Dead air will be the death of me!

[Ed]

The South Winds Sailing Club's Turtle Rock Race (it does look like a giant turtle) was Saturday, and we decided to attend with our Puppy, "Buddy".  We stopped doing the club races with 3 markers because our Sea Pearl Trimaran, Strange Bird, really sucks at pointing and basically all  points of sail forward of the beam.  Anyway we arrived at a nearby boat ramp around 9am, rigged and launched without a problem, the motor started on the second pull, and we motored over to the marina where most of the club keeps their boats in slips.  One other boat launched at the ramp with us, Scott Widmier, the FL120 Dude with his Suncat.  Had a nice Skipper's Meeting, motored out of the marina, hoisted sail, and fiddled around near the start line (the Super Dock and a low water marker on the sandbar by a little island) with the standard 5 minute/3 minute/1 minute/start, or something to that effect.  One caveat to this whole thing is that we are cruisers NOT RACERS.  Anyway we got lined up with the other boats, jockeyed around for position, and ended up 2nd or 3rd off the start line.  Light east wind, which becomes really important later. Crap, I wanted to put a picture of Strange Bird at the start here, not happening, and I don't know why nor do I really care to be "edumacated".  We quickly took the lead since we had a downwind component most of the time, and we were wing on wing for quite a few miles, even through the S Turns on Allatoona.  Kept the lead, although Scott's Suncat kept creeping up on occasion.  Turned south at the damn and that's when it all went to crap!  Red Top Mountain was blocking the east wind so we went as far west as the water allowed figuring it would blow over the mountain to our east and keep us moving.  Scott's Suncat slowly, very slowly, passed us on the east, then stalled, Becky started asking me why the boat wasn't moving, a Hunter 23.5 and Catalina 22 on the port side aft of us started closing up too (odd since they should have been more in the wind shadow of the mountain because they were easily 20 - 30 yards away from me to port). I began moving sails in and out trying to get something going since I could see the darn finish line a couple of hundred yards away, we had been in the lead for over 2 hours, Becky kept making suggestions, and I offered her the helm, which she refused.  Frustration level is at 11 by this time.  Scott's Suncat suddenly started moving, but we were at least 20 yards behind in dead air.  Suzanne in her Hunter 23.5 came up and passed us both as I finally got some wind.  She ended up crossing first, Scott second, and we got third, with Chris Benke in his Catalina 22 almost beating us too.
Suddenly the wind kicked up and we tacked back up the channel preparing to beach the boat to allow Buddy to potty.  Got near a cove on the west side and the wind died again.  Frigging new motor would not start, put the bow into a dead pine tree hanging in the water, listened to Becky tell me she hated this motor and we needed to get a Honda again, finally got the motor started, ran over to the east side of the channel, where there still wasn't any wind, took the puppy ashore, Becky slipped and fell in the Georgia clay on the bank, and I got blamed.  Pulled off the beach and rather than rafting up with the club for a late lunch (2.5 hour sail), 5 marina boats and Scott, we decided to motor back to the ramp into the wind and pull out.  Atlanta Yacht Club was racing 49er's so we gave them a wide berth and while cutting through the narrows just east of the YC we started kicking rocks with the motor, turned out quickly but ended up with quite a few nicks in the prop.  Got to the ramp and the bass tournament boys were all finishing up and blocking everything while they used all three ramps/the courtesy dock/drifting area in front of the ramps.  9 bass boats later we got to the Courtesy Dock, which is 2 dock lines from the ramp, I backed the truck/trailer around the weigh in area at the top of the ramp on the only ramp without trees blocking it, pulled the boat across, got wet up to my belly button positioning the boat, and pulled out.  Adding insult to injury, they were watching each weigh in and wouldn't get out of the way at the top of the ramp, I wish I had a train horn, now I want one for Christmas.  Scott has the same PHRF as we do, so it looks like we'll get second place after leading 95% of the race.  Conclusions: we had a great time and can't wait for next year's Turtle Rock Race, I think I need to wait 3 to 5 minutes after lowering the motor to try and start it, or just leave it partially in the water rather than tilted nearly 90 degrees .  Next weekend is the Fall Colors Cruise, and we are definitely going out for the last club sail of the year.

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

I love your conclusion!

[Norm L.]

They can't make a sail day any better. Or any worse. You hit right on average.
Which is why many of us are single  handers.

[Ed]

A few pictures from the Turtle Rock Race taken by Scott.  I have to figure out how to turn down the resolution on my iPhone as well as figure out why my GoPro says it is filming but I can't read anything on my computer. 
https://trailersailor.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=6140
https://trailersailor.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=6138 
https://trailersailor.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=6142
https://trailersailor.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=6144

[Norm L.]

It does look like a nice day. it is supposed to be every picture tells a story. These photos are speaking with forked tongue?