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GOING NUCLEAR

Regata Al Sol XXVII Photos
Kattack Replay

Great story and adventure of 3 young men and a classy lady on a 27 foot sport boat that raced across the Gulf of Mexico to Isla  Mujeres.  They raced their Antrim 27 called Anemone Tickler which is the smallest boat ever entered in this race, closest in size to that I can remember was a J/30. Anthony Hudson who led this program started sailing with his dad as a toddler on a MacGregor 25, then went onto do the Opti circuit and really excelled as one of the better Laser sailors from the Gulf Coast representing Area D for the United States Singlehanded Men’s Championship for the George O’day trophy on multiple occasions.  He has sailed in Laser Worlds in Brazil and Laser Youth Worlds in La Rochelle France. Of course he also passes our local quality litmus test by having won his Lipton race as a skipper.  He purchased an Easterly 30 after graduating from LSU and took two short handed trips with his wife crossing the Gulf from New Orleans. One trip to Dry Tortugas and the other to the Bahamas.  His current long term goal is to compete and win the singlehanded Transpac race to Hawaii.  Just last month the United States lost over 8 sailors in offshore racing tragedies. One boat was washed up in the 2012 Farallones race and another was smashed in the 2012 Ensenada race.  In both events there were multiple deaths and both were human error.  This team was about to depart in their 550 mile plus crossing of the Gulf and I can tell you that there were a lot of concerns in the local sailing community.  Here is how it went…

NOYC.org: Tell us a little bit on how you decided to make this trip and plan for it?

A-Bomb: This race fit really well into my schedule. It’s going to be tough for me to get any significant sailing in over the next few years as I complete my residency and fellowship training. Finishing my required senior classes just before Mardi Gras left me with time to prepare the boat. The list of boat maintenance was quite long including mast maintenance, standing rigging replacement, new electronics including Sirius weather data, water tight crash bulkhead, and on and on.  We also met several times before hand to divy up some of the minor responsibilites, such as tickler crew gear, so that we all had a vested interest in preparation.

NOYC.org: Outside of the regular costs of owning a boat, how did you finance the trip fresh out of MedicalSchool.

A-Bomb:  I have a lot of debt after 4 years of undergrad and 4 years of Medical School but I managed to swing it. My awesome family also supports me every imaginable way. In addition, and I can’t thank them enough, my awesome crew chipped in and we split the cost of entrance fees, life raft, satellite phone and much more to make this race happen.

NOYC.org: Tell us a little bit about your team.

A-Bomb:  Our young energetic team was made up me (a sailing addict), Katherine Buras great dinghy sailor. She was the glue that kept this team together in our lowest moments of this race.  She started in opti’s over in Texas and now owns and actively races a  Vanguard 15. She split most of the tiller time with me and is a fantastic driver. Her day job is an architect.  My long time BFF Bo Harris – has been sailing just over 6 years.  Bo owns and swims a Moth and Catamaran.  He was a regular crew member of the original Pompano and is an electrical engineer. I got him started on the Easterly 30 and then drug him around the southern Laser circuit for a while.  Our fourth crew member who Kate helped recruit late, was Joey Stokes. He has plenty of offshore experience in races like Regata al sol and Miami to Key West. He is a businessman from Long Beach.  He was our sailing vampire, he sleeps all day and then pushes the boat hard all night. We have a great team, everyone added value and definitely had synergy to make this the “little train that could”.

NOYC.org: What was your navigational strategy for this race?

A-Bomb: We had a general plan leaving the dock based off a few things. We always expected to see a SE wind for most of the race. This wind direction would make it difficult to straight line with the longer boats and save our time. So we wanted to get as much Easting as possible early on to cash in later in the race when we could crack off and fly an A3 or A5. A code 0 would have been nice….maybe one day.  Bo supplied and nailed very accurate loop current predictions for this trip and we maximized as much as we could out of it.  This allowed us to pick a lane in the strongest current and minimize distance sailed. We saw over 4 knots of favorable current at one point. Our current predictions also allowed us to pick a narrow lane of adverse current to cross just before the finish. We also were quick to get a kite up or down in the evening and early morning hours as the sunset and rise often brought a 10-30 degree favorable wind shift.  Dodging the sargaso also added a little excitement and we eventually dubbed an old batten “THE GROWLER ANTI-FOULER” to keep the grass off the rudder.

NOYC.org: Tell us about a low point or toughest day of the race.

A-Bomb: Day 2-3 saw a small front pass through and brought our one boat issue to the surface. An inability to reef a main on a boat with only one headsail meant we were limited to three sail choices (full sail, main only, and jib only). We spent maybe 1 hour with jib only as we fought with the mainsail pulling out of the track in the strongest winds of the passing front and probably 3-4 hours of mainsail only.

NOYC.org: And your best day or highest point?

A-Bomb: The race had several great moments. Splitting jibes with Decision early on and passing them for a few minutes inside Pcola bay was really awesome. They quickly found some breeze and rocketed back in front, but I have the pictures to prove it! Beating Kativa out of Pensacola Bay was nice. Taking back a few miles from My Sharona during the first night in light conditions was also fun. Jib reaching at over 10 knots SOG for 8 hours in the loop current and then over 12 knots through the water with the A2 up on the last night of the race. But, the best was waking up day 5 with My Sharona on the horizon behind us! It made all the hard work before and during the race really seem worth it. My wife also surprised me on the dock.  I did not think she was going to be there as someone had to stay home and take care of the baby.  Luckily the grandparents were nice enough to babysit while we drove gulf carts around in Mexico and enjoyed the libations. We also enjoyed a little off road racing on Isla was a great time.  Kate even managed to tuck and roll out of the wreckage of one golf cart flip without spilling her leftover burrito.

NOYC.org: When several of us declined to sail with you for this race, our main excuse was that our buttocks got itchy after about 24 hours on a salty non-skid deck.  How soon until your buttocks were itchy for this trip and how bad did they get?

 A-Bomb: Butt problems were better than in races past. Camet padded shorts helped. I also think the spray/ bidet you got while hanging your butt off the back to do business was refreshing and helpful but towards the end it stung a little.

NOYC.org:  As a true New Orleanian and in Saints Drew Bree’s fashion it looks like you finished strong, tell us about your last
36 hours of the race?

A-Bomb:  Part of our strategy was designed around going faster and sailing harder the last 1/3 of the race.  We really pushed hard to get east during the first 2/3 of the race to capitalize on the southerly loop current flow.  The last night of the race crossing the northerly current saw lots of squalls over the 92+ degree water. Playing these storms correctly was something we talked about before leaving the dock. Any squall that approached us we wanted to exit at an oblique angle.  There is never any breeze directly behind the clouds while you can make a quick get away if you stay on the edges. A little luck and some careful navigation and we were never swallowed up by a rain cloud and left without wind.  The entire crew pushed really hard and everyone slept on deck that night (we only had one bunk down below anyway which eventually Kate was to afraid to get in because of all the nasty man sweat/salt/grime the three guys left there).  I also played a crucial role in making sure things remained ship shape down below, including constant sponging out every drop of water that entered the cabin. In addition, we talked a lot about fighting the ‘island fever’ that so many crews get at the end of a long race.  You have to stay focused and avoid any talk about what you’re going to drink/eat when you get to the island. (We did lose a little focus while discussing the possible ways Bo was going to propose to his girlfriend when we got there. I think he should have tossed her the dock line and ring at the same time, but customs officials wouldn’t have it) The last two regata al sol’s I have done the crew lost focus at the end and we lost some distance because of it. We had a joke onboard that we could not sing The Final Countdown until the finishing boat was insight.  The crew did a great job staying on task and our finishing results really showed this.

NOYC.org:  You chose to single hand the boat back from Isla to Pass Christian, why and how did that work out for you?

A-bomb: The Singlehanded Transpac requires a 400 mile qualifier.  This was my chance to knock that out before starting residency.  It was very difficult early on.  While the northerly current rocketed me towards home it wasn’t without a price.  I lived inside a washing machine for two days.  The boat was out of control for most of the time and the random wave pattern resulted in some deep green water coming over the boat a few times.  What really sucked was after eating great food for a week I only managed to eat a granola bar, which I quickly barfed over the side, for 24 hours. Luckily I managed to stay hydrated and kept my strength/concentration up. The last half of the trip was in winds between 0-15 and much easier to handle.  The boat dried out by day 3 and things were going great.  Sailing through the oil rigs was stressful and resulted in me getting little sleep.

NOYC.org: What are your future plans?

A-Bomb: Future plans will revolve around my 8 month old daughter, beautiful wife, and completing my pediatric residency/nicu fellowship. My employer has allowed me to push my first years vacation back to my second year so I will have the 6-8 weeks time required to do the 2014 transpac on Anemone Tickler (which is named after my wife, the original anemone tickler).

NOYC.org: Why do they call you A-bomb?

A-Bomb: Good question, not positive.  I had some pretty good finishes in some Lipton Races years back and a few of NOYC’s finest slapped it on me as maybe a derivative of A-Rod or something.  I also had a dark cloud following me after graduating from LSU.  I broke a tiller on a piling that I tacked to close to going out to a race and crushed a trailer light positioning a boat all in the same week and I started hearing it a lot more…even in a derogative tone at times.  As of lately I have heard Dr. Bomb and it has a distinct ring to it that I like….I prefer Anthony though.

NOYC.org: Thanks for your zest for life and adventure and thank you for making time for NOYC.org.

A-Bomb:  Thanks for having me and I appreciate all the support. It was a great adventure and I am most appreciative of my other team members dedication and commitment. Thank you Bo, Kate and Joey!

WE ALSO CHECKED IN WITH JOHN MATTHEWS ONE OF THE REGATA AL SOL 2012 RACE OFFICERS AND ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR ENTRY. THE OPINIONS BELOW ARE JOHN MATTEWS – NOT NECESARILY THE OPIONS OF THE ORGANIZING AUTHORITY.

NOYC.org:  Could you tell me your thoughts on this boat/team as an entrant, any exceptions you made to the rules, your concerns
with this program for this race?

R.A.S. RC: At first the Regata al Sol Race Committee had some concerns about a boat that was less in LOA than all previous regattas.  We decided that with the off shore experience of the crew and the condition of the boat it would be allowed.  Smaller boats have completed circumnavigation of the earth without loss and/or major damage.  In addition, Anthony had also requested to single hand the boat back to Pensacola as a qualifier for a future Pacific Ocean race.  Anthony assured us that he and his crew and the boat were well prepared for the race.  Given these assurances the Race Committee opted to permit Anthony and his boat to race.  In addition the availability of the Kattack Spot system and his having a Satellite Phone on board assured the RC that we would be able to keep track of his progress.

NOYC.org: With the recent deaths in the 2012 Fallones and Ensenada races this year did you think of pulling the plug on them for this race…did your evaluate after those tragedies?

R.A.S. RC: The tragedies associated with the Farallones and the Ensenada races were indeed unfortunate and were absolutely preventable.  While they gave cause for concern for safety at sea and reconfirmed the Race Committees desire that every boat that enters the Regata al Sol races should present evidence of have taken the US Sailing Safety at Sea Seminar or some related course regarding safety at sea, it did not appear to have any direct application to racing from Pensacola to Isla Mujeres.  Both of these races are being carefully investigated by independent teams to determine the causes and develop recommendations for future offshore races.  The initial review of both incidents appeared to indicate both skippers and crews were not familiar with the wind and water conditions near shore which led to the Farollones accident while the Ensenada race indicated a crew that was completely oblivous to their sailing course and possible obstructions such as the shore and rocks dead ahead.

At no time did we consider plugging the plug on Anthony and his boat.  Knowing the typical course from Pensacola to Isla Mujeres there are few if any potential obstructions to cause concern except as one nears the finish line in Isla.  However, Contoy Light and island is well documented and marked and identified so few if any skippers should be concerned about Contoy. One of other factor is that All Skippers Have Ultimate Responsibility for The Safety Of Their Boats and Crews.  It is well understood that when racing there should be a wide awake person in the cockpit and at the helm.

NOYC.org: Thank you for your time and well run race and event. Tracking this event on line was great and I think it will help future participation.

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#Family Regatta


Video | Photos | Notice of Race | Sailing Instructions | Register Online | Who’s Racing? | Race Results

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North Sails LPWSA – Wednesday Night Race Series

North Sails
Presented by
Lake Pontchartrain Women’s Sailing Association

May 30 – June 27, 2012

Notice of Regatta
Sailing Instructions

Race Chart
Register Online
Who’s Racing?

5/306/66/136/206/27

Race Committee Help Wanted!
I want to sail!
I am looking for crew!
Race Results
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / Series
Rescore Race 3 / Rescore BOTY ONLY Series/ Redress Hearing


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A Bomb Lands in Mexico!

The race in Pcola bay was downwind against an incoming tide in 2-10 knots of breeze. The start was very slow. We passed Decision about 20 minutes into the race as they sailed into a hole and we carried more breeze .5 mile to weather of them. We were in first for a solid minute. Awesome! The key to the bay exit was staying in shallow water along the north side of the barrier island. We left the bay with a .25 mile lead on Kativa which was a huge victory for us.

The remainder of the day was light air upwind work which we oddly excelled in. The sun set and we were maybe 2-4 miles behind Kativa and My Sharona. Decision was already gone over the horizon. The first night saw a 360 degree gradual wind change. 3 kite peels and a lot of ballast/boat trim mods and when the sun came up we were 1 mile behind My Sharona. Another victory! Sadly, as the sun rose the wind shifted to 10-15 from SE. My Sharona marched over the horizon to a 50 mile lead and we couldn’t do a thing about it. We continued to work east whenever possible and just worked the boat. Our one gear malfunction, an inability to reef due to bolt rope problems, really hurt us on day 2-3. We were probably .25 to .50 knots off polars due to our mainsail problem.

Day 3 saw a small front role through. We saw 35 on the anometer. Sailed with jib only for 3 hours since one or two reefs resulted in the bolt rope pullig out everytime. Ouch…

Night of day 3 and day four were in the loop current. We saw 4 knots of favorible current. 10 knots sog with the jib up. Launching over waves! Constantly taking water over the bow. We had to sponge the bilge dry every 30 minutes.

Day 4 and 5 were a straight line into isla. We wanted to minimize distance sailed at that point. We had the A3 and A5 up in some of the light stuff when the sun set on day 4. That night was amazing. We spent 12 hours with the A2 jib and full main doing 9-12 knots through the water. The squalls worked out well for us that night. Crossing a warm current always leads to squalls and you really need a lot of luck to not become becalmed. We rode the edge of several clouds and never lost our breeze.

Day 5 and as the sun rose we saw My Sharona to our SE and the race was on. They had a better angle to the finish but we had a shorter dtf. We carried the A5 as long as possible as the wind swung forward with sunrise and quickly went to the jib as it continued to pull forward. My Sharona was flying with there mast head zero. But, we crossed the finish 7 minutes ahead of the J-111!!

The trip was great fun. I owe so much to everyone who helped me prep for the race. My crew was awesome. Kate Buras was the glue that kept us together. She drove 50% of the race and cooked! Amazing. Joey Stokes was there for that horrible 3am shift everytime and Bo was there to fill in with whatever was needed.

Having a great time is Isla. Sailing solo back on Friday. See everyone in NOLA when I get back.

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Live Coverage – Regata al Sol Race

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