Or following winds. I recall the Maryland Governor’s Cup race c. 1993. (+/-1). I watched a 70’ racer broach and get dismasted 100 yards off our port beam, while we were scooting along at 10+ knots on bare poles.
I have seen severe weather, as much as -100 or more wind chill and -35F native, while outdoors and working. But not on a boat.
But that MD G.Cup race was a doozy, particularly for an inshore event. The race is late July/early August each year. It is a BIG race for sail boats. It’s PHRF rated so staggered. I was crewing on a J/44. As we were overtaking the slower starts, the even faster boats were catching us as a massive thunderstorm cell hit us from behind, tracking perfectly down the bay. It should not have been a real shock; even though it was ‘93 we had weather radio and Baltimore had just been slammed and the warnings were out. But egos trumped common sense and people left so much sail out to try to eak the last little boost out, they left no time for hauling it down. Insane.
I think our anemometer maxed out or broke at 65 knots.
The 70 that broached to port was a Santa Cruz ‘70, granted a ULDB design, but the real pride of the Chesapeake fleet at the time. These were pretty significantly influential yachts:
Santa Cruz 70
Its carbon fiber mast snapped like a twig and we heard it like a thunder clap. And it wasn’t the only one, I think we saw about a eight boats broach and three dismasted just in our little field of visions.
Granted, it’s not like the ‘79 Fastnet race, but it was the equivalent for the Chesapeake. But like that race, this is a long one (overnight minimum and up t two days for slower boats is allowed) - so sailing on for another day with wreckage behind left you a little thoughtful...
