Need Advice - ALIR 2012

[SailingwithSoul]

Hi Everyone!

I'm looking for advice, recommendations and/or experiences from anyone who anyone may have participated in the Around Long Island Race. I'm interested in signing up to participate in the 2012 race and was hoping to get some tips on what to expect and how to prepare for the race. I'll be racing single handed. I'm not looking to win, just want to be a part of it and have some fun.

A little about me... I have about 6 years of sailing experience (inland lakes & LI sound). My ship, Sailor's Soul, is a 30 foot Pearson 300. She has full keel with a 3.5 foot draft and weighs about 10,000 dry. She carries 25 Gallons of diesel, and 50 Gallons fresh water. I have 3 sails, Main Sail, working jib and Genoa. My safety gear is set to coast guard specs and I have 3 different sized anchors on board. I have basic engine, wind and depth gauges, and GPS through my laptop care of OpenCPN and MX Mariner (Android Phone). I do not have an autopilot, but I found sh can hold her course off the wind with the wheel locked.

Beyond that, she's a clean slate and we are both yearning for adventure. She just had her shakedown cruise this past Sunday, and everything went well. The rigging, engine, fuel system, transmission, and instruments all check out. All that's left it to flush and refill the freshwater systems.

Has anyone done the ALIR? What did you think about it, and how should a first timer prepare for the race?

[Tia Bu]

I have NOT done that race. It sounds like fun. However, I have sailed much of that course single-handed. My recommendation: find a crew member. 72 hours is a long time to stay awake navigating through ship traffic, strong currents, rocks, and fog

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by Tia Bu

I have NOT done that race. It sounds like fun. However, I have sailed much of that course single-handed. My recommendation: find a crew member. 72 hours is a long time to stay awake navigating through ship traffic, strong currents, rocks, and fog

Aye... I do not doubt it is. I am keeping an eye out and ear to the ground, but I doubt I'll have any takers. Seems coming face-to-face with the ocean makes some pause.

Thanks for the sound advice

[mbuckely]

I have done this race as the bowman of a 40' Beneteau. it can be fun and boring depending on conditions. Drifting backwards in the Race.....not fun. No way the will permit you to single hand http://www.alir.org/ keep an eye on the crew available boards. Good luck!

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by mbuckely

I have done this race as the bowman of a 40' Beneteau. it can be fun and boring depending on conditions. Drifting backwards in the Race.....not fun. No way the will permit you to single hand Around Long Island Regatta keep an eye on the crew available boards. Good luck!

Thanks for the insight. I just registered for the race, and there was no "single-handed" category. Only "double-handed" I called them and said, since I have two hands, I should be able to register by myself

We had a bit of a laugh, followed by a "No." It was worth a try... Now I just need to just get a PFRF certificate and pay the fees (which are rather expensive IMHO)

[SailingwithSoul]

Hi, so I'm restarting this thread as the race is about a week and a half away. I've got the boat systems just about ready. I'm getting the bottom scraped and painted this week and I found a crew member. I've began planning the route based upon the general info provided in the NOR & Sailing Instructions.

"The course is from the starting line approximately 4.8 nm southeast of the light at the end of Rockaway Point, NY, leaving Montauk Point and the Orient Point Lighthouse to port, to the finish line off the Glen Cove Breakwater."

I'm using OpenCPN on my main computer and laptop (which will come along for the race) as my backup GPS/Chartplotter to my paper charts.

It may be too much to ask, and it's cool if no one bothers to, but I'm attaching my gpx files if anyone is interested to take a look and critique. The route is general and does not account for wind/weather/tide conditions, as it's still to early to factor those things in. It also does not account for too many tacks since the wind usually blows east, north east. I expect to be broad reaching/running heading eastbound, then close reaching with multiple tacks after turning westbound.

Thanks everyone