Small sailboat among big black sails.

[noelH]

September winds arrived in late August. Conditions allowed for either sailing, wind foiling, or windsurfing most days the last week of August into the first week of September. Normally I avoid the Marina during any holiday weekend. But during the Labor Day Weekend the wind dropped too low for windsurfing. Launched Vela Sunday mid-morning. Nice  NW F3 breeze with occasional gust to F4. One long port run up the Bay to the dreaded red buoy at Houghton Pt. Realized there was a large number of sail heading into the Bay. Another day of better wind in the Bay? Nope, race. The Red Buoy #6 was a mark on the race course.  First two giant black sailed yachts beat me to the buoy. Then surrounded and past by a bunch of more black sails. Vela was a midget among giants. Was cruising along at +4kts, but these boats were scooting along at a much higher velocity. Next mark was the red buoy off Grants Pt on the S tip of Madeline Is. I veered more upwind tacking towards Van Tassels Pt on the mainland only to encounter decreasing wind. Came about and headed back into the Bay.  Once again. Better wind in the Bay.  Bit weird this season. NW winds are usually stronger out of the Bay.  Downwinder hitting +6kts on the right swells. 6.9kt max. Wonder how much faster the Black Sails would run on these small swells downwind?

[Spot]

Noel, did you figure out which race it was?

[noelH]

Don't follow the local racing. Not into multi class ballasted monohull "yacht" racing. Usually just take a look out the window for a moment or two when there are a bunch of sails heading to a mark.  Pretty to see a bunch of sailboats cruising along to the same mark.

Labor Day weekend racing. Outside of the annual NorthCoastCommunitySailing (NCCS) fun race guessing most of the races are organized by the Wayzata Yacht Club, Madeline Island Station. Probably one of their Fall Series races.

We had good winds the last week of August through last Sunday. Lot of glassy surface or at best F1 breeze over the past few days. Unseasonably warm (+27C), but relatively low RH except at Lake level in the mornings. Hazy sky due to high elevation wild fire smoke. Today the sky is relatively clear. Good is the AQI has been staying below mid 40s. Just upper level haze.

There are a few relatively faster larger racing boats up here. IIRC, MC2 has a PHRF of -42.  Older boat that supposedly was commissioned as an AC boat. It draws +12 feet.  A few years ago it was on the hard at the Washburn Marina. Marina lift canal is too shallow for the boat. They needed to lift it over the break wall on a calm day to launch it. 

 

[Norm L.]

A 12-foot draft is scary. A 200-foot barge carrying 1200 tons of grain draws 12 feet.
I know it's not about weight with the sailboat, but the bottom doesn't care the reason.

[noelH]

The 2nd mark for the race was the Grant Pt red buoy. To the N in close proximity of the buoy the water level drops to the single digits. Had to be an interesting moment for MC^2.