A cold day on the Patuxent made for a fitting end of the Frostbite Series for Sailing Team Barba Roja. We beat Dauntless and Knot Enuf (both over the start line early) as well as Elysium, a very fast J Boat. The very shifty northerly winds made for some tough driving at times!
Good racing in winds that varied from 12, gusting 22 to 8 gusting 15. There were a ton of wind shifts but we sailed well as a team of 5!
Great cold air racing! Winds were a steady 20-25, gusting 30+, once gusting to 40. With RBO on helm, the crew raced really well as a team!
On a warm, light air day we did our best to keep up with the faster light-air boats. It was great to be out there again! We finished 6th out of 9 boats, correcting over Bad Cat!
Taking advantage of unseasonably warm temperatures and needing to get out on the water, Sailing team Barba Roja 73052 sailed out into the Pax River this afternoon, making the turn at bridge before heading back after sundown. The light air didn’t bother us a bit.
#2 It was sunny, cold, and windy out on the Patuxent River yesterday. It was a day that rewarded being dressed in layers. A few of those hand warmers (that my wife bought for me) in my socks, pockets, and gloves all made for a great day with Sailing team Barba Roja 73052!
#1 On a gray, cold, winter day, Team Barba Roja continued our tradition of getting out there on the first day of the year. We sailed out into the Bay, turned, and headed back into the Pax River. We saw one of the yawls out of the Navy Rec Center and as we were tracking them down, they tacked and we passed each other and exchanged smiles and waves. We continued up the River before tacking again and heading back to our slip. It was a great way to welcome in the 2024 sailing season!
#107 - It was nice while the sun was up as we pulled away from the dock, but the sun set and temperature dropped. We had no wind, so we motor sailed up towards the bridge before heading back and up Back Creek and where we removed the carbon-fiber mainsail for the winter. Still, it was another day on water with Sailing Team Barba Roja.
#106
“You know, our wives think we’re nuts.” Well, that may have been an appropriate quote for last night, but 5 of us ventured out on Barba Roja for a cold-air sunset, night sail. When given the chance, I took the helm and we sailed in the dark up and under the Solomons bridge where we gybed and headed back down the Patuxent River. Our top speed was 6.8 knots with just the Genoa sail. Sure, it was cold, but we enjoyed the sunset and we had the river to ourselves.
The saddest day of the year is the day when the boat gets hauled. Today, I moved the boat over to the travel lift lane and pickled tge engine. She gets hauled tomorrow.