Carnaval La Paz Regatta - Sailboat Racing in the Sea of Cortez
The first of a hopefully annual event, the Carnaval La Paz Regatta, was held on February 13 and 14, 2010. The race was sponsored by local restaurant/bar Perico Marinero and organized in just a few short weeks by Robert. Fifteen boats registered for the two day sailing event and eleven boats crossed the starting line. Aboard the Seazure, a 37' Hunter Cutter, my rookie racing crew Ana and myself would provide first hand coverage of the race, and hopefully place "in the money" (although the prizes consisted of trophies) A little side bet was placed between ourselves and the sailing vessel Detente as to whom would cross the finish line first.
The race was an open course, destination race across the Bay of La Paz beginning at the Center Channel marker at the entrance to the Ensenada de La Paz and the first leg ended at the entrance to La Partita, a large inlet that separates the islands of Espiritu Santos and La Partita, some 25 miles best course north of the start.
At the starting line the winds were very light, generating a cluster of boats barely maintaining steerage as they awaited the 10AM starting gun. We had very light winds and good sized waves from the direction of our destination as a result of a dying north wind that had been blowing for 5 days. With our destination being north of La Paz all entrants anticipated a busy day of working our way into the wind and waves. I chose to take a course along the eastern shore of the Bay of La Paz.
The light winds and moderate seas turned out to be a bad combination for my tactically chosen course. Usually a multitude of short tacks north along the coast is the way to go. But with the big waves on our forward quarter and light winds every time with each tack we lost significant headway. The sea and wind plagued the skippers that chose to take a more westerly course, hoping for stronger and cleaner air on the western approach to La Partida. Only the Trimaran multi hull (really in a class of it’s own in these conditions) finished the first leg of the race under sail. About 3PM, since this was a fun race and with about 40% of the course completed by most vessels, the call was given to FUM. (Finish Under Motor) All vessels that started the race reach Partida by dark.
The map below right shows the most direct route from the start to the finish of about 25 miles. Such a course was impossible, many of the boats sailing WNW from the starting line, a few others like ourselves tacked along the eastern shore of the Bay of La Paz.
A pot-luck had been planned for the contestants that evening. However, with the long and strenuous day behind us all the skippers and crews chose to ‘hit the rack’ early after attractive red event T-shirts were distributed to the all the participants, thanks to Perico Marinero.
On day two the second leg of the race began with light winds blowing the fleet out of Coleta Partida and across the start at 10AM. Despite a good start we were one of, if not the last boat to clear the anchorage. (10AM) Again Seazure doesn’t sail well down wind or in light wind and we had both. But about 1 mile out of the anchorage the wind picked up steady to 12kts on the aft quarter.
It appeared it would be a day of jibing our way back to La Paz. We (Ana and I) took the route inside Isla Ballena (a small island off the coast of Espiritu Santos. The gap is about 400m and acts to compress the wind and the velocity got up to about 15-18kts and we made up some serous ground. About half the fleet took and outside route to the west and headed for south of La Paz on a Power tack, hoping the wind would be more in the direction La Paz when they got clear of the shadow. The other group continued south along the shore with the wind coming over the top of the island to them.
We turned west, once we were clear of the wind shadow of Ballena and passed our first boat just about a mile after making that turn. This was a momentous turn of the tide for us as since the starting gun we had appeared to be bringing up the rear. We were now ahead of 2 of the 4 boats that turned WSW north of the island. Within another 5 minutes we smoked past the second boat which was sailing under an asymmetrical cruising shoot. With tactics and speed we had gone from last to first in our class! (I exclude the trimaran which outdistanced all the mono hull entries) For the next two hours we lead the pack on the run to La Paz.
With a brief lull as we passed through the wind shadow of Espiritu Santos we managed to hold our friends to a distance of an eighth mile and widened our lead over much of the fleet.
Our median course selection proved to be the most efficient route back to La Paz. Our vessel, Seazure, was the first mono hull to cross the mid-channel with 4 others less than an eighth mile behind. The race would prove to be an exciting one with all the vessels jibing their way to the finish line down the broad entrance channel to the Ensenada de La Paz and the finish line at the Municipal Pier downtown.
A
fter the dog leg in front of CostaBaja it was the course lead almost dead down wind. A rapid and well skippered Cal passed us, and since there was NO chance of us holding him off, we only squeezed him a little toward the side of the channel. Once this boat got past us he managed to maintain his lead to the finish.
There were then three of us jockeying for position to claim third through fifth place. (second through 4th if we discount the multi hull) My racing rookie crew, Ana and I both found our hearts pounding with the tension and excitement. The American’s Cup had nothin’ on this! This was a toe rail bumpin’ (well not quite, since most of us were sailing our ‘homes’) wind robbin’, channel cuttin’, race to the finish.
More below...
As we pass Hotel El Moro the Cal has opened up a lead of maybe 100m, and there were two boats that had gotten past me in the early section of the channel due to my error in a jibe. We took the angle again and gain speed on them and took a gamble to use more than the full width of the channel to gain speed and close the gap. Passing outside the green channel marker on the south side we jibed and took angle across to the north side. The angle on the wind increased our speed and we passed one of the boats in front of us. Turning outside the red channel marker on the north side we managed to maintain angle on the 4th place boat take an aggressive angle on the third. It was a battle to the finish line with full sails and a cluster of boats that passed the small group on the Pier to witness the end of the regatta.
We were the third mono hull to cross the finish line with a time of 6hrs and 27minutes to complete the 31 mile distance. With corrected times we placed 2nd. The best part of course is that all boats finished the race and the only malfunction was a spinaker that wrapped a headstay. A successful day of sailing as defined by Tom & Slade's Definition of a Successful Sailing Venture.
It was an exciting race and as a participant we would like to thank Bob Mackelvain and the Perico Marinero for their organization and sponsorship of the first Carnaval Regatta.
All the participants of the race had such a great time that the legacy of this race will be the formation of the Veleros de Baja here in La Paz. The sole mission of this organization will be the organization and promotion of sailboat rallies and racing in the Sea of Cortez. Persons interested in becoming a member of this organization click here for more information.
Final Standings Carnaval Regatta Standings
First to Finish - Gitana Capt. Pat Mitchell
Non Spinnaker Class
1st - Gitana Capt. Pat Mitchell
2nd - Seazure Capt. Tom Zyber
3rd - Hokimai Skipper Niel Burson
Spinnaker Class
1st - Keetya - Skippers Robin & Jim Cross
2nd - Sea Turtle Skipper Jordan Mills
3rd - L'Allegro Skipper Bob McAlvain