What a Ride!

    Made it back in Geneva after 28 hours, 13 minutes, and 52 seconds! I feel incredibly accomplished and absolutely thrilled!

    It was tough and challenging, but what an incredible experience! I felt like I lived a whole year's worth of emotions in just 28 hours. At times, I was frustrated, happy, sad, confused, scared, calm, excited, and exhausted—all within that short time span. It was an intense, thrilling rollercoaster of feelings. Truly, the definition of 'Type 3 Fun'!

    I like to thank again everyone who helped and supported me during this endeavor and for YCC allowing me to have such an amazing experience.

Mooring in SNG after I finished the race (photo taken by Ursula)

Race Kickoff

    I arrived at SNG around 8. I was ready, and so was the Jedi! Fully rigged and ready for the adventure! There was hardly any wind at the start, just as the forecast predicted. I wanted to stow the engine in the cabin before the race began. I started the process just 15 minutes before the race, but the area near the start line was so crowded and I couldn’t steer while stowing the engine. I had to do it far behind the start line, which meant others with inboard engine were able to position themselves better since they could continue motoring until the start signal. I ended up being one of the last, if not the very last, to cross the start line. However, I’m glad I stored the engine in the cabin because there was a good chance I would have lost it in the storm that night. I can’t even imagine trying to fish the motor back with a line attached to the boat during that storm!

    I decided to stick to my plan and sail close to the shore on the Versoix side to take advantage of the thermal wind. I was positioned on the far west side of the fleet, sailing on a close reach as the wind was really low. I managed to overtake many boats, feeling pretty smart about my strategy. But suddenly, I realized I was too close to the shore and found myself stuck in the algae. My boat stopped moving and began slowly drifting toward the shore and Geneva! The boat turned towards Geneva, and I couldn't tack—there just wasn’t enough wind! The committee boat was right next to me since I was the furthest west. I was frustrated and unsure of what to do, so I started pumping the rudder (which isn't allowed in the regatta). I think the committee boat saw me struggling; they ignored it, moved away, and were surprisingly nice about it. At one point, my bow was pointed back toward Geneva for about 10 minutes! I felt like I was really embarrassing myself and even considered taking out a paddle. I wished Paul S. were the organizer of the regatta, as he would have allowed us to paddle like in our dinghy days when there was no wind. Eventually, the wind picked up just enough for me to sail in reverse, shake off the algae, and finally start sailing in the right direction again.

    I kept reminding the advise Michal gave me "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon"! I kept going and didn't give up.

The way to Bouveret (mid point)

    A gentle northeasterly wind (2 Bft) began to pick up, and we finally started moving—none of the forecasts predicted this. As I passed Versoix, Yazan spotted me while he was sailing on MicMac and followed me motoring, offering to tow me. It was so tempting, but I had to say no. :) 

    Many boats continued on the Swiss side, cutting diagonally across the lake and reaching the French side beyond Evian-les-Bains. But I stuck to my plan and remained on the French side, where I ended up stuck for quite a while in front of Evian-les-Bains. The wind was very light and constantly shifting direction. I spent a lot of time trimming the sails to adjust to the changing wind. Then I noticed a cold front approaching from the south and decided it wasn’t worth expending energy to gain just a few minutes in the race. I chose to keep my energy for the storm and not to do anything for the moment.

    I was really stuck in front of Evain-Les-Bains and was hearing a loud party music from the city! The first boat, a Psaros 33 (a stunning boat, especially in the dark), which already passed the mid point after 10:04:57 passed by me! It was sailing smoothly when there was no wind for me to move!

    The wind was constantly shifting direction. At one point, I had a brief period of a favorable tailwind, so I decided to hoist the spinnaker. I used it for about 5 minutes before having to take it down again as the wind changed direction.

The coordinates that I put on the GPS for the mid point was 2 nm off! I was so pissed at myself!

    Finally, after 15:16:50 of sailing, I reached the midpoint! I was among the last to arrive. The jury on the catamaran shone a light on my boat, calling out 'Numéro SRS!' I told them I didn’t know, as I hadn’t had time to check my emails for the SRS number. I just sailed on, hoping for the best.

    My strategy wasn't good! I need to improve my ability to adapt to changing wind conditions. I should be better at reading the weather and choosing the right course. Ideally, I should have multiple strategies ready for different scenarios.

Time to Wake up

    It was around 02:00 on Sunday after a long day of sailing in light winds under the sun. It was so calm! gentle wind and the water as flat as a mirror, reflecting the city lights in the darkness. Suddenly, the whole lake started to flash in orange because of the storm warning. It was beautiful! I could see stratocumulus clouds are almost above my head! 

    Took my energy drink and an energy bar. Put a chemical light and knife in my pocket, took my rain jacket and got ready for some action. Here it comes, the storm from the south. It hit violently, and as I started losing control, I immediately put the boat into a heave-to position and reefed the mainsail. Watching nearby boats struggle and being tossed around was terrifying—it felt like a war zone out of a movie! Just two minutes earlier, everything had been incredibly calm, like a sudden shift from serene to chaotic. I loved it!

    I didn’t have to hold back like I do at work. It was pure adrenaline—I was giving it my all, like 300%. I could feel my pupils dilating, and I was overwhelmed with a rush of intense energy and rage.

    I didn’t trust the small furling system on the J80 for reefing the jib, so I decided to keep it fully unfurled. I tightened every line—backstay, jib sheet, mainsail halyard, and reef line. I chose not to go to the bow to switch to the storm jib, as it seemed too risky and time-consuming.

    I steered to minimize wind force on the jib, keeping it nearly flat and parallel to the wind as much as possible. The reefed mainsail was mostly open and fully depowered, flapping from side to side. Although leaving it open like that could damage the sail, I wasn’t confident in taking the main down, nor was I sure how the boat would handle sailing with just the jib. I preferred to keep the main up as an option if needed. I occasionally used the reefed main to steer and bring the boat into the wind, letting it go to irons to depower. I was still making 5 knots, beating against the wind with only the jib.

    A strong gust hits me, jib takes some wind and pushes the bow downwind. Rudder zero effect! Wind is too strong! I try to sheet in the main to bring the boat back to the wind. But it's just too much and too fast! Suddenly, boat was beam-reaching with half of it heeled over and half submerged. I was standing on the middle stand in the cockpit! I cannot hold anymore, I locked my elbow to the guardrail and after my feet slipped I found myself hanging from the rail. Fortunately it didn't take long, Jedi recovered from the broach and went back to the wind and I could take control again.

    I kept going! I was quite tensed! I kept repeating to myself in a calming voice, 'Control! Control!'—like a madman talking to himself. I'm getting comfortable steering while having the cockpit full of water and the side of the boat fully in the water, all this is happening in darkness. I don't see any boats around me anymore! It's me, Jedi and the nature! It was an incredible experience!

    At this point, I was soaked from the splashes, and the boat was bouncing up and down in waves as high as two meters. One side of the cockpit was filled with water and wouldn’t drain. I could hear something banging around in the cabin and couldn’t tell if it was my imagination or real. I feared that the engine might be hitting the bottom of the boat and that the propeller could be damaging the hull. I started to panic but had no time to investigate inside the cabin. I regretted not having a flare on me and mentally reviewed the emergency procedures: 'I’ll take the sail down and fire the flare into the wind.' I questioned whether I could even get to the mast and lower the sails. Once the storm eased slightly, I had just a few seconds to check the cabin. I quickly moved the spinnaker aside and found some water from the splashes, but nothing too concerning.

    Apparently, I hadn't secured the spinnaker sheets properly. Suddenly, the spinnaker unfurled, opening up about 2 square meters! I dove forward to catch it and fortunately managed to grab it in time. If it had inflated in that kind of wind, the spinnaker—and possibly the mast—would have been lost for sure!

Wind speed in Vevey/Corseaux in kph (https://www.spotair.mobi/)

    Above, you can see the wind speed measurements from the closest land station to where I was on Sunday when I broached. It shows gusts over 50 kph. However, it felt much stronger on the lake. Ursula mentioned that one of the guys recorded gusts up to 80 kph on his boat!

When the conditions calmed down a bit, I was able to film

Storm Calming Down

    After the wind calmed down, it started to rain. Since I was already drenched, it didn’t make much difference—if anything, it was a bit refreshing. As the adrenaline faded, my body started to feel the cold. I was soaked from my shoes to my rain jacket and began to shiver. But still the conditions required a lot of attention and I couldn't go into the cabin. I also didn't want to change outside as I didn't want to risk not being attached to boat while changing. So I took all the cloths out of the cabin, one leg in the cabin and started changing! Mast plug sealing the water had come off because of the waves (I realized this after the race), Most of my gear was already wet from the splashes. I put on everything I had, both wet and dry, layering up with three pairs of pants and five top layers!

    My feet were so wet and swollen that I couldn’t put on my plastic boots. So, I sailed barefoot, which was actually better than wearing the wet shoes!

    I received a message from Diogo saying that Lausanne was my best bet. At that point, I couldn’t think straight or process anything clearly, so I took his advice and headed towards Lausanne. As I approached Lausanne, the sun was rising behind the clouds. I got stuck there for about an hour with no wind or constantly shifting, light winds. Frustrated and exhausted from constantly adjusting the sails and course, and with no other boats around and being far from shore, I decided to take a nap. I think I slept for about 15 to 30 minutes.

The Final Run

    The wind began picking up again from the west and gradually shifting to the north. I decided to continue on the Swiss side, finally enjoying some steady wind at my back. It was time to hoist the spinnaker, but I hesitated—did I really want to do it barefoot? Not wanting to risk injuring my feet, I put my wet shoes back on. With the spinnaker up, I had the most pleasant run from near Gland to Geneva, all on the same tack!

    It was fantastic to see Florian and Stefan on the 29er cheering me on near the finish line. However, it was amusing to see them sail past me downwind like they had a secret 'I’m-better-than-you' button! We should definitely consider getting a 49er for the club; with so many talented sailors, they deserve the right equipment :)

    Ursula and Jean-Pierre from SNG were there doing the Benevole shifts on a motorboat. They helped me get the motor back on and moor the boat. What a relief—it was a huge weight off my shoulders after 28 hours of sailing!

    I saw Mariarosaria at the mooring spot at SNG. She helped me derig the boat and later brought it back to Versoix. Thanks a ton!

Results

    So many times, I doubted whether I would make it, with countless 'why' and 'what if' scenarios running through my mind. My mood seemed to change literally with the wind. But in the end, I made it!

    I enjoyed every moment of the race—even the times I was stuck in algae or the frustrating periods with no wind. I embraced all the ups and downs and was truly in the moment!

After the finish line (photo taken by Ursula)

    My goal was to finish the race within the time limit, and I achieved that successfully. I also did pretty well in the rankings: 6th out of 24 in the TFC3 category and 49th out of 125 overall in compensated time. Many boats abandoned the race due to the storm, so I'm proud of myself for not giving up and pushing through to the very end!