CRW and Sailing Inside
CRW Viper Champ Geoff Ewenson tell the tale of this year’s regatta
This was my first CRW sailing a Viper and sailing for the fun of it. Typically I am stuck sailing some big boat outside and kicking myself seeing how much fun the fleets are having racing inside the harbor. This year I decided I was no longer going to be looking from the outside in. Literally! All of my expectations were met. The sailing inside was epic and the poor sods outside complained of light, mealy winds and generally uninspired racing.
Sarah Schaill, Jonathan Colarusso and Tom Loutrel did a great job this year securing the hospitality of the Hobcaw YC as a staging area for the Vipers. This hidden gem up the Wando River made the CRW dreaded hassles of launching and hauling virtually disappear. The open space and relaxed atmosphere allowed us to rig and tinker on boats, prepping them at our own pace prior to the event. The ramp launch meant there was nobody with a hand out asking for a fee, and the small ramp is situated in a small bend in the river where the current is negligible.
It is a very short and sweet sail from down the Wando River to the College of Charleston’s docks which are tucked in behind the Yorktown Aircraft Carrier. Remember the hassle of trying to fit into a slip with over a knot of current and multiple boats….not anymore! CofC hosted us and made us feel at home.
Seems like all of the concerns of the past have been sorted out and now we need to get the numbers back up to make CRW a staple on the Viper Circuit again. I understand there are discussion to make CRW 2019 the ACC’s again that will spur participation.
As for the racing, the Vipers sailed on the inside circle off of the Charleston Battery, with the VX Ones and the Melges 20s. The course provides a challenge from top to bottom as you transition from the Cooper River current (north to south) to the Ashley River current (east to west) . The typical southerly breeze makes for some shifty conditions especially at the top of the course as you approach the windward mark. All in all, there are plenty of passing lanes to play with and to navigate. The fleet generally was pretty tight at each top mark and it was rare to lead a race for more than a leg. The sea breeze filled in each day and provided exceptional conditions. On Terminally Pretty, our team of Mary Ewenson, CofC freshman Mariane Williams, and Eric Oetgen , and I made adjustments to the rig throughout each day as we sailed in anything from 7-17 knots of breeze. The key to success was avoiding the big pitfalls of a “letter score” and trying to capitalize on the opportunities that the shifty course provided. Just when we thought we had the current figured out there would be a change and we would have to find a new avenue to work to make gains.
The final day of the event was a blowout for the smaller one-designs and, with a foretasted nasty front passage in the afternoon, the RC opted to cancel the final day of racing for all fleets that had to haul out. This allowed the larger offshore boats to experience the inside course magic. Seeing the video of the TP 52 ripping around in the small confines of the Viper course is pretty cool.
The flat water venue with solid sea breeze is exactly what makes the Viper come alive! All of the hard work from the locals to make the logistical challenges easier to deal with should translate into a larger fleet for next year. Hope that all of you can enjoy the southern hospitality next year. We will certainly be back!
Cheers,
Geoff
