A Crew Member’s account of the LO300 aboard Black Diamond.
December 8, 2009 — EdWritten by Martin Boeykens
The Lake Ontario 300 is billed as the longest annual fresh water race in the world. I competed in the race this year aboard “Black Diamond” with Captain Ed Radonic, and crew Andrew McAllister, Cez Makowski, Kate Thomas and Will French.
The Start: Twelve rolling starts are scheduled for the 160 boats so as not to get in each other’s way. The Prep flag for start#9 goes up, the rush of Adrenaline is inevitable. Downwind start, spinnaker flying and quickly approaching the starting line. Before we know it, we cross the start line and the race has begun for Black Diamond. Hold on, that wasn’t our start! we realize ,“SPINNAKER DOWN !”, easier said than done, with a spinnaker larger in size than the average condo (1300 sqft). Everybody hussled, gybed back around and crossed the start again, this time with boats from our division. It took a bit to get the boat back to speed.
Motoring out to the start line. Photo By Cescato Studios, www.cescato.com/Lakes300
Saturday day: downwind leg to Main Duck Island: The strategy to the Island, the eastern most point of the race, was to stay away from shore for better winds. We trimmed the boat for speed and sailed right on the rhum line. Sailing offshore also kept us dry, boats close to shore had to cope with hours of rain. The plan was precisely executed, Black Diamond rounded Main Duck early Sunday morning, amongst the first boats of our division. The first day made for excellent sailing, sunny, dry and fast downwind, Max boat speed 10.5Kn, on 18-23 Kn. breeze. Far from eventless, the first day took its toll. The steady easterly winds created considerable swells. Once the sun set I wasn’t feeling the greatest, the horizon was no longer visible the problems started for me, having no other option but to stay below deck for most of the night. One of the few things that I do remember is Captain Ed bringing a bucket, I still wonder if the concern was the well being of the crew OR THE PRISTINE BOAT CONDITION, Just Joking Ed! Another interesting incident took place the first night. One would think that a collision with another racing vessel, on such a vast lake would be near impossible. That theory proved wrong during the first shift change. The crew was on a four-hour shift schedule. At about 3 am., pitch dark, as the shift change is taking place; a boat approached us fast from starboard on collision course. Within seconds he is upon us aiming mid ship. “Starboard, Starboard, STARBOARD!” We all yelled desperately. He ducked us by no more than a boat length. It sure took me a bit to reconcile my sleep afterwards. Upon further consideration Captain Ed notified us that normal racing rules don’t apply from about and hour before sunset and and hour after sun rise. The international rules for collision avoidance take precedence. At night it is almost impossible to see who is on starboard or port, at least not until its almost too late. Case in point. This experience illustrates the importance of remaining on a vivid watch all night. Also the running lights of vessels at night appear to be further than they might actually be. In long distance racing be especially alert when approaching turning marks, dozens of boats could be approaching at nearly the same time.
All pumped up & adorning our Black Diamond Crew Shirts, sponsored by RadonicRodgers Design+Marketing
Sunday: The spinnaker had been flying from the beginning of the race, It was about 6 a.m., the sun was just rising. Overnight, either the spreaders or the radar reflector tore the shoot. After 20 hours of abuse, just like Team New Zealand on 32nd America’s Cup, the spinnaker couldn’t take any more and it ripped. At this point we where just about to round Main Duck and could only hoped for an upwind battle for the remainder of the race or it would be all over for us. Moderate winds and rough seas required the crew to hang from the rail, some asleep, some awake, the boat handled very well, it truly liked these conditions. What a great day for sailing. Rounding the Oswego mark by noon, Black Diamond was gaining on competitors. The forecast indicated winds would become light in the afternoon. Hoping for a better breeze, we headed to the middle of the lake, hard luck, we were off the rhum line and the boats close to shore had better conditions and gained on us big time. Captain Ed continued preparing the meals, apparently after concerns that we would make a mess in the galley. The crew couldn’t complain. He did one fine job. The wind pretty much died at sunset. We took the opportunity to shower prior to dinner. What a treat! Before it got totally dark, the crew arranged the 4-hour shifts, 3 on, 3 off. I took the helm and stayed on for 6 hours, I did my share, I couldn’t do much the previous night due to seasickness. The night was bright, seas calm and easy to navigate under the stars. A boat approached us from starboard several times, we eventually pulled away by playing the wind shifts. It will take quite some time before I forget such a great feeling as this.
Taken half way up the mast, by Will French while under sail up wind.
Monday: prevailing light winds made it for too tranquil of an upwind leg, we even had the chance to send someone up the mast to settle a challenge about a tell tale. Once we rounded the Niagara mark, the wind shifted, and it was a spinnaker leg to the finish, unfortunately we blew ours and lost lots of time on this leg, at least 4 hours. The wind then died completely. We were barely moving and therefore ended up watching a movie. The last 6 miles took us another 3 hours or more! We crossed the finish line in slow motion on the last hours of Monday, just before mid-night. Lake Ontario 300, 2009, Great adventure. A race recommended to all serious sailing enthusiasts. The weather cooperated. The boat exceeded expectations. Captain Ed and the crew made it for one fun experience.
More professional pictures of the LO300 available at: www.cescato.com/Lakes300
2009 Sail Past at PCYC
November 14, 2009 — EdIn the golden years of sail, and in the British Navy, when ever a boat in the fleet would meet the Commodore’s boat they would have to salute in various ways. If you were close enough or met the Commodore in person an actual salute of the hands would be required. If you were sailing past, and were not of eye shot, a salute by dipping the jib, or flag was common practice. In modern days most Yacht Clubs try to carry on this tradition. But to make it more convenient they would hold one day of the year, when the entire fleet would line up and pass the Commodore’s boat and greet him with this salute. If you attended the annual Sail Past, you were exempt from having to salute the Commodore year round.
During this formal event, the Captains would wear their Captain’s jackets and the crew traditionally dressed in whites. The boat should also look at it’s best, Ship Shape! The tradition would be to decorate the boat with it’s various naval flags of many colours. You could use your signal flags or flags that have been won in years past in Yacht races. This year Black Diamond won 8 flags, and is looking forward to dressing ship with them next year.
Captain Ed & Black Diamond all dressed and looking their best.
The Radonic family at Sail Past, all dressed in Whites and Captain's wear.
Roxane and Ed Sailing past the Commodore...
A cool shot from the mast at Sail Past.
Ian McAllister & Ed Radonic at Sail Past.
PCYC Club House and grounds on Sail Past, view from the Mast of Black Diamond.
2009 Yacht Racing Season
November 14, 2009 — EdA few photos from this years Yacht Racing Season.
At the Starting Line just after the Gun! - Photo By Bob Thayer (c) Copyright 2009
Spinnaker Start of the LO300 mile race, Notice Black Spin, Fully Crewed, Photo by Rod Chalmers www.yachtshots.ca (c) Copyright 2009
Making gains on competitors - Photo by Bob Thayer (c) Copyright 2009
I love this shot, Very regal and graceful, Thanks Bob! Photo by Bob Thayer (c) Copyright 2009
Wendy & Gord long time Fans, Tanya a recent PCYC learn to sail graduate. Lets not forget Artyem trimming the jib.
Black Diamond showing off their new Crew Shirts sponsored by RadonicRodgers Design+Marketing.
Ghosting in the Sunset. Photo by Bob Thayer (c) Copyright 2009
Rail Meat - Photo by Bob Thayer (c) Copyright 2009
Rail Meat all line up and doing their job.
Skipper Ed and Our Beloved Coach Andrew McAllister - Thanks Andrew for all your help the last couple of years! The drinking tips came in handy.
Finally the haul out....She rests for the winter after 148 days of sailing in 1 year!
2009 Sailing Awards at PCYC
November 14, 2009 — EdBlack Diamond and crew won a record number of race flags this year.
In total we won 6 race flags, 2 crusing flags in addition to this, 2 trophies at PCYC and 1 in the Bahamas.
Roxane & Ed with this years trophies, awards and flags.
Millennium Race – First Place – Best time from PCYC Piers to Dufferin Buoy near Ontario Place – 45 Minutes 26 Seconds
PCYC Club Closed Regatta – First Place in Division, Overall 3 Races, 2 Line Honours, 1 Second place.
PCYC Directors Race – 3rd Place in Division
Monday Night Cruising Series A – 2nd place overall
Monday Night Cruising Series B – 2nd place overall
Vacant Dock Trophy – Most enjoyed boat in 2009, Sailed 148 days out of the year.
Bahamas Staniel Cay Regatta – Overall Second Place
Cruising Participation and Longest Cruise Participant from PCYC to Rochester New York.
Ed accepting an award from Commodore Howell & Rear Commodore Lomas
Roxane & Ed with the booty.
Black Diamond Captain & Crew accepting 2nd place at the Bahamas Staniel Cay Regatta from their Commodore.
The Bosun Boy's holding their Trophy for their participation! (c) Copyright 2009
Transformation from Cruiser to Racer.
September 29, 2009 — EdBoth cruising and yacht racing are important to my family, this is why we set out to acquire a versatile boat. We wanted a boat that had an open and large cockpit for entertaining, accommodations for comfortable family cruising, yet still be competitive in yacht racing. We found what we wanted in a 2008 Jeanneau 39i Performance sailboat that we named Black Diamond. After spending the winter cruising with her in the Bahamas, we brought her back just in time for the summer racing season here in Lake Ontario.
Our cruise to the Bahamas began in August 2008 when we left the Port Credit Yacht Club, crossed Lake Ontario, then through the Oswego/Erie Canal, and down the Hudson River to New York City. The sail from New York City to Florida was completed about 100 miles offshore and in what I believe to be a cruising record of 5 days and 3 hours.
You can imagine all the gear necessary to make this trip safe and enjoyable. I purchased a storm jib, six man offshore life raft, inflatable dinghy with an electric motor that can easily be stored in the storage room. We made good use of our storage room, keeping the deck and transom clear for some offshore racing. We were fortunate to enter a couple of offshore long distance races while away.
At anchor in the Exumas, Bahamas near Big Major Spot.
But now the challenge was turning her back into a racer for the Lake Ontario 300. Once we pulled into our slip, after a winter of cruising south, the process started with completely stripping the boat of just about everything. It is amazing how much stuff can accumulate on a boat! It took a conscious decision to remove everything, and only put back what was absolutely necessary. We removed about three van loads of gear including the dinghy, motor, fishing rods & tackle, scuba gear, beach chairs and toys, extra clothing, cleaning supplies, appliances, books and the barbeque amoung many other things. I estimated over a 1,000 pounds worth of gear in all.
Next, we had to meet the LO300 offshore sailing regulations which has a very long list of safety gear that needed to be purchased and installed. However, we still wanted to keep the boat light for the race. So off came the main sail lazy jack bag and the full enclosure which consists of a dodger, bimini, transition and side walls, not forgetting all the enclosure hardware. This was not only for weight and drag, but also for clear visibility of the sails. We used this opportunity to have minor repairs done to the enclosure after a long winter down south. Then we made sure the water, waste and fuel tanks were emptied, only carrying enough fuel to meet regulations. This saved us another 1,000 pounds in weight. The salon table came out, making room for the crew’s personal gear, and keeping the weight low to the keel.
We sent a crew member up the mast for an inspection. The rig was tuned for racing, life lines and all sharp edges taped off to protect the spinnaker. We lubed all the running rigging, making sure everything was operating quick and smooth. We haul the boat out, washed the bottom then applied a coating of VC-17; this retards marine growth and provides the hull a super smooth and quick surface.
The last thing that we had to take care of before the race was provisioning the boat with food. Our goal was to have good food that was quick and easy to prepare. This is very important on long distance races or cruises. Many times the weather or sea conditions make it difficult to cook at sea. Fortunately, my wife enjoys cooking and volunteered for this job. She cooked everything homemade, for six crew, for three days. She made meat sauce and put it in a Tupperware, and she even precooked the spaghetti and put in large Ziploc bags so that we just had to heat it, and serve it. Another of the crew’s favourites for lunch was the prepared egg salad and tuna salad that could easily be put between bread for a quick sandwich. We also had a large dish of homemade chili and chicken noodle soup that could also be heated up at a moments notice.
Overall, the transformation took me about 3 or 4 days worth of work and a couple thousand dollars in safety gear. In preparation, it is necessary to book approximately a week off work. This includes time for Prep, Race and Recovery. All well worth the effort. We had a wonderful experience racing the LO300, excellent wind conditions for about half the race with winds 15 to 20 knots and gusting a little higher. A nice broad reach under asymmetric spinnaker topping off our speed at 10.5 knots. We were up with the leading boats for the first leg. I was very happy with our performance up until then, reaching Main Duck Island in about 19 hours. Then, just before rounding the island we ripped our spinnaker in half. What a disappointment, not for the loss of the spinnaker but for what it would do to our finishing position. The only item that was not taped off, was the radar reflector on the starboard spreader, I believed this may have put a little hole in it, that eventually caused the rip due to a long and heavy spinnaker leg.
Stripped down for the Lake Ontario 300 in 2009.
The next leg from Main Duck to the Oswego Mark was a close haul course in 20+ knots of wind with seas 6 to 8 feet. I could swear I was back on the Atlantic Ocean! It’s the closest you’ll come to experiencing the ocean on a lake. Our boat loves these types of conditions; we put a couple of miles between us and the boats directly behind us. We also passed 4 boats, and caught up to the lead boats again. On the leg to Youngstown we decided to head offshore, which turned out to be a bad decision. Had we stayed inshore and on the rhumb line directly to the Niagara mark, many boats including those in our fleet may not have passed us. The last leg really required a spinnaker with very light winds, this is where we lost all our time in the race this year.
We did complete the circumnavigation in two and a half days, a day quicker than last year. We endured some rough conditions, heavy winds, doldrums, hot summer sun, cold evening breeze, containerships and even some seasickness, but all of this added to the experience. I would recommend the race for anyone planning a long distance passage down south, it’s an excellent training ground for ocean passages, and a good shake down cruise for your vessel and crew. I plan to continue to participate in the LO300 for many years to come.
Last leg of enjoyment, LO300
July 21, 2009 — EdDuring the last leg, there was very little if any wind. The boat was creeping along, and without a spinnaker it made it extra slow. So we enjoyed some refreshments, home made stuffed peppers thanks to my wife Roxane. We watched a movie on the TV, while the on watch crew was enjoying the movie that was being broadcast on the chart plotter as well. A few tunes in the evening and we eventually made.
Roxane was busy for 2 days preparing all the meals. Pre-cooked pasta, and home made everything including meat sause, chilli, stuff peppers, and cevapies. We had breakfast sandwiches, english muffins with eggs and bacon. Roxane had prepared breakfast sausages but I forgot to put them on. Over all we were well taken care of in the food department.
Finish of the Lake Ontario 300
July 21, 2009 — Ed
Taken from the second spreader by Will French
We finished the LO300 Monday night at 11:57PM North American EST time. Just 3 min. before Tuesday, so we can claim we came in on Monday. ; ) Thats 2 days 12 hours 57 minutes. Almost a day earlier than last year. We are happy with our results, as a beginner crew, still learning the boat, we found out in this race that the rig is not tuned properly for performance sailing and we ripped our spinnaker. Thanks to Will French and Andrew McAllister for many strategy and tactical lessons which we will focus on more next year. This leaves lots of room for improvement. Hope to be back next year and do just a little better again.
We tacked in shore, and started sailing the rhumb line to the Niagara mark. We should have done that the whole time on this leg, would have placed much better. Once we rounded the mark, the wind shifted, and it was a spinnaker leg to the finish. We lost lots of time on this leg, at least 3 hours. The wind then died completely, and the last 6 miles took us another 3 hours or more.
We encounter some heavy winds….15 to 22 knots. Our top speed was 10.5 knots, cruising steady at 8 to 9.5 knots on the first leg, Sailing the asym spinnaker at about 110 to 130 degrees to the wind. Then on the 2nd leg, Main Duck to Ford Shoal, we sailed through 6 to 8 foot seas, in about 13 to 17 knots of wind. Our average speed here was 7 to 8 knots, sailing 40 to 60 degrees to the wind. We put 2 miles between us and the boats behind us in this leg. We passed 3 boats and caught up to the fleet ahead of us. After this race, I think our PHRF rating of 87 is pretty fair. I think we have so many areas we can improve on as sailors that in the next many years we will do much better.
For those that followed the Mackinac yacht race this week-end on Lake Huron, you’ll know that the conditions on Lake Ontario were much better. They had very light winds through most of the race. Average boat speeds were around 3 knots.
Everyone jumped off the boat and went home for a good nights sleep. I too slept 6 hours last night, then the family showed up at 8:30am to drop Thomas off at Sailing School. We are now spending the day just cleaning up the boat.
Feel free to e-mail me if you wish, or post comments. ed@sailboatcruise.ca
Lake Ontario 300 Photos 2009
July 20, 2009 — EdThe first photos uploaded from Black Diamond live during the race….Will French went up the mast to release a stuck tickler and to look for wind. America’s Cup style!
START OF LO300 (c) Copyrighted Photo by Rod Chalmers, www.yachtshots.ca
Sailing with our solid Black Spinnaker. Photo by Glenn Butt m/v Square Pants.
Photo by Glen Butt m/v Square Pants.
Day 3, Lake Ontario 300
July 20, 2009 — EdWe went out into the lake last night, might have been a bad move. The inshore guys made time on us. Scotch Rocks passed us. But our forecast called for more wind offshore, plus we wanted to postiion our boat for a close haul instead of a spinakker run, since we ripped it. This morning we are heading well inshore. The afternoon forecast calls for winds inshore, so we will ride the in shore to the Niagara mark.
We are h0peing to pull up to Folichon, and borrow a spinnaker for the Niagara to PCYC leg. It will be way too small for our boat, but better than nothing. We will run will 3 sails flying, Main, Jib and Spin if we can borrow it.
Hello to all the folks back home, Ed, Skipper, Owner and Galley Chef, I don’t trust anyone making a mess in the kitchen, Will and Andrew competing for strategy and tactics, Martin, Cez and Kate as trimmers. The way the shifts go, is 3 on, and 3 off, We have separate sleeping accomodations for all 3 that are off at a time.
Will is going up the mast to have a look for wind, and losen up a tell tale.
