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First Swiftsure this Weekend! What to know/bring? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 months ago by SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works to c/sailing@lemmy.world
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I will be participating in my first overnight race as crew this weekend. I've been told there won't be any cooking, so bring snacks. We do have a fridge. I am wondering what would be some good snacks to bring. Weather looks dry, but up here that can be an hour by hour basis. I am wondering if anyone has any advice, tips, or just general knowledge they would like to impart. I am very nervous. New boat, new crew just to make it extra fun. I think I have the basic gear down, all my typical sailing trip stuff + headlamp and tether for nighttime.

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[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Oh my gosh! Swiftsure is one of my favourite races! I’ve done quite a few, and each one has had its ups and downs. Which course are you doing? Flattery? Which boat? If you don’t want to dox yourself I get it, I just want to root for you on the tracker! What position are you, do you race much in general? If you look back in my post history there’s a comment to an ask lemmy post about a memory that you always go back to. My reply was talking about swiftsure.

My advice is as follows and in no particular order.

  • Bring a second set of warm toque, gloves, and clothes.
  • A book or headphones. A power bank for your phone. At some point you will want a bit of a lay down or rest, good to have a book or music. I just need some no people time so lay down for that.
  • Since theres no cooking small handheld food is best. Make a few burritos and wrap them in foil. Can’t go wrong with a few sandwiches. Granola bars, protein bars, protein/caffeine shakes (depends on if you’re a stay up the whole time or nap person. I’m a stay up the whole time). Trail mix is great and you can pass it around. WATER.
  • Be as helpful as you can. Even though you don’t know them, or the boat, help tidy up the lines or repack the spin. Get drinks or snacks. No one will mind you helping too much. (At least they shouldn’t!)
  • Race Rocks. Ugh. It’s hit or miss. I’ve had times where we’ve anchored in there with 30 other boats trying not to get pushed back to the start. I’ve also had the downhaul snap (twice!!) heading back down. Broaching in that channel with three other boats is not fun. It’s unpredictable at best so good to have everyone on deck and alert. Especially downwind on the way home. EDIT - Seriously though, the wind funnels through there. It can be a nice 15 out in the strait and then bam, 25.
  • Don’t push it at the start. It’s a long race. Better to be a few seconds behind everyone then get pushed over early and your 360 kills your race. Seriously. The wind died as we were doing our 360 and we had to anchor with the Oriole and watch the fleet leave. Needless to say we were DFL.
  • When to head to the American side? Depends on the boat I think. The boat I normally raced on was super light, so slamming through the waves is real slow for us. We’d stick to the Canadian shore and then cross further up. Another time on a C&C 40 and we just cruised through massive swells.
  • Enjoy the ride! There’s nothing like a long distance race. Take a few seconds every now and then and revel in the beautiful place you are.

I envy you, it’s been a long time since I’ve done Swiftsure. My first time was on a boat that I joined last minute, didn’t know anyone! Had such a good time and we won! I understand being nervous, so won’t tell you not to be. But everyone there had their first long distance race too. Be brave and open to learning from them and you’ll have a kick ass time!

Edit - I just looked back and my comment on that ask Lemmy post is gone. I’ll tell it to you here. We did the Flattery race and it was one of the best experiences of my life. We raced short handed and with some of my favourite people. It was like a hive mind and we all trusted each other completely. Sailing back from the mark, spinnaker full and all bundled up in the cockpit, seeing the stars above us, truly magical. When I’m feeling like an imposter, and doubt myself, I think of that time and how I was respected, encouraged, and loved. We came in 3rd too!

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Oh thanks a lot for the tips on hat/gloves. Will pack an extra set. Right now I’ve got some fruit, veggies, sandwiches, and beef jerky.

I am not familiar with the start process- but our skipper has done this race several times before so I am just going to trust him on that! But good to know about the tactics.

I am not sure if I’ll be able to rest or sleep just from the adrenaline! We will see.

That’s awesome you did so well in your races, congrats on that. I am hoping we do well the boat is fairly large, 40ft and we have a crew of 5. Right now the plan is huge the American side out and then after Neah Bay follow Canadian coast.

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

40’ and only 5 of you? You’ll be busy but that's good. I always prefer to sail a bit short as it can get real boring with lots of crew. Those big racing sleds are fast and all but if all you’re doing to moving from one side to the other it gets old quick.

Starts are chaos lol. Basically they set the start line perpendicular to the wind, but with nature nothing is exact so the wind will shift and one end will be favoured. All the boats will congregate down there and it turns into a crazy ballet of 30’-40’ boats dodging and weaving riding the line trying not to be over early. Then snap, the horn sounds and all the boats cross. Your skipper will need all eyes letting them know whats going on around them. The start is a 5 min sequence with a warning horn at 5 min, 1 min, and start, and orange flags. Someone will be on their watch counting the mins/seconds too.

Looking at the wind and currents I think heading to the american side early is a smart move. Be interesting to see what the fleet does. Thats always the fun part of racing, watching the other boats and trying to figure out what they’re doing. That being said, it’s a long race. So much can change and your boat is not like their boat, what works for them may not work for you.

Almost forgot sunscreen!! And watch out for cargo ships! They sneak up on you. If you have any questions just shoot me a message!

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Cool! I do plenty of racing out here in the Puget Sound so I guess I understand what you mean now about the start line being chaos. Thanks for the info. Definitely bringing plenty of sunscreen. If I come up with anything I'll make sure to send ya a message. Thanks again for the info! I'll be on Sauvage.

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Ah! My apologies if it sounded like I was talking down to you. If you’re already familiar with racing it’s just like that, only longer lol. I’ll keep an eye out for you on the tracker!

And welcome to Victoria! I hope our city treats you right. I’ve had so much fun sailing down in Seattle, y’all are good folk and good sailors!

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

I guess I didn't do a very good job explaining my hesitancy? I've been sailing for the past 4 years only. I've bounced around a few boats trying to learn more and each time it always seemed like such a steep learning curve and I never really understood what was going on. This past year I feel like I've actually started to understand everything. The only issue is my current boat doesn't use spinnaker pole and instead we use an asym. Typically I run the foredeck on that boat but unfortunately it means when it comes to symmetric spinnakers and poles I feel like im going to be just as clueless as day one. I told the skipper as much, and the other 4 crew are heavily experienced, so I'm sure I will learn I just feel like for 24 hours im going to be like a deer in headlights.

Today is my last day to prep, ferry is at 7am tomorrow!

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

That is all totally fair! There’s a great saying that you can learn to sail in 10 mins but takes a lifetime to master. Absolutely true. I felt the same way when I first started racing, and when it does start to make sense.. thats a great feeling. I’m still learning new things after 25 years!

I scoped out your boat to see what the foredeck is like and you’ll be dip pole-ing the spin. I unfortunately don’t have a lot of experience with that, all my foredeck time was with an end for end pole. The good thing for you is that your downwind leg looks to be light air, so things can go nice and slow. My skipper loved to bring people that had never raced before with us, so one thing I got in the habit of doing was going through the steps out loud with everyone before any major event. Then everyone knew what their task was and where to be. Might be a good idea for you guys, especially as you're short handed. Also, watch some videos tonight and on the ferry! Lots of good info online and while every boat is a bit different the mechanics will be the same. Asym’s will seem so nice and simple after this!

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Yes. And when I say "started to understand everything" I mean a very small percentage of stuff that goes into sailing well. But enough to start to know what to look for on trimming, hoisting and dousing, the basics. oh and traffic, right of way, trying to read the water. :) I like your idea about saying aloud what's going to happen. We get new people on our boat and when one of them is in foredeck (its a 38' Tartan) I always have them first listen to what's going to happen and what you'll be doing, what I'll be doing, and what everything should look like.

There is a certain amount of ego I've seen from a few experienced people where they just expect everything to be known by everyone without talking, and get frustrated when you ask questions. I've left those boats behind for that exact reason. If all the Canucks are as nice as you are, then the boat will be a breeze (half the crew is coming from Vancouver!) Good call about the videos. I'll get on that. Thanks again for all the info. I do actually feel better about the race!

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Uuuugh, the ego. I refuse to sail with people that yell or treat newbies like crap. Life is too short for that nonsense! Good on ya for moving on. Eventually you’ll click with a crew/boat/skipper and boom, 15 years later you’re still with them. I can’t vouch for every Canuck but I hope they're good folk joining you. And also awww, it’s not everyday I get to gush about one of my favourite races to someone, thanks for being receptive.

Funny side note, this whole convo got me thinking so I texted my old skipper to wish him luck this weekend and turns out he’s got a new boat and I happen to be in town next week so I’m going to do wed night racing with him! So thank you!

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Thats awesome this got you back out there!

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Right?! How did the race go?? What happened on the way back, you guys did a bit of a circle?

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

It was HORRIBLE! But I learned a lot. I put a new reply up top with the details.

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Duuuuuude. Wtf. What a crazy shit show.

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Final Review-- bring extra shoes and more foul weather gear!

Ultimately we rounded the mark but suffered equipment failure around 3AM when our spinnaker wrapped around the forestay. 3/5 of the crew was too sick to help so I was on bow trying to lower a stuck spinnaker. Pain in the ass, got it down after about 30 mins of putting my entire weight into it. Just as it gets on deck im trying to collect it all and it blows overboard. Still have it connected to the lines but couldn't pull it up. Had to spend another 45 mins untangling the forestay mess and was eventually able to pull it out of the water around 4am. Not relaunching at this point because I am exhausted and still not getting any help. Skipper loses his bearings and nav chart isnt working. We have the main out but the skipper doesn't steer well and the boom (19' boom) comes swinging across the boat. The traveller lines knock out the nav station, a few feet form my head. At this point it's decided we have to lower the main and motor back because skipper has lost it. He doesn't know where he's going. We have alt charts going on an iPad and he wont steer towards Victoria, and we are directly out in the straight from race rocks. I take over driving because I am sure the skipper is starting to just lose his train of thought. steer us towards victoria and we motor from 5am till about 9am and arrive. scary experience. next time I will never do a race with a new skipper without doing at least one practice session. and not going to do another overnight race without someone I know is capable. I had a lot of fun. Also fear. 2/5 of the crew was sick the entire time. one guy went below 30 mins into the race and was never able to get back up. so we were down to 4/5 crew. One guy was not able to really keep it together for more than 30 mins at a time.

I can't wait to do another one on a competent boat.

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Oh. My. God. Thats insane!! Like I don’t even know what to say. I’m so sorry it turned out like that. That would be really scary, especially as you don’t know these people! But it sounds like you stepped up, did your best, and probably learned a lot about yourself in the process. Whether you liked it or not!

I’m really concerned about your skipper, to have to take over driving due to confusion or mental state is a bad situation. Exhaustion? Regardless, thank goodness you were there. Interestingly, watching the tracker all of the multihulls but one didn’t finish. And with your sick crew, what was it like out there? Lumpy? I’m honestly shocked at the amount of things that went wrong for you guys. The spiral of disaster in full effect. Uuuugh.

I’m glad it didn't ruin long distance racing for you! After an experience like that I would absolutely have the same requirements for racing with new people. If you ever want to race up here again let me know! I’ll make sure you're with competent folks lol.

Side note - Not racing today as my skipper has to pull the mast for repairs. Booooo!

[-] SisyphusIsHappy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

It was excruciating at times. One point I was on the bow in the dark, the skipper not steering down at all to slow us, and trying to pull the spinnaker back on deck where I honestly thought if this blows off again and I'm inside inside of it, even if im tethered I am probably going to drown. Which was a very surreal moment. But it was kind of like, in the moment, what are you going to do? You can't just quit and give up. So yeah I did learn a lot about myself in the process! Side note-- sitting here on my computer, coffee and dog nearby, girlfriend gardening outside, it really makes you appreciate the simple things in life.

Beating out to the mark in Neah Bay was lumpy. We didn't reef the main so were heeled over a fair amount and the swells were decent 10' at least would be my guess. This was in 25-30kts too. The period was also a factor I'm sure, because you never really had a second to level out before the next one hit. In all fairness I got seasick once after I spent 10 mins below checking on our incapacitated sailor and eating my sandwich. Came back up top and we were heeled over enough that I was able give the fish their lunch without getting anything on the boat.

The multihull was interesting. The only multihull that made it was a fairly massive cat. The smaller tris all turned around near Race Rocks on the way out. If you look at the DNFs nearly all of them turned around when they got to the strait. I think they decided it just wasn't worth it. We were I think, other than one other, the only DNF to round the mark. The other DNF that rounded anchored in Port Angeles for some reason.

The skipper is a different story. One of the other crew wrote a letter to the race committee telling them he wasn't qualified to be taking people out. We only found out around 3am that our VHF wasn't working, neither were our nav lights. When I was pulling in the spinnaker I was wondering why I wasn't seeing any glowing in the sail and realized. We were in the shipping lanes at that point too. Not a great feeling? Our steaming and anchor lights worked though. We had a hand held and they were announcing traffic but our skipper turned it off. I asked to turn it back on so we could know what traffic was coming our way and he kind of put me down saying "what do you want to keep hearing the same thing over and over? We will see the ships before it's a problem." Idiotic response in my opinion to a safety concern.

All that to say it was a really enlivening experience and I am glad I did it. Would be great to sail together some day! Now that I know I can take the clipper up there relatively easily I would definitely do it again. And same for you-- if you're ever down here I have a couple boats I know with skippers that are actual competent people.

[-] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

That just got worse and worse the more I read. Holy dinah. I’m so glad someone is calling him out and letting the RC know how bad it was!! No running lights?? Not listening to the VHF?? No reef?? Wtf… I’m appalled at the disregard for safety. Was he fucking drunk? Balargh!! I’m so glad you made it home safely, and it hasn’t made you never want to be on a boat again! An experience like that does make you appreciate what you have, though I’m sorry you had to go through it. It truly is a strange place to be when it all goes south since you can’t go anywhere. Just gotta deal.

Though I did actually consider jumping off a boat and swimming to shore once. It was during a women’s regatta and the lady doing main was just being brutally mean to me, never experienced anything like that before, she made me cry. Luckily my friend was doing pit so she played defence for me since I was foredeck. Got off the boat at the end of the day and never sailed with any of them again, except my friend (she was on that magical Swiftsure with me!). I worked with the skipper too, she kept asking me to sail with her again and I was like, hells no. You didn’t shut that shit down, just let her keep screaming and berating me. I don’t trust you at all to support me, and you have to trust your crewmates. Not quite as death defying as your experience, but definitely soul crushing.

I had to stop in to one of the rig shops today and talked with one of the guys, asked him what was going on out there. He was on the tri that finished. Said it was pretty crazy out there, lots of broken halyards, but nothing too major that way. Also explains why my skipper needs to pull the mast… Man, I need to change where I get my weather from, said it was supposed to be light!! Sorry!!

Shoot me a message if you’re ever up this way or want to talk boats! And give that doggo a skritch under the chin for me :)

this post was submitted on 20 May 2026
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