Bruce’s Brief’s 6,7, and 8 April. Sloop Tavern Blakely Rock Benefit Race

Another very interesting week of weather especially if you were having to work in the upper Midwest, or in New England. Our big weather story has been about the low-pressure system that will brush us tomorrow. Earlier in the week, it was forecast to come ashore somewhere along the central to north coast of Washington. It is a compact and intense system and had it come ashore it would have done some damage. Right now it appears it will make landfall sometime Sunday near mid-Vancouver Island. The associated cold front will be over us mid-day tomorrow. The coast will bear the brunt of this storm while the Sound will probably see 25-30 knots of southerly late Saturday afternoon and into the evening hours, easing after midnight.

Nothing is currently showing up on the Doppler Radar however, the satellite picture gives us a very clear view of this low-pressure system and its cold front. We have generally light southeasterly flow over the area now and this will increase as the system approaches starting late this afternoon and into the evening. With the uncertainty of how this low will interact with the coast, the models are not in agreement as to how much wind we’ll have in the Sound and when it may or may not arrive.

The first start is at 1100 hours and there should be about 12-18 knots of southerly. This will go up and down over the course of the day. This is a reverse start so the battle on the upwind leg will be to keep your air clear. Tides will not be much of a factor.

Tidal Currents at West Point

0706       .47 knots              Flood

1006       Slack

1136       .17 knots                              Ebb

1424       Slack

1924       .86 knots                              Flood

So you will want to get a clear air start and then hold starboard tack to the breakwater and then work your way up under West Point as there will still be some wind-generated surface current against you. At West Point head, across the Sound on port tack. Go all the way to the Bainbridge shore to again get out of what current there is. There should be a slight knock as you get to Bainbridge so sail well into it before you tack to starboard and work your way up to the Rock. You’ll probably do a port pole set however as you get past all the rocks headed north get set up to gybe and get aimed at West Point. At West Point, the wind may shift slightly to the SSE and become puffy as the wind starts to come out of the Ship Canal. Get set-up to do your drop early and start negotiating with the boats around you for buoy room at Meadow Point. As you sail past the finish line be sure to sight it and figure out which end is favored. Perfect sail handling at this mark will pay big dividends. You’ll need to tack out from the beach fairly quickly so make sure that is all part of your rounding plan. You should tack back to starboard once you can make the beach between the bathhouse and the north end of the breakwater. There will be a knock as you get in close to the beach. Tack when you can lay the favored end. If it’s the buoy end put a little in the bank because the current from the Ship Canal will set you out.

I also had a great question this week once it looked like it might be breezy and we could be in for some heavy weather. The question was “How do you define heavy weather?” The answer is that you define what heavy weather is and that is the point where you and your crew are no longer comfortable sailing in the existing conditions and there exists the possibility of hurting someone or doing damage to the vessel. So for tomorrow, we will all be in life jackets and safety harnesses and if it’s cranking, we may just stay at the dock. Nothing wrong with that!

Be safe and have a great time.