I am going to ponder a notion here and wonder if many folks who want to sail in the Homeport Regatta have not signed up yet because they are concerned about what the weather might be on May 4, 2019. I was there last year, too, and I remember the jarring I and my crew took as the bow punched into sizable waves driven by unseasonably high winds that never made it into the forecast during the 10 nm uphill and upwind battle to Platform Gilda. Not to mention that it was downright cold and that the forecast 10-15 knot winds were dancing at 30 gusting to 35 at the weather-mark. What was so frustrating was that the historical weather data for May 5 said it should have been a sunny day with westerly winds from 10 to 15 knots. What better sailing conditions could one possibly hope for? Well, there's the forecast and then there's what actually happens out there.
The Homeport Regatta was styled for cruising boats and boats on which folks live full time and don't sail very often. The Homeport Regatta Team learned from the experience last year and has devised a course list that will accommodate any possible weather conditions. We have near shore courses and we have not so near shore courses. You can check them out in the Sailing Instructions page linked on the right side of this blog. The point is that, we will not send our participants on a course that is not conducive to allowing the most boats possible to achieve completion of the race.
Rest assured that only under the most unlikely circumstance (actually, such a circumstance would only include the most favorable weather conditions) will any course chosen by the Race Committee take any boat anywhere near Platform Gilda. We want to make it fun - challenging, yes, boat-parade no - but certainly not brutalizing. IT HAS TO BE FUN. So, please. If you find yourself hesitating to sign up and enter the race, because you are concerned that you may take another beating like you may have taken last year, don't. Just sign up and trust that we will select a course that takes the most recent and immediate forecast as well as the actual conditions on the race course into consideration.
The weather, even local conditions, has become exceedingly hard to predict with any degree of accuracy. Several years ago, while cruising the Great Loop, I started referring to the National Weather Service as the National "Whatever" Service, insofar as it seemed like nobody ever bothered to look out the window. As a consequence, our Homeport Regatta Race Committee cannot even contemplate a course plan until the skippers meeting at 8:30 on the morning of the race, at which time the Race Committee will "pow-wow" and come up with what we think best suits the conditions we can reasonably expect at the time of the first start. Moreover, the Race Committee will reserve the right to change the course and announce said course change at the start line over the vhf radio if necessary. Furthermore, we can even decide to change the course in the middle of the race if necessary to ensure that we offer our sailors the best possible course for the prevailing conditions at the time thereby ensuring the greatest likelihood that all of the participating boats will complete the course. No matter what,
your safety and the safety of your boat are our primary concerns; and that you have fun and enjoy yourselves on the water is our goal.
We will do our best with what we have. You, however, must be prepared to make the final "go-no-go" decision. And always remember the age old adage: If you are thinking about putting in a reef, then do it. Don't wait. It's always easier to shake it out than to put it in. Reef early and often. We are cruising boats, not cut down racers. So, it's better to go stiff, slow and steady and to get there than it is to risk breaking body or boat. We do have great prizes, but not so great that they're worth risking life, property or good times over.
Per usual, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write to me at Homeportregatta@yahoo.com.
Best,
Larry Golkin
Homeport Regatta Sailing
