I´m still fully loaded with endorphines. Arriving at midnight yesterday/today, being back from my first ever serious sailboat race aboard the Omega 42 with my kids, I am dripping adrenaline out of both ears. What a great experience! But let´s start at the beginning, Friday evening. Parking my car on a freshly mowed lawn, I am greeted by Stefan, owner of Omega 42 #401 WINFAENGER, his lovely wife and his adorable niece. I had been invited by the couple to come over to experience a proper sailboat race aboard this yacht. As the sun goes down slowly we roam the little picturesque harbor or Seedorf, an absolutely enchanting place.
You know by reading this blog that I am a huge fan of Ruegen, Germany´s biggest island in the Baltic Sea. But up until now I never really discovered all the hidden places, except for Lohme, which worked as a jumping point to Denmark´s island of Bornholm where I frequently docked with GEKKO and the City of Stralsund. Seedorf is a stunningly beautiful small village, situated at the southern end of Ruegen on a small inlet. It almost feels like being in Sweden. The wooden pontoons seem crowded by participating boats for tomorrow´s race, judging by the countless mast top lights and the noise of the pre-race party, wild bassline music pounding our ears until late after midnight …
I am not a particular racer, but …
No, I am not a thorough regatta-guy myself. Although I like watching races and find it highly interesting, I don´t have the aggressiveness and cold-blood needed to tackle the kind of all-out war going on on the water after the starting signal has been announced. Friends instantly become grim opponents, fighting for the last bit of centimeter, often ending in damage. And again, this race I am going to attending here now will prove me right … Anyway, apart from considering myself not the most aggressive racer, I of course have done some racing in my past, like some editions of a VIP-regatta. This time, it seems, it will be racing on a different level.
I am sleeping overnight in a small tent right next to the jetties with my kids, WINDFAENGER´s cabins are of course occupied by the owner´s family. As we get up early and walk over the wooden pontoons, I notice that not only all of the boxes are filled but also the land-ward backside of the pontoons, boats in two rows. This race, apparently, is drawing in many boats from all around, it´s a classic. For me, the perfect occasion to gain more knowledge about practical sailing and behavior of the Omega 42 and really being able to drive the boat hard in race conditions.
Apart of this chance to acquiring a lot of knowledge and some experience of sailing this classic Peter Norlin-icon I will be able to really compare the sailing capabilities of this boat against the other boats, mainly modern cruising yachts but also some highly specialized race-boats. But first things first, Ulrike, caring wife of owner and skipper Stefan, had prepared a rich breakfast for us. Hot coffee aboard a boat, what could there be a better start into a summer´s day? Sitting here down below in the Omega 42 salon with three kids and two more adults is also a great opportunity to imagine sizing of my own boat´s salon table, which is one of the small details we have to decide for my new build boat. Again, I am going to use this whole trip to sail on WINDFAENGER to check for every small and big detail and do remarks of how to copy or change those for my own boat, the ALPHA.
The hidden gems of club racing
After cleaning up the breakfast, it is time to attend the skipper´s briefing. This is done right next to our little tent on the club lawn. Apparently, exactly 34 yachts are enlisted and registered for this race, skippers and crews are chatting, everybody knows each other. It´s a lush, friendly and excited atmosphere. This regatta is one of the classics of Ruegen Island. It s called “Langschlag Rund Stubber”, meaning “Long trip around the Stubber”. The “Stubber”, loosely translating to “the stub”, is a very dangerous shoal in the middle of the Greifswald rush, a pretty big stretch of inshore-like protected waters between the southern part of Ruegen and continental Germany. Greifswald? You may think now, something rings a bell … yes, Greifwald is the location of Germany´s biggest pleasure craft shipyard, Hanse. As a matter of course, most boats attending are Hanses and Dehlers, there´s also a large Moody 54 DS in the field, all brands of the Hanse company. Anyway, back to the briefing.
Talking prior to this to the organizer I get to know that this race was a famous regatta up until back to the times of the old German Democratic Republic, having been revived by the vivid sailing club scene many years ago. Usually they offer two routes, the longer of which is around 70 miles. This time, as he explains to the attendees, due to the weather forecast of very strong winds, there would just be one route of approximately 40 miles. Speaking of the forecast – winds of around 17 to 22 knots TWS are expected, gusting out at 25 knots, with a near-gale warning for the afternoon. Well, this is going to be fun …
Looking at the nautical chart, I check the outline of the race: Upwind start in a narrow channel with shoals left and right, probably two or three tacks beating upwind. Then the downwind part to a specific buoy with another upwind leg – passing the decommissioned nuclear power plant of Lubmin. Another tack with lots of beating before we can race downwind back to the finish line. Later the wind conditions will turn out as expected. For my taste there were surprisingly high waves given the comparatively short fetch. We´ve had white waves crests all the time and very gusty conditions. Later the day wind would increase and even shift to a Northerly, kind of ruining the last downwind part forcing the field to beat upwind even more. But, of course, all of this was pure theory and expectation during the skipper´s briefing. Looking at the chart, you´ll notice the flat shoal in the middle of the route´s diamond shape: That is the “Stubber”, the stub.
Race preparations
Back at the pontoon, there she was, the beauty: Omega 42 #401 WINDFAENGER. Every time I see this boat I fall in love again. Her lines are just so tempting, so exciting, so unmatched. Classic, but also extreme: Look at her large overhang, the low freeboard and coachroof! She is just such a special boat, such an outstanding design! I am happy that at this moment WINDFAENGER´s box neighbors had been out at sea, probably for an early test, so that I could admire her beauty from bow to stern so nicely.
Stefan is a keen regatta sailor and for decades busy to attend all the big and small club races. From Pirate one design racing inshore and offshore to touring the regattas with WINDFAENGER. Because of this, his boat is a well-noticed and often greeted occasion for many other skippers walking by – the battle flags of four “Rund Stubber”-editions he attended previously flying proud at the boat´s mast. We start to prepare the yacht for the race, still 2 hours to go.
After clearing up the salon and cabins, we decide to fly the large overlapping Genoa as the headsail instead of the smaller self-tacking Jib. This is because – as usual – weather forecast is just not as homogenous as we need it. Some sources state a 4 to 5 Beaufort choppy and gusty day, some other sources say that after 2 o´clock the wind will die down to a meager 8 knots breeze. In this, our skipper´s decision to have a larger sail area available in case of the latter forecast becoming reality is understandable: As we have kids aboard (mine), he decides not to fly the Gennaker for safety reasons.
We fit the Genoa sail to the forestay and put in the battens. I do a separate “children´s edition” of safety briefing and how to behave aboard during the race with my kids, make them put on their life jackets and apply another round of sunscreen: It´s a fresh wind and temps are not going to raise above 20 degrees Celsius, but between the awe-inspiring thick dark clouds the sun is shining pretty intensively. There is a nice hustle and activity in the harbor as every crew is preparing their boat for the start. Still one hour to go and the first boats cast off their landlines to get out of the little narrow marina. We follow suit with some 30 minutes to the start signal. It´s getting serious now!
A colorful fleet
What I particularly like about club racing is the fact that there are boats of all sizes, brands and types. I can identify a small H-Boat as well as a Mini 650, some old IOR-classics or wide-body Bavaria Cruisers from the Nineties. On our port side the biggest of the fleet, a proud luxury deck saloon cruiser – the Moody 54 DS – is casting off, turning on the spot by utilizing her bow and stern thrusters. I´m really looking forward to see how our Omega 42 is living up against all these different boats – on all points of sail. This will be such a revealing event and certainly teach me a lot about this yacht.
On our neighboring boy a very sympathetic and friendly three-man crew is casting off a minute later. I am stunned by the footwear of the skipper: Screaming green rubber Crocs! I am asking him if he forgot his proper sailing shoes and he smiled: Telling me the story of acquiring his boat – a legendary Figaro 2 racing yacht designed by unforgotten Marc Lombard – in France from one of the big names in Imoca 60-racing. This skipper (excuse me but I cannot recall his name) had told him that wearing Crocs is the best, most convenient and safest product “when it is going to be a very wet race”. Well … we´ll see.
As the Figaro 2 casts off from the box next to us, many more participants are dropping their lines and start their engines. Next to us on the other side a mother and her daughter are operating an Elan yacht. No man aboard, these two have a very nice style of communicating and talking with each other. Sadly, they will ran aground shortly after the start and, having had to start their engine and receiving towing help, they return to harbor not finishing the race.
So we start our engine too, I am on the foredeck working the bow-lines whilst Willy, son of Stefan, and his girlfriend cast off the stern ropes. Slowly WINDFAENGER glides backwards out of the box. With a high throttle-push forward by the Diesel engine onto the single rudder, she swings around her nose quickly pointing directly into the exit of the small inlet of Seedorf´s harbor and we steam graciously by, passing the other crews preparing to leave port for the race as well.
As we have a lot of headwind and are steaming upwind as well, I am ordered to raise the mainsail by Stefan. But not before putting in the second reef – a fact that will become very important later – by pulling the reefing line. Although hoisting the main is kind of effortless by just pushing a button on the electric winch, it is remarkable for me how long it takes to get it up, even more because we don´t pull it up the whole length of the mast but just into the second reef. This is a 42 feet sailing yacht with a huge, tall mast, I am reminded by this. The Omega 42 is a big-ass sailboat, not comparable in any way with my previous boats.
Gauging, nosing, probing: Regatta pre-start chess game
Reaching the starting area, Stefan luffs and kills the engine. There are 15 to 17 knots already and WINDFAENGER is sailing at 5 to 6 knots. Amazing! Just the main sail in second reef and we are as fast as an average cruising yacht with full canvas up! Behind and in front of us the large fleet of 33 other vessels including the starting ship marking the starting line and some auxiliary vessels are crowding the place. As I am just a deckhand and assuming that this sail area is Stefan´s home turf, I did not check the charts thoroughly as I would have if I was the skipper. But Stefan keeps an eye on the depth display constantly.
Pre-start sailing is very exciting and nerve stressing. We have some 20 minutes until starting signal to go and there is a huge hustle all around us. All of the crews are doing the same now: Probing, nosing around, coming up with an idea of where and how to start. I´ve talked to many, many professional race boat skippers about “the art of the start” and there´s really no fixed golden rule, but as they told me, you constantly adjust your tactics to the wind, the situation on the line and of course to the tactics of your main opponents. In this I can clearly see in front of us a large bulk of yachts cruising around at the starting line with minimum distance. What a stressful, exciting, heated situation! We can hear the screaming and hollering, boats avoiding near-collisions and right of way enforced up to the very last blink of an eye, fighting for every inch of free space and the best starting positions.
We keep our distance. Stefan, our skipper, bears many ship lengths of free room between us and the center field of the most aggressive and most ambitious part of the race. This is partly due to the fact that we have a pretty strong wind here that makes us all sail pretty fast even with just the mainsails (partially) up, secondly due to the fact that his crew – me, his son and his girlfriend – aren´t his usual race-buddies and we are far from being a well-rehearsed race team and also for the reason that we have kids aboard. A wise decision!
I am to announce time to start by the minute, still 10 minutes to go. We are passed and passing ourselves almost all of the participating yachts. Greeting a last time the smiling faces of the crews, waving the Figaro 2 Crocs-skipper and exchanging “Good luck and fair winds!” with our fellow race mates, Stefan turns his face towards me and screams against the hollering wind: “In 9 minutes these lovely guys know no friends anymore!” He smiles briefly, then his eyes become narrow slits again as he peers against the sun, looking for a loophole for his start again.
At 4 minutes to go, we tack away from the starting line a last time. I know that he is going to sail away from the main bulk of the boat which are already lined up a few dozen meters right before the imaginary starting line. They will try to hover right there, claiming their starting positions and stand their ground against other boats, just to luff and break with their main sails every so slightly, slowly nearing the line – only to hoist full canvas shortly before the starting gun fires, speed up and have full speed when passing the line right at that moment. So far for the theory. Stefan has a different idea for WINDFAENGER.
Mayhem at the start line!
As expected, we tack another time, some 200 meters away from the main fleet, one minute to the starting signal. Unfurling the Genoa at 30 seconds before start, the Omega 42 immediately jumps to speed and we race towards the blue starting ship. As her horn blows and the flag goes down, all the other boats – much nearer to the line – speed up as well and try to squeeze through between starting ship and buoy. Of course, not all will fit. Of course, a handful of the boats too much to windward are pushed out, screaming, hollering, horns blowing and three or four larges boats have to bear away at full speed, two or three colliding.
We shoot pass those boats, dashing towards the starting line. Stefan wants to let through the “most ambitious” bulk of the boats to pass to their leeward side, luff up and try to catch up in lee. And behold, it seems to work! Almost half of the whole starting field is over the line as we pass it, luffing and changing course to hard upwind beating. It´s confusing, exciting, exhilarating and so fast, I just don´t know where to look because there´s so much to see all around us! My kids are excited as hell, cheering up our WINDFAENGER to pick up even more speed!
What a fun! And it seems to work as well: We have avoided the big-time hustle at the main field, crossed right into the stream if boats with way of right from windward, cut through the field to luff up and now we find ourselves positioned on a very good mid-table position. Not bad for having been starting from behind, keeping ourselves out of the big trouble at the front.
Now, after luffing, we haul in the sheets to the maximum and the boat sprints upwind. We have placed ourselves almost one boat length to leeward of the main field. The field is now marching upwind like pearls on a string, occasionally bigger boats overtaking smaller ones. Positioned to leeward we keep ourselves free from the trouble and also, because on this tack very boat has the wind from starboard side, from any right of way-battles in the infield. Right there at the front the first two or three yachts decide to tack very early in the race although we haven´t passed this leg almost half of the distance. Probably avoiding infight trouble, they change to starboard tack and bear away fast. We of course don´t have this option as this would mean to pierce right through the bulk of the boats with no right of way.
Greeting the small but tough H-Boat we are overtaking to leeward, we manage to pass three or four other boats making good some positions. I am still very much excited, so early on in the regatta, having started from way behind but managing to find ourselves in the mid-field is quite a thing. Looking abaft to Stefan, who holds the tiller firm in his hand, keeping a sharp eye on our contenders, always strategizing and calculating.
Adapting one´s race strategy
What really amazes me is the fact that although we are in our second reef, the Omega 42 is not just keeping up with the fleet (among which are much bigger and more modern boats) but how we can slowly but surely make good distance on so many other yachts. Many of the other boats sport high-tech garment sails, some of which even have North Sails 3Di canvas, which seems a bit ridiculous on a Dufour-cruiser. In any case, it is so much fun!
Stefan always has an eye on the surroundings. The current tack will end soon: You remember when I showed the nautical charts of the regatta, the starting area is in a narrow part of the Greifswald rush, a little pocket of water. Depth ranges between 8 and 3 meters, which is no problem as our yacht just sports a draft of 1.60 meters. Peter Norlin constructed the Omega 42 for exactly the tactics Stefan is now trying to impose: Due to the very low draft, our yacht should be able to remain longer on this course and sail nearer to the shallow coastline than most of the other yachts.
So I guess the idea is that we can keep our high pace and well-balanced sails trim, meaning the high speed, much longer whereas the other boats would have to tack, keeping them bound in the bulk of the field with the position infights. We would go on sailing for a couple of minutes, dozens of ship lengths or hundreds of meters before we´d tack – and hopefully gain some positions. Stefan asks us to tell every change of depth to help his calculations, and we adhere. 5.30, 4.50, 3.50 …
Jacked up!
There is only one boat some three ship lengths in front of us. Another classic, a wooden sloop with a tall wooden rigg. Supposedly also with a shallow draft. All the others already on starboard tack, we are very, very close to the land. Still 3.50 meters on the depth sounder, as Stefan announces: “Ready to tack!”, we announce being ready … and just as he lays in full starboard rudder and the boat starts to turn, we abruptly feel a deceleration and the boat comes to a standstill. Grounded! 1.40 meters on the sounder. “Let go the sheets!”, he screams, jumps to the panel and starts the engine. The boat tumbles as the waves begin to play with the hull. Thinking “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” all the time, a program is running: I am quickly furling in the Genoa whilst Willy takes down the main sail – Stefan puts the Diesel engine to full abaft. Nothings happens. What a catastrophe! What a fucking shitshow is this? My kids are puzzled, albeit not panicking, Stefan desperately trying to get us free. Is this the end of our race? The sure disqualification is of secondary importance now: Had the boat been damaged running aground? Are the keel bolts leaking? The list of things to do seemed endless.
Cold sweat on our heads, the sour taste of defeat on our tongues. What a damn shitshow! It happened so fast. Apparently the depth had changed from 3.50 meters to 1.60 meters at an instant as there is not a smoothly increasing shallow here but a mere “underwater wall”. As our boat stood on her keel, slightly careening, Diesel running at full power backwards, I couldn´t believe it! No hard hit though, lucky as we were we did not hit a stone nor was the seafloor made up of rock here, but mud and sand. WINDFANGER is a lucky yacht. Little had we known at this point, right at this moment, the sailing mother and her daughter on the small Elan did also ran aground …
Oh boy! We were damn lucky that this grounding happened so early on into the race. With many of the auxiliary vessels still cruising around trying to catch some of the crazy atmosphere of the start of this race, we were quickly spotted by one of the power boats. It changed course and arrived just a few minutes after the incident. Not much to say, let´s get to work, guys! Without speaking too many words a towing line is thrown over to us which I do attach with a bowline hitch through the forward mooring cleat. Has our sailing adventure abruptly ended here on the sandy bottom of the island of Ruegen or will we be able to re-join the race? And most importantly of it all: Will I get to collect my impressions from sailing the Omega 42 under race conditions or is it all gone now? Well, power boat, please, please get us off this muddy sandbank!
P.S. – if you scroll up again to the picture of the nautical chart showing the race course, look out for the little x that marks the position where we grounded …
You might want to check these sailboat racing-related articles too:
How to tackle your first serious regatta
Being skipper at the VIP-regatta