Tuesday, June 14, 2005

WB Boys Catalina Cruise/Race Weekend
Emerald Bay Race Home
June 11&12, 2005

Steve, Steve, Christopher and Paul

The Washburn Boys spent a wonderful weekend at Catalina Island combining cruising, fishing, kayaking, swimming, relaxing and racing. Something for everyone! Paul won the fishing contest logging 12 catches in two days.



Steve spent his time reading, fishing and relaxing with his Ipod. Christopher kayaked along with Paul with the new Sevylors. We concluded the day Saturday with a nice dinner at the Harbor Reef Restaurant.



For the sail home on Sunday we entered and raced in LBYC's Catalina Island Series Race #4 from Emerald Bay to Long Beach in PHRF Class B. It was a very pleasant reach home in a 9 -14 knot westerly. We pulled off a port tack start at the committee boat end of a starting line (placed way to close to the Island) just west of Emerald Bay. To make things interesting a cargo ship cruised through the course blaring a collision course warning on its horn on its 10 mile approach all the way in. About 7 miles from the finish we had to change course making things interesting as we had to avoid it.



This forced us into 2 jibes with the AYSO in the last 1/2 mile which we pulled off to get around the East End of the Long Beach Breakwater. Standouts of the trip were Christopher doing a masterful job of handing the helm while Steve and Dad handled the sail changes. Steve was just great on the AYSO spin sheets horsing them around in the jibes, working the foredeck and trimming in general. Paul trimmed main and tended the AYSO sheet and was most attentive to the tasks. Dad was most proud! We placed 1st in class and 2nd in fleet. Good times indeed!

Race Results