Last year's 752 mile Bermuda race took 108 hours. We sailed this year's 473 mile race in just under 112.
The stats on the winds don't capture how exhausting offshore light air sailing is. Last year we were close reaching in 20-30 most of the way. This year, we'd go from close reaching under jib to a broad spinnaker reach several times a watch. Frequently we'd be pointing generally towards Newport, somehow still moving, then realize the boat jibed while the bow was still pointed on the same heading. Constant steering and trim adjustments for days is exhausting.
Normally when we're sailing down the Chesapeake, I have a pretty good idea which side I want to be on and where we'll be in 2 or 3 hours. This race was so light and variable it was really a guessing game if we'd move 4 or 10 miles in 3 hour watch. Light air meant all the competitors kept close together though and we frequently traded positions.
We did hit the tide perfectly at the southern edge of the Potomac though and it was great getting shot into the lead ahead of the J/109 that eventually won our class.
Saturday evening as we finally neared the mouth of the Chesapeake we were again right with the leaders. On a spinnaker reach right towards the Bay Bridge Tunnel, we peeled from the A2 to the A1.5 and were again closing on the J/109 but running out of time. Suddenly our bobstay parted, the sprit pointed straight up to the sky, and the sail collapsed. Within a minute or two we had the kite reset and hoisted directly from the bow, quickly getting us back into the race. A few miles later we had a new bobstay in place and tensioned, having lost very little.
Once we left the Chesapeake, we were in fog/mist/rain almost the entire way up. On a good watch, visibility got up to just under a mile. Waking up for watch putting on soaked gloves and shoes to go out and do it again doesn't help any with the fatigue level 🤣
We had a few near misses from thunderstorms but no substantial wind from any. If anything, we'd be stalled in the pouring rain after the leading edge passed.
My first offshore races years ago involved satellite phone check ins with RC. We knew competitors were around us by nav lights, but had no idea who each one was. AIS now shows us our competitors nearby, even when we can't see them through the fog. One night, a competitor slightly in front of us on our port bow hardened up, crossed over to our starboard side, then beared off, pointing right at us. Watching this on AIS wondering what they're doing and finally seeing their nav lights at .7 miles adds a different kind of stress.
Of course, commercial fishing boats don't seem to have functioning AIS. Our first contact with one near Montauk was in fog with half a mile of visibility aimed right for us. I'm pretty sure they monitor AIS even if they're not transmitting, but it's still not very reassuring.
Our last watch before the finish, we had engine noises off our starboard quarter, pass astern, then overtake us towards our port bow. We never figured out who they were or where they went.
Bare Bones is a Sun Fast 3600, a pretty comparable design to us. All race we'd been trading places with them. Tuesday evening as we neared Block Island we'd gotten four miles ahead of them, and with only a few hours to go I was starting to feel confident we might keep that lead. Upwind in 7-8 knots we were sailing due north with a waypoint of northeast, so we tacked to stay closer to the rhumb line.
As we tacked back to keep some distance from whatever effect the land would have on the wind, we were suddenly becalmed again, with Bare Bones half a mile east and still moving at 7 knots. We finally found the wind again, but they were now a mile in front of us.
A few hours later and we're passing point Judith, now solidly in sight of land and the finish line, and Bare Bones is slightly ahead but outside. We're on a tight spinnaker reach into the finish, sailing at 7 knots in 8 knots of wind.
We finally pull ahead as the sail deeper towards the finish, only to again find ourselves in a hole of < 4 knots of wind a couple hundred yards from the finish. Carrying our spinnaker this tight heading into land, we'd already discussed and prepped for the take down though, and moments later we're under jib and trying to get the sails filled. Bare Bones still had momentum and breeze, and it was a fight the finish. Shortly before we crossed the finish line, they finally found the hole, still a bit behind us. We crossed 3 minutes ahead.