CDM to Cabo San Lucas Race: #3

The Curmudgeon is sending in reports while he participates on a Jeanneau 52, "Between the Sheets," in Balboa Yacht Club's 800-mile race from Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas (race website)

(Tuesday, March 28) The last 24 hours have been sailed downwind in light air, with enough oscillations to punish those who lost their focus even briefly. In the early evening, we also had to back the boat down once to get the kelp off our keel.

Our strategy for rounding Cabo San Lazaro simply could not have worked out better. After only 90 minutes, we had worked through the transition zone and were off again -- heading for the final potential parking lot at Cabo Falso, which marked the bottom of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. It now looks like a dawn arrival -- which could mean we will be starring at the lighthouse for a lot of hours.

We still only have 9-12 knots of wind, and it looks like that's all we can expect between here and the finish. Although we had a very good role call today, it's way too early to celebrate -- the real test will be in the next 18 hours.

Opps -- change of plans. The wind just stopped, turned around and is now coming from the South. The kite came down and we are now sailing with a double-head rig towards Cabo Falso. This is going to be a weird finish. - The Curmudgeon

Blog Reports: One, Two, Three, Four


The standings as of 1pm had Between the Sheets in 2nd in Class and 4th in Fleet in PHRF, and 1st in Class and 6th in Fleet for Americap with 154 miles to go. The chart below was the position of BTS as of 4:24 PM PST on March 28th.