I arrived with a few minutes of cushion. We had a young guest on board and a full crew of 5, and captain S---. As we left the slip I wasn't sure what I would be working. T---, a crewman who I first met just a couple weeks ago tends to take over whatever tasks I'm doing (fortunately I am beginning to get on with him a bit, originally it was pretty rough). To my surprise, for the first time in my short experience, I was so busy I didn't see ANY of the race. I have no idea what we placed and don't even know exactly what the course was. L--- and I were working the foresail and had a few good moments, but we have a lot of work to do in working together so that we are a smoothly functioning machine.
The foresail took a pounding all night. Heading upwind from the start we were making good speed when suddenly the foresail broke free. We in the cockpit were at a loss, but knew we had to somehow end the beating the sail was taking. I had no thought of the race at hand, all that mattered was not letting the sail get jacked up. One of the bowmen, J--- grabbed the lazy sheet and ran it around to leeward and swapped sheets. Turns out the line hadn't broke, it was a bad knot. There's only one jack on the boat who doesn't know his bowline - but we all get to go to 'bowline school' when we get back to the slip.
Winds were strong throughout. We quickly learned we needed three turns on the winches. After rounding the first mark we headed downwind and were under the spinnaker when the bowmen learned this. T--- needed another round on the spinnaker sheet winch so J--- jumped to it, but we struggled getting enough slack to do it. J--- was tugging on the sheet and working it around when it tightened hard. To avoid losing his fingers J--- let go, but because he was tugging on the sheet, letting go sent him flying backward right into the starboard quarter lifeline. If those lifelines weren't there he would have gone over.
As we crossed the finish we were right in the middle of a tack under heavy winds. No one on board knows for sure if they blew the horn for us. We heard nothing over the noise, for all we know they just ignored us hehe.
Back at the slip it was bowline class. I know the basic knots well - I've been using them whenever possible in my free time or on our couple recent camping trips - but didn't want to come off that way to T--- yet I knew he needed help with it. I showed him the knot once (passing my bowline test) then walked him through it. But he never re-tied it without guidance so hopefully he practices it otherwise it'll be forgotten.
Weather: warm, fair, heavy winds.
Time on the water: about 2.0 hours.
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