Well the birthing of a 15 foot beam open Class 40 wasn’t easy for anyone but she’s in and will be sailing this week. We have been in the waters of Newport Beach and Dana Point for a few days now and the looky loos love to yell our name Yippee Kai Yay out, and then of course many questions follow. These curious boaters come from all points of the harbor just to check us out. (Hey, we thought chines were dead? ed.)It honestly takes me aback because I just want to rip up the race course, didn’t mean to get so much attention standing still or on harbor cruises at 9kts, I gratefully respect the complex professional logistics of getting her out the door, on the long bed wide load, 2 loads really – 4000lb bulb and 65ft mast and hoops of rod rigging first, and then the precious baby that had to fit out the door of the shop at 25 degrees and then back to zero degrees to be lifted onto the second run for the really wide load. Assemble the mast while the hull is trucking down the 55 FWY (BTW that was priceless to watch a 15 ft wide boat straddling 2 lanes). Moger was a very professional yacht transport company. So we had the yellow flashing light pilot trucks, and the big baby, and me following in my yellow FJ Cruiser. What a hoot.
There are so many things after that. Boat arrives, mast is being assembled, keel has to be lifted into the vertical position, boat travelifts over the keel, onto the keel, lock her in, boat goes in the water, mast comes out over her and onto her, The entire day the background sound was “beee beee beee”. It was fun. I promise we will be a very complete and prepared team for our first race on Labor Day weekend.
If you want to check the boat out I am happy to show it. I feel it is leading edge and something for people to think about in their own future boat Opens, whether they are little 5.70s, 6.50’s, Minitransats, or Open 40, 50, 60, 70 – It’s a good bang for the buck. Fast is Fun (thanks Bill Lee, I’m borrowing your phrase) –
Sue Senescu.
