Sailboat Racing in the Irish Sea
by David Henderson
How
can you say “NO” when you receive an email from a friend in
England, inviting you to participate in one of Europe’s most exciting
sailboat races?! The invitation was from the Commodore of the BBC Yacht
Club to crew on the BBC's Sigma 33-class yacht in the 2003 Alfa Romeo
Sigma 33 European Championships off the coast of Dublin – nine races
in five days. A major sailing competition between 48 boats from England,
Ireland, France, Wales and Scotland. Well, you cannot turn down something
like that. I had three weeks to get ready.
My sailing is a walk
in the park, by comparison ... the fairly predictable waters of the wide
Chesapeake Bay in Maryland where we generally sail in t-shirts and shorts,
or, when the weather is bad, we hang out at a bar. The English, like Commodore
Nora Dennehy and her pals, don't let weather stand in their way.
When
I asked Nora what sort of special sailing gear I might need, she asked
if I had any “oilies” and sturdy sailing gloves.
For people who take part in ocean sailing, “oilies” are essential foul weather gear -- bright red, yellow or orange breathable waterproof bib overalls and jackets -- that keep you dry and warm and, particularly, alive if you happen to fall overboard. Oilies used to be made of waxed or oiled cotton, hence the name. No, I didn’t have any oilies so my first stop was to a nearby chandlery.
The BBC Yacht Club gave their Sigma 33 sailboat a terrific name -- "Prospero of Hamble." You've got to admit there is something distinguished about that name. Here in America, we name boats things like Tutti Fruiti, Time Off and Wave Runner. Who else but a group of English broadcasters would name their sailboat after a character in Shakespeare's Tempest? Hamble is a village in southern England where it's moored.
The Alfa Romeo Sigma
33 European Championships are held each year, either in England, Scotland
or Ireland. Sailing clubs and individual teams from all over Europe participate.
Some
are semi-professional racers while others, like the BBC Yacht Club folks,
just have a passion for sailing. This year, the regatta was hosted by
the 
In
heavy seas and high winds, it's tricky and dangerous business to have
a spinnaker up, despite a significant speed advantage -- a Sigma 33 has
a tendency to get into an unsettling roll that can end up in what's called
a "Chinese jibe," when the bow plunges into the water and scares
the crew to death.
Among the rules, the European Championships require each boat to have a crew of seven. Lifejackets are also required most of the time in rough seas, and there is real reason …
A week of racing
in the Irish Sea, off Dublin, is not for amateurs – weather is unpredictable,
forecasts non-specific and winds fierce. During one day of races, peak
gusts hit 47 knots (about 54 mph). 
The
wind blew so hard that we were blinded at times by the stinging salt spray
from the white caps. The winds together with five foot waves caused two
boats to broach (roll over on their sides). Another Sigma 33 went out
of control at an upwind buoy and bashed a hole in the race committee cruiser.
The skipper of Prospero,
in order to avoid collision with an out-of-control boat in the rough seas,
made an emergency tack, suddenly dunking three crewmembers at the railing
into the emerald green water. No harm done but it was an exciting moment,
and I can tell you, first-hand, that the water is clear and cold. 
When
a Sigma 33 broaches, a skilled skipper can easily get it back under control
because of the deep keel and rudder.
And, so it went for a week ... sailing so physically demanding that few crews felt really up for the evenings of festivities at the yacht club, sponsored by Guinness and other assorted Irish distillers and brewers. After each day of racing, when the gear was stowed, many crews, like us, just sat around in an exhausted and somewhat stunned state, too tired to move or to wash the seasalt from our faces and hair. We were covered in bruises, cuts and scrapes. The three women crew members of Prospero, all highly experienced at ocean racing, looked like something you would see in a shelter for battered women. It comes from scrambling across the deck during fast tacks. I looked no better ... hands burned and bleeding from pulling jib sheets, despite sailing gloves ... face sunburned.
Can you pass up an adventure like that? Are you kidding ... !!!
Writer
and BoomerCafé co-founder
lives and sails near Washington, DC.
His
email is 