26s beats 2 J24s and 2 Precision 27s

[tomchitecture]

My first time racing.

We sailed in our Memorial Day regatta this weekend. 6 races. I am in my (new) 1990 Mac 26s. This weekend's addition was the cunningham. Boy, that makes 3-5 degrees difference pointing to windward. We had 25 knot winds which are not supposed to favor a light, water-ballasted rig like mine. But good decision-making, and the benefit of being last for most of the races actually showed us systemic problems in the crowd's course decisions. We zigged when other's zagged, we had nothing to lose and took some more aggressive lines, and we took home 2 trophy's against some veteran sailors. My 5-year-old son asked me how we might win, while we were 7th, and heeled over 35 degrees. I told him there were three ways to win. Sail faster, sail smarter, or sail a shorter course. One is enough. We did two out of three.

I learned more starting last than I ever could have starting first. I am rope burned, windburned and sunburned. But we had a blast. The 26s is an impressive machine. I can't wait to put some real sails and some real lines on her and get the standing rigging all tuned properly. We were making 7 knots all day. Man, that was fun.

[daveg_72]

That sounds awesome! If the deal goes through with the 26S I am looking at, it's going to be really exciting to see how my six year old enjoys sailing. The more I hear about this boat, the more I like it. Beat a J/24? Amazing!!