You have to check out this Video…I thought we were ballsy to go out in the crazy weather during FrostBite. Check out the OLSON 30, its Green w/ a Yellow Spin, well , what is leftover of the spinnaker…These guys put up the Chute…They broached, but they did put up the chute…Excerpt Greg Larson’s Email to the Olson Mail Group…

” Over the weekend we went out in the Possession Point race in Puget Sound. Winds where around 20-25 some gust over 30. This provided an exciting ride down wind. All went well for a while. Top speed on the knot meter was 16.7. Well the ride eventually came to an end, with a broach. The chute trimmer lost his balance ended up laying on the sheet face down in the water. Boat didn’t come up until someone tripped the halyard half way. When we started to come up one crew up by the mast grabbed the spin sheet and try to pull in the chute, with no real lucky, because the guy was still in the hands of the trimmer. The guy was finally blown which was a mistake. This cause the sheet to be ripped out foredeck guys hands. Now we where there with the chute looking like a big flag flying out of the top of the mast…

…Now we tried to sail downwind to get under spinnaker so it could be retrieved. Only problem was we couldn’t bare away. The main kept bring us backup into the wind. After what seemed like ten minutes we eventually got going down wind and retrieved the kite. Tried everything to get the boat going down wind eventually track and bore off hard and we were able to head down wind.”

I can not recall sailing on a boat when the wind was this strong. Well, maybe once. That was easy…I was crewing for Michael, the guy that got me into sailing. All I had to do then was hold on for my life. This time things were a bit different. I was driving the boat. Actually, I should say I was attempting to drive the boat.

So we get out of the marina, and immediately realize what we were in for. Mind you that we are on a LAKE, and there are 2 to 3 foot swells. We manage to get to the start, and even go around once before the race starts.

As far as starts go, that was not the best, we started way back in the pack. I think we were 5th to cross the start. But we held on and got down the lake. Everyone settled into their positions and the conversation flowed. I am not sure what the conversation was about though, I never settled into my position. Driving the Olson in that wind was a completely new and terrifying event.

The wind is picking up. There is not a dry spot on the boat. Did I mention it was cold?

We got to the first mark thanks to the crew keeping me on track. We rounded and started to head up. WOW! With the wind to our backs, we cruised back. We were actually surfing the waves. The acceleration was a weird feeling on a boat. I actually cracked a beer open.

We rounded the second mark, and headed back downwind. We had caught up with “Orion” and now we were only a few boat lengths behind. Thanks to the crew our tacks were fast, and efficient, actually absolutely PERFECT. We ended up racing side by side with Orion while reaching for the next to last mark.

The wind is really picking up now. And now every bit of clothing that is not water proof is WET! Did I mention it is really cold?

Orion rounds the mark first and thanks to me, we round the mark a few too many boat lengths back. I just could not get the boat to turn. I think Scott actually pulled on the tiller while I was pushing on it.

We all wanted to beat Orion to the finish. Even though he carries a 179 handicap and we carry a 105, I think we all just wanted to get there first. I know I did. so we are going down wind again, Surfing down the waves, and now they are not a couple of feet high. They are like 3 or 4 feet high. And the wind? Jeff said that when we did actually cross the finish line, it was a constant 36 mph.

So yeah, we crossed the finish neck to neck with Orion. We finished 1 second before them, but they corrected over us by more than 5 minutes. It was a great race, and as far as sailing goes, this was a tough tough race.

We had scheduled 3 races for Saturday. Although we waited till the last minute, the winds were really screaming…almost 40 mph. We were wet like dogs, and tired, but we were not unhappy that the other 2 races were canceled. We took home a 3rd. Not bad. And here is our TROPHY!!!

Thank you Mandy, Blake, Scott, and Bruce. Without all your work we could not have done it. And also a special “Thank You” to Daniel Malak and the whole crew of ORION for all the great pictures.

Check out the ALL the pics on the Speedster Photo Album…