It is difficult to quickly “ease sail” on a full downwind run. We had already doused the headsail but were still rolling hard toward the finish. We couldn’t tell if the open spot on the finish beach was soft sand or a concrete ramp. At the last moment, we chose to turn up rather than run down a friend who was standing on the soft sand, not concrete beach. As a result, we hit a rocky patch rather than our friend. If we had to do it again, we’d probably do the same. Oh well. C’est la vie!
Great editing, keeps it short but tell's the whole story. I've been dreaming of doing an EC for 3 years now... I LOVE that it's mostly old-guys and gals. The WWP15 is one of the boats I've zeroed in on... following advice of race vets, I definitely want a cabin to sleep in... not sure if I will single-hand or double-team, but WWP15 allows either... boat is light enough for 1 (strong) man to beach-launch... great job on your easily reefed rig for safety. A system I haven't seen addressed in any of your videos... your rowing system: Seat setup? oar lengths and type? installation of oar locks? You guys truly inspire me, thanks for sharing.
The race is infinitely harder as a solo vs. with a partner. My reefing system was simplistic but I had practiced with it a lot and it worked for me. Oars were homemade 8’. I also made a simple “rowing seat” which bridged the cockpit just aft of the bridge deck. Oar locks were mounted just aft of the vertical cockpit rail support.
Fast cats generally finish first. A few fast monohulls next. Then a few fast kayaks. The rest straggle in over the next few days. Finishing times/order for any of these events can always be found at: www.watertribe.com
We load boats off trailers onto the beach on Friday, the day before the race starts. We are allowed to help each other before the race starts, so with enough hands and a few inflatable rollers, even 1,000lb hulls can generally be carried down to the high tide line. Even heavier hulls have been sailed around from the boat ramp and then winched up onto the beach to the high tide line from the water. On race day, competitors are required to launch their boats from the high tide line into the water WITHOUT any outside assistance. For small boats (kayaks, etc.) this is little problem. For larger boats, pushing, pulling, swearing, grunting, and a few inflatable rollers are often required. Some skippers have even employed kedge anchors and chain pulls to get of the beach. Sometimes it's a slow process but it's a long race.
