handful of little things to sort out, but all in all everything looks great. The Rigging Shoppe has really outdone themselves on the rig, and The Store has been fantastic to make sure that we’re up to “code” for our safety gear. Depending on which end of Toronto you are located in, either of these great chandlery shops can make sure you’re outfitted with what you need for the Lake Ontario 300 or anything that’s next on your agenda 🙂
We’re going to do a proper sea trial of the rig tomorrow. Depending on the weather I’ll try to take some pics
Diane
May 20, 2011
What a great night! Nick and I had a great mental health break last night and enjoyed a WONDERFUL ride on a Hobie 33. The owner and his son graciously allowed us to come out with them and play and push the boat around the race course with them. Thanks guys for a night of fun, racing and beer and wings up at the clubhouse post racing! Nice also to see some friends after winter hibernation hahahahahah!
Happy Friday everyone and Happy Long Weekend 🙂
Diane
May 16, 2011
Nick and Ron and I spent hours yesterday going over the rhumb line, the Gulf Stream and the Eddies spinning off of it. The Bermuda 1-2 is a race of Gulf Stream tactics! This year’s course looks like a bit of a slalom run to catch all the “fast” sides of the eddies and the main body of the stream! Of course we’ll continue to monitor the stream and see how much it deviates from the anticipations. Then we’ll retool the plan right up to the day the race starts. I love these races with obstacle courses!
Diane
