Independence Day Regatta

The massive Philippine flag hoisted along the shoreline of Subic Bay was not only an impressive symbol of the 112. Philippine Independence Day. For the sailors on the 11 boats attending this year's Independence Day Regatta it was a well appreciated wind indicator, too. For two days, the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, filled the sails and colorful spinnakers with 7 to 14 knots of wind.

Crewing on 36-foot mono-hull Sandoway my initial job was that of being 'rail-meat'. Along with other crew members not tending to any sheets I threw my weight on the leeward side of the boat when it started heeling in an upwind leg. The idea is to keep the boat leveled for the helms man to point higher to the mark. A well-pointed boat has the advantage to travel less distance than its competitors, which translates into valuable seconds gained at the finish line.

On the downwind legs I demonstrated my skills on the spinnaker. The spinnaker is the huge balloon like sail which replaces the foresail, or jib, when sailing with the wind. The spinnaker’s fragile cloth is sensitive to any wind change and therefore needs constant adjustment. While the spinnaker is most useful when flying far in front of the boat catching the wind, a slight wind shift is enough to collapse the 1,400 square foot sail. Sheet in hand I was responsible to maximize the spinnaker’s surface without letting it collapse. It feels like flying a kite, capturing and playing with the fluky wind.

Glenn's job was to trim the main sail. It's the laborious task of constantly shaping the main sail into a smooth curve. Just like a woman's curve, the main sail should attract the wind's airy kiss, propelling the boat forward. With this metaphor in mind, trimming the main sail is a "young man's job", as our helmsman Alan Burrell noted.

Despite racing well and clearly winning one of the two races, the boat's handicap threw us back to last place in the competing group of 5 boats. The handicap is a post-race adjustment of the finishing time based on the respective boat model. The idea is to allow different boat types to race together and even out potential advantages such as boat size, sail age, improvement features etc. later by multiplying the finish time with a numerically expressed handicap.

Free drinks and food helped us overcome our disappointment during the award giving ceremony. The bruises and rope burns on our legs proof our dedication to give it all. We read the wind well, picked the right strategy and perfected our maneuvers on the fly. We are in it for the fun and fun we surely had! We'll surely be back next year!