The Great Lakes Singlehanded Society

Last night, I got this text from my very good friend, Russ.  

So, I stop on a mooring ball at the bay and the water taxi driver asks me what I am doing, then he sends me this link. Cool. 

https://putinbaydaily.com/2019/08/16/erie-solo-challenge-starts-saturday/

Of the 25+ years that I raced sailboats most of it was crewing on Russ' boat, a 35ft Schock 35.  A boat that we raced with a crew of 8.  Lately, Russ has taken on a new personal challenge and is doing some singlehanded racing.  Some real mad-man stuff.  Solo sailing 300 or more miles.  Last year was his first ever, The Lake Erie Challenge.  As a "rookie" he was the first to finish the race, in 55 hours.  The next closest boat was 8 hours later!  What we call in sailboat racing "a horizon job", a term denoting that the other guy was so far back you couldn't even see him on the horizon.  

Early this year, Russ competed in the Singlehanded Chicago to Mac race (287 miles) finishing 2nd in his class and 3rd overall after about a 45 hour race.  https://www.solosailors.org/public/pdfs/mac19results.pdf 

Some crazy stuff that I though y'all might find interesting.  

That's pretty awesome!  And especially ballsy considering the weather possibilities in the Great Lakes.  For those of you who think the ocean is dangerous (and it is, very much so), the Great Lakes can be very much worse- weather can kick up faster, and the fact that the depth changes a lot, quickly, means that the waves can be crazy.  

So to race in the Great Lakes, solo, and be that good at it- well done.

I still have the crazy fantasy of sailing, but I'm pretty sure that's not the best thing to do....

Pictures always make a story better...

Here is the boat:  

On a mooring ball at Put-in-Bay:

Out of the water pics for some size perspective:  

That's a lot of boat to handle with one man. Doubly true on a lake that can go to E36 M3 in a hurry. Very cool!

In reply to John Welsh :

I like that idea.  Sailboats are funny,  the bigger they are the faster they go, but they require more, much more effort to sail the bigger they are.  

 I can’t even imagine the effort it must take to change the mainsail on a 35 footer. Or is it a case of simply furling the mainsail and reefing the job of the wind kicks up?  

Heck, even  reefing the Jib must be a monumental task when you are single handed 

looks like fun, but this is more my style. The Everglades Challenge

I just got this picture minutes ago. No words, just pic, but I know what it means. 

The tracker states that he is only 8 miles to the finish but its all over for him now with the mast broken.  This will leave him with no way to hoist any sail.  It's engine power from here on and a withdrawal from the race.  Super sucks.  He would have been the first one to finish and even with the hadicaping, likely to have won the race.  But...the fat lady had not yet sung!  

ouch, masts are not cheap. Looks like it broke right at the jumper stays, so I bet corrosion had something to do with it

Wow. Talk about a hobby!

That's impressive. I've sailed a much smaller sailboat solo on a much smaller lake and been in a sailboat on Lake Erie once - sailing a sailboat of that size singlehanded on Lake Erie for 55 hours doesn't look easy.

mad_machine said:

looks like fun, but this is more my style. The Everglades Challenge

I like to follow the EC each year. Very interesting race. 

T.J. said:

mad_machine said:

looks like fun, but this is more my style. The Everglades Challenge

I like to follow the EC each year. Very interesting race. 

I am hoping 2020, but more likely 2021

T.J. said:

mad_machine said:

looks like fun, but this is more my style. The Everglades Challenge

I like to follow the EC each year. Very interesting race. 

Y’all have heard of the R2AK, right?

“Like the Iditarod, with a chance of drowning, being eaten by a bear, or being run over by a freighter”

- an avowed tracker junky