2014 Delta Ditch Run
I answered the call to help the Smart Recruiter X40 catamaran as the safety boat driver for the DDR. After trading a couple e-mails I agreed to meet up Friday to help rig and prep the boat. Friday morning I showed up at Richmond Yacht club but the boat was not there. After a second check of the harbor I called Randy and found out I was looking at the wrong harbor. I got to the correct marina and had missed half the hanging of the main but helped to finish.
I then went back to Richmond to help rig the Zebra F18. We planned to rig and test sail but we kept having problems keeping the tramp in. After a couple times re rigging the tramp we decided to just put some short screws through the deck to hold the bolt rope. Thanks to Skip Elliot for the idea assist. With the boat mostly ready I had to take off to try to beat traffic back home.
Saturday morning I got to the dock early and got a few pics with Daisy, Greg, Cherie, and Erwan. The rest of the crew was there and we were waiting for the divers to show to finish the bottom before the race. Gear, sleeping bags, drinks, clothes and food were loaded into the chase RIB, or the X40 as needed. Jib and gennacker were hoisted and set in the stand by positions. The divers finished and we pushed off from the dock. With guidance from Randy I turned and drove them from the dock with the rib. Once we had some speed the X40 does the steering so then we are just there for throttle.
We got outside the marina and in to the basin area where we turned into the wind and hoisted the main. Dave, Dave, Jerome, Erwin, and Chris took the side tie ropes loose and the Smart Recruiter team was ready to head to the start area. With a nice breeze we made the start area fairly easily and began the wait for the start. Each division has a different start time so we were waiting about an hour from the first Monohull till the Multihulls were set loose. After several passes across the start area and parking the time had come and the final start sequence was going. Our main completion was the Marstrom 32 “LIFTOFF” and the D-Cat “Adrenalin”. We were set on Port with the 32 and were close for the start.
The first two gibes were close with both boats lifting hulls and flying under gennacker. Then we chose to go further out into the bay while the 32 stayed more inside. This gave a lead to them and the boats began to pick their way through the field of mono’s ahead of them.
Greg, Cliff and I had to take a small detour as there was a J-35 stuck on the rocks. We got to them and helped to pull them off. Sounded like there will be some bottom work on the rudder and keel but the boat stayed up and they began to motor sail back to Richmond. We noticed Adrenalin was stuck in the same area but there was a safety boat there so we got back to our primary boat. We resumed the chase and caught back up to the big cats. We settled into the center of the channel and were traveling at about 12 knots watching the big boats crossing back and forth. They were covering much more distance with all the jibes but a 12 knot VMG sounded good for such a long race.
The next section through San Pablo Bay was nice sailing and the VMG was coming up to about 15. The M32 was opening up a lead but we still had them in sight. The breeze was starting to drop but still enough to lift a hull. As we left San Pablo Bay we decided to stop and fuel the chase boat in Benicia. As we were coming into the marina there was a boat with a fouled spin and no other sails up motoring in. We got near them and they told us they were sinking. We followed them in to the dock and quickly tied up. Greg and Cliff jumped to help them in getting the boat secured. I began fueling and they seemed to be holding the water down in the hull. The bilge pump was running and the pump out hose was dropped into the bilge to help get some water out. They managed to get the spin unfouled dropped and stowed; with help there for them we got back to our race duties.
We gave the rib a workout in the flat waters of Suisun Bay and doing 30 to 35 caught up with Smart Recruiters in time to finish Suisun Bay with them. As we began to enter the river section of the race the Marstrom 32 was beginning to drop out of sight. We were the front 2 boats so the lonely section began.
We were still making decent speed but the VMG had dropped to 8 knots and the wind was continuing drop out on us. The Sacramento River led to the Slough. Next was the San Joaquin River. Pittsburg we were now making 5 knots VMG. By the time we hit Antioch that had dropped to 3 knots. While this was adding time to the trip it was also giving us a chance to catch the front boat. They had the breeze longer and opened up on us, but as the new Delta Breeze filled we got the wind first.
As we wound up the San Joaquin we kept gaining ground on the Marstrom 32. Finally we turned a corner and there they were. We had more breeze and better boat speed. It was a race again. As both cats began the slow speed game of chess down the tight river channel, jibes became the weapon to win or lose the lead. For close to 2 hours the lead changed hands and both boats dueled challenging the crew to not make a mistake. The Marstrom could cover a lot of ground if she could lift a hull. The X40 would water line her if both hulls were in the water. The X40 also had to make less maneuvers allowing ground to be made up there. With the deeper run and less jibes the X40 opened a good size lead. We were now getting close to the finish and the final 5 miles looked to belong to Smart Recruiters.
Then it happened, we ran aground. The boat came to a stop on a rock and sand spit at the edge of the channel. The crew was working to get the boat free. Pulling boards and furling the kite. Easing the sheets and traveler still they were stuck. The Marstrom was coming for the lead and soon would pass us. With 2 crew in the water the boat moved off the rock and we were now behind by about a quarter mile.
The crew sailed the final section well and we just ran out of river to try and catch the Marstrom 32. We finished second on the water at 7 hours and 10 minutes, 10 minutes behind. We pulled the chase boat up and held them into the wind as the main came down, and we then drove in to the docks at Stockton Sailing Club. Some of us grabbed drinks and said hello and congrats to the winning boat. Then a quick trip to the bar and we were ready to roll out for the island. The third boat to finish was Shadow, followed by Adrenaline who ended up winning overall on time.
We motored out side tied and prepared the long line tow for the run to Tinsley Island. The River was starting to get busy with finishing boats. We got on the long line and cranked up to about 14 knots so we made as little wake as possible for the finishing boats. We got to Tinsley Island and tied up for the night. Dave had brought a great cooler of food for our dinner. It all got thrown on the grills and with Sausage, Chicken, corn on the cob, vegetables we ate well and had a few drinks. A couple crew were in the lighthouse bunkroom, but most of us crashed on the X40 tramp. Not a bad way to sleep truth be told I slept well there. One person chose to sleep on the grass, not a good idea as sprinklers come on at 3 am. Our day was over and we prepared for the drive home the next day.