Ashley raced aboard a J124 Albion to Hawaii in the 2016 Pacific Cup as watch captain/helm. Unfortunately 450 miles from the finish structural failure of the chainplate bulkhead occurred and we had to drop sails. Turn the boom into a mast and use the trysail as a mainsail. We then were able to pick up fuel from a cruising boat doing the race and continue under power to the finish.

Here is our Pac Cup in a video by Angel our Mother Hubbard onboard who looked after the galley. He truly turned into an asset after only sailing for three years and not having been offshore for more than a day.

Over a decade ago I raced with the Hubbards for the first time on a boat they chartered called Tempest. Stephan Lirakis was one of the watch leaders and sent me this video link for you tube . We won our class and were winning the entire race until we got to the English channel and there was no wind. The race these days finishes off the Lizard rather than off the Needles for this very reason.

The skipper of Dragon the Class 40 I raced on wrote the following report http://sailinganarchy.com/2016/02/18/cuentos-de-dragones/

Merf the designer of Dragon wrote the following release http://www.owenclarkedesign.com/Class_40_Dragon_wins_inaugural_Miami-Havana_Race

And Sailing Anarchy did an interview with Mike at the finish. https://www.facebook.com/SailingAnarchy/videos/10156478555940375/?pnref=story

So I don’t think I need to write anymore 🙂 It was awesome fun and I enjoyed getting the top boat speed of 16.7 knots. She is a beautiful boat to handle offshore in big waves and breeze.

It is Monday morning (Memorial Day) and I am off the Monterey and we are going in circles behind an ocean going tug because the weather window has closed to get around Deception. Our destination is Long Beach. Everything up until now has gone according to plan. Commanders is telling me there is now no window till Saturday morning and not to go south of 35 as there is a bad sea state and it blowing more than 20 knots which is our self imposed limit. I have a flight to catch Thursday night it has been planned for several months however, seamanship like decisions must come first. So I persuade the tug boat captain to take us to San Luis Obispo to make the next decision. The grib files are telling me it is a bad idea to hang out in our current location. Off we charge at 9 knots every three or four hours we stop and change out the chafing gear that is protecting the nicely varnished caprails.

The sea state starts to build we are surfing into the towing hawser and the bridle is twisted so we are loading up on the starboard one more than the port. Time to stream out the handy truck tires on a 400 foot anchor line off our port stern. One is not enough – two works a treat and she tracks in a straight line and stop surfing into the hawsers. Life is good – we are moving South towards LAX.

Every thirty minutes we talk to the tug boat and 90% of the time all is well. It is now 2am and we are closing in on San Luis Obispo the wind has picked up and so have the seas. I am looking forward to anchoring as the ride has become a little more interesting. The maneuver we have to pull off has risks. The tug boat must slow down us and herself, we need to disconnect the bridle shackle, pull in our tyres, and side tie to the ocean tug. Then into the anchorage drop our anchor, set it using the tugs power and disconnect. All this with no steering or power of our own and add darkness.

I dial a bouy again on the mobile getting the wave data from Harvest and the wind data from Santa Barbara. The wind is hovering at 20 knots and the seas at 6-7 feet at 6 seconds. Back on the VHF to talk to JJ on the tug before we pull the plug and I miss my flight. Not only will I miss my flight but we are committing to $15k in costs to hold the tug in standby mode in San Luis Obispo plus another $5k in crew costs. The boat is still in great shape and she has coped well so far – the tyres are working a treat. The risk is being in conditions outside our insurance endorsement but do I fully trust the forecasts when real time is within the endorsement. Many decisions for 2am! I make a commitment. JJ can have us off Deception at 6am we are going for it.

The ride down the Santa Barbara channel was lively especially when we ended up side on to the swell to get into the traffic lane. I pulled rank on JJ and requested a change of course and to stay outside the lanes. We could do without waves breaking over the bimini. It was the right decision and we pulled it off arriving in Long Beach at 11pm Tuesday and were at the dock at midnight. Time to remove the insurance towing hawser, trash pumps and get our mast and boom cradles off of the tow vessel before they headed home.

Wednesday morning up bright and early to remove the boom and get the mast ready for removal. Thursday remove the mast at 110 feet she is a beast and it is much easier said than done. There is more hydraulic, electrical and electronics sprouting out the mast base than wiring in most people’s houses. Once it was out it became a bit of project to get her horizontal as she is so butt heavy but after a while she was in the cradle and we were stripping her halyards out. I had to leave the yard at 3pm my flight was at 5:45pm.

The week had flown by and I was on the plane bound for London to surprise my father. Every year for many years the five Perrin’s had sailed Santana (an Express 27) around the Isle Of Wight in the Round the Island Race. This tradition had fallen by the wayside when mum had a particularly bad bout of sea sickness and Daniel (my older brother) and I had moved to the US full time. Since then we had purchased a new Schumacher design a Capo 30 also called Santana. This year Dad’s health has been suffering and he now he only does one race a year on the boat – the Round the Island. So the idea took shape back in March – I called Daniel and asked him if he could take Friday off and fly from New Jersey to London.

Friday morning Dad still has no idea of our surprise. Myles (my little brother) is organizing the crew he told Dad he was bringing David (trim) and Anne (foredeck). Daniel and I are standing on the curbside at Heathrow and my mother arrives in her Fiat 500 to drive us down to Hamble. We get to the boat Dad is off somewhere and we hide down below. Dad’s rigger comes down below and is surprised by two random people sitting on the couch. Dad eventually gets to the boat we are covering our mouths from giggling so much. He walks into the companionway and looks down at us. Now if he had been a woman he would have screamed but Dad just got a big smile on his face and asked ‘what are you doing here?’. Well Dad this is David and I am Anne!

Needless to say we were jetlagged out of our mind. We had a 6am start so Daniel and I stayed on the boat and were still in our PJ’s as we came down Southampton water. Daniel did a great job seeing as he hasn’t sailed in 4 or 5 years on trim. Myles of course helmed superbly, Chris put us in the right place tactically, Dad continued to smile all day despite parental abuse from his kids, Neil did a great job trimming the main and I between sail changes had a nap behind my sunglasses. It was stunning weather for the UK with bright blue skis and sun and by 8:30am we were almost halfway through the race.

We took a pontoon in Cowes and met my mother for the obligatory fish and chips at Corrie’s cabin on Cowes High Street before loading the boat up and heading back to Hamble. Daniel and I retired for a nap below and did the clean up until 9pm. Up at 6:30am Sunday for a quick trip back to Heathrow and our flights back to the US for work on Monday. The result of 2nd in class and 51st out of 1459 was quite frankly icing on the cake. Dad’s email says it all

‘Thank You all so much for the greatest surprise! Starting with Friday night we had a great time and sat gave us a splendid result to share in my special year You are the greatest, I personally was so thrilled to be able to get around the island and with you all doing all the work I just needed to say I have a great family!’

Racing Yacht Management clients filled the podium at Aldo Alessio Regatta in SF. Well done Adam, Shannon, Barry, Steve, Bruce, Rolf. What RYM did on the boats made no difference to their winning ways that is for sure.

I was aboard a new client TNT in the IRC division. IRC seems to be struggling in the Bay and has been for some time so we were all lumped into one class.

It has been a while I know. Anyways last weekend I took the moore 24 out for the second time since 2009 and did the three bridge fiasco. There were over 300 boats out there. I drove the start and Matt took the helm at blackhaller as it was easier for me to run around doing the deck work. It was the first time Matt had sailed in three years and I need to learn how to sail my boat again that is for sure. Normally the wind dies on this race and I am the furthest away from the finish line going around in circles however we saw up to 20 knots and finished early afternoon which is unheard of. Guess I didn’t need all that petrol for the outboard. See below for a timelapse taken

I was asked by a friend (Paige) to sail on Dorade a yacht designed in 1929 by Olin Stephens of Sparkman and Stephens and built 1929–1930 by the Minneford Yacht Yard in City Island, New York. We raced in the Golden Gate midwinters off the city front.

It was a miserable morning the fog was thick and it was raining as I crossed the bridge. However, it cleared up into a beautiful afternoon with 15 knots.

An interesting boat to sail bit different to what I am use to – lots of varnish and quite narrow for her length. The boat is heavy so it carries it’s way and takes a while to start changing direction after the helm has been put down.

I was invited by Glen and Gaby picture above (all pictures by Joy Stortz) to sail this summer of Friday nights. So when I got a chance I jumped aboard Q. Q is a stunning boat which is custom designed by my favourite yacht designer Carl Schumacher and was built in NZ.

Last friday was our last night and Glen let me helm the last part of the race which was really fun as the boat is so much fun to sail. We sail Friday nights with no spinnaker and a self tacking Jib boom.

The course normally takes us up to the golden gate and then back down towards Angel Island before heading back across Racoon Straits and the finish off Corinthian YC.

Some nights the fog rolls in and as the sun sets it creates a silver lining for the clouds. Beautiful.

On the way back in after another podium position for the weekly dinner at SFYC. I am looking forward to next year already!

It was such fun to be home enough to do this weekly racing with the team on Q.

It was an odd halt to the week with 4th of July on Wednesday! On tuesday I met up with the potluck crowd at the Marin County Fair grounds to listen to a reggae band and watch the fireworks. I didn’t go and see the animals which I should have. Just a great time to catch up with friends and share the frustrations I have had over the last week including my rigging tools being stolen out of the back of my truck around $1350 worth of gear.

On the 4th we sailed in the Independence Cup on Tina’s Cal 20 Fjordling and aced the first start.

Ended up being 3rd in spinnaker division. It was typical July windy conditions mid 20’s all day and two pretty long races. Afterwards it was time to hang out with Trevor, Jess and Tristan in Sausalito and to watch the proper fireworks. Very different to a year ago when I was setting off flares in South Georgia with the reflection off the sea ice. I used my Royal Ocean Racing Club card to get reciprocity into the Sausalito Yacht Club so we had front row seats with the barge just off the deck without having to deal with the crowds at the waterfront. The SYC was in full party mode. The fireworks in the city were stunning and I think even better from Marin as it was possible to see both displays synchronized at once. Only a few reached the fog layer 🙂