Bad Elf Teams Up With Abilyn Racing

We are excited to announce that Bad Elf will be teaming up with Abilyn Racing on its ocean racing campaign.  Based in West Hartford, CT, Bad Elf manufactures innovative GPS devices and hardware accessories for use in the aviation, marine, and outdoors GPS markets, and particularly for use with Apple devices--Bad Elf's GPS devices meet all the requirements of Apple's MFI licensing program.  

We will be using a pair of Bad Elf GPS Pro modules aboard Abilyn in connection with our iPad and DMK Box.  The Bad Elf modules will allow us to feed GPS data into our iPad via Bluetooth for use with programs like iNavX and iRegatta Pro (with the rest of our instrument data being fed into our iPad via WiFi through the DMK Box).  In addition, with their dedicated lat/long displays, we'll be able to use the Bad Elf modules to plot our position on our Maptech waterproof charts.

The Bad Elf GPS Pro and other Bad Elf GPS devices offer a great solution for small race boats like Abilyn looking to build a robust yet affordable onboard information center for navigation and performance analysis.

Check out Bad Elf at http://bad-elf.com.  

59th Annual Edlu Regatta - Race Recap

Last Saturday, Abilyn hit the start line with eleven other double-handed racing yachts in the 59th Annual Edlu Regatta.  Although Abilyn had a decent downwind leg, we ultimately got caught in a squall with too much sail up that caused a bit of rig "damage", and forced us to withdraw from the race.  Check out our recap edit (left) and photos (below).  

Co-skipper Sam and I learned a lot from this race--mostly what we need to do going forward.  We learned some valuable lessons about planning, communicating during maneuvers and in hairy situations (like a 40-knot squall), and the importance of REEFING EARLY!!!!  As the saying goes--if you're thinking about reefing, it's already too late.  

Today is an off-day for Abilyn Racing.  While the Pogo 2 USA 806 and the proto USA 415 will be racing in the Indian Harbor YC Spring Sprint, I'll be taking care of some repairs, calibrating some electronics, and hopefully taking Abilyn out for a spin to get familiar with our new storm jib made by UK Sailmakers and practice some reefing.  We'll be on the line again during for the Stamford YC Double Handed Regatta on May 31 and June 1.  

See you out on the water.

59th Larchmont YC Edlu - Race Preview

It's less than 12 hours before the start of the 59th Annual Edlu Regatta.  Abilyn is one of 16 boats in the PHRF double-handed class, and one of three Minis.  

Earlier this week, Abilyn sat in the yard about 70 miles to the northeast at Brewers Pilots Points Marina in Westbrook, CT.  Our plan was to deliver her in the easterly which was forecasted (and actually did) materialize Thursday night.  Getting anxious, Sam and I hopped on Amtrak for a night mission Tuesday night to catch a northwesterly, which would allow us to reach home down the sound at an average clip of about 7.5 knots.  That night turned into a comedy of fails.  Our jib hadn't made it up to the boat with the rest of our sails the week before, which caused us to make a pit stop in City Island, NY.  We managed to catch the last Amtrak of the night in New Rochelle, NY.  But, when we got off the train in Old Saybrook, CT, we were greeted by no cabs, and worse, no breeze.  Oh, and it was about 38 degrees F.  Then, when we left Pilots Point marina, our keel was greeted by some mud.  And down the Sound, our runner just happened to fall out of the mast; it literally just fell out.  Hearing the crash made me lose a bit of sleep on the off-watch.  And the 10-15 knot northwesterly that was forecasted to materialize never did, which left us motoring most of the time at a brisk 4 knots.  We're typically not known as a 4ksb.  

Yeah, that's not scary...We are sailing, right?

One of the few perks of a night mission delivery.

Home

Despite these frustrations, Sam and I had a pleasant delivery.  We got the Code 5 up for a little bit and managed to make 6.7 knots SOG in about 7 knots of breeze at a TWA of about 100 degrees.  Sam was bundled up in his balaclava (right, top).  We witnessed a brilliant sunrise (right, middle).  And after dropping Sam off in Greenwich Harbor, I was more than happy to arrive in Larchmont Harbor (right, bottom).

Not too soon after we got back, we attended to our to-do list to prepare for the Edlu.  Remove excess weight.  Re-install the runner.  McLube the blocks and cars.  Tune the rig.  Come up with a navigation strategy.  

According to the models (which fellow Mini sailor Josh Owen believes should never be trusted), the breeze tomorrow will be out of the southwest at between 7 and 15 knots.  We will be running out to Eatons Neck in favorable current, and then we'll be beating back to the finish line.  Our goal on way out will be to maintain VMG.  TWA to the mark is about 169 degrees, which will be too deep in the forecasted breeze.  So we'll need to make sure our gybes are impeccable.  Our goal on the way back is to limit our tacks.  Not only is our tacking angle far inferior to many of the other boats in the class, but our speed coming out of tacks is also inferior.  Luckily, the other two Minis in our class have the same problems.  That said, one has the ability to cant his 7-foot keel, which is why he gets a PHRF rating of 87 compared to our 111.

At the end of the day, we're not out there to win our class.  This is nearly impossible as a very well-sailed J/92, Thin Man, also has a 111 rating.  We're out there to get around the course as fast as we can, execute our maneuvers cleanly, stay safe, not blow up any kites, have fun, and beat the other two Minis!   

We'll let you know how it goes.  

Abilyn Gets a Splash of Color

Sam and I spent Sunday not sailing in the blustery American YC Spring Series.  Instead, we prepped Abilyn for the season and her first race of 2014--the Edlu hosted by Larchmont YC, which has an impressive class of well-sailed double-handed yachts.  

We fully rigged the boat--including with some awesome new lines supplied by West Marine Rigging (more on that in a separate post)--compounded the entire interior to get rid of some nasty stainage (the wife appreciates that), loaded on all our gear, and cleaned the topsides in preparation for a little splash of color that was added on Monday by Mac Designs--a Newport-based outfit that has worked on some pretty impressive race programs, including Puma Ocean Racing and Elvis, the Gunboat 62 led by Melges 32 World Champion and Viper 640 North American Champion, Jason Carroll (and sometimes sailed by an actual Elvis impersonator).

So if you see a 21-foot boat with pink and green screaming down the Long Island Sound later this week (I hope that easterly develops sooner rather than later), it's likely us.  

See you out on the water.