Paul Britton
S.V. Rodeless Traveler
Jeanneau 379 Sun Odyssey
The Harvest Moon Regatta Around 150 boats took part in the Regatta this year but one in particular stuck out and performed exceptionally, bringing home some new trophies for the trophy case! S.V. Rodeless Traveler had a wild ride with varying winds, and a blown mainsail but ultimately they took home 1st place in their division, 1st place in the Jeanneau fleet, and 5th overall fleet on corrected time!
What a fantastic finish to the 2019 Harvest Moon Regatta. What started out as a fast sleigh ride down the coast from Galveston to Port Arkansas, Texas in 15-20kts winds finished with a norther blowing 35- 42kts and 10-12′ seas. As can be seen from the picture, a blown mainsail tells the tale.
The Blown Mainsail of Rodeless Traveler, a Jeanneau 379 Sun Odyssey
This mainsail had been rode hard over the years and has now been replaced with a new main from Precision Sails. The trophy case expanded with 1st place in our division, 1st place in the Jeanneau fleet and 5th overall fleet (129 boats) on corrected time.
We asked Paul a few questions about the Regatta:
How many other vessels entered the Harvest Moon Regatta this year?
‘There were about 150 vessels this year.’
How did the Genoa handle the change in the conditions?
‘The Genoa held up great!!’
You said you blew your mainsail, how did that happen?
‘My furling mainsail was about 6 years old and had been “rode hard” as they say here in Texas. A norther blew in with 40 knot winds and 10-12′ seas about 10 nm form the finish line and we were over-powered (even with 2 reefs in the main and Genoa). We had planned for this and were north of the thumb line, so we fell off to a broad reach. With the mainsail against the spreaders, I could see 2 small pinholes in the seam about 2/3 up. After rounding up a couple of times, the pinholes joined and the seam unzipped from leach to luff. All was not lost however as the leach held, so we carried on racing and passed the last 2 boats in our class just before a victorious finish!!!’
What are the benefits of having a great crew and a dialed in sail that compliments their skill?
‘It was great to have a new Genoa from Precision Sails for this annual race. Even though, we did not have much time to practice with it before the race, we were able to figure out the how to get the best performance out of it very quickly during the race. They say that the race is won between midnight and dawn. Our 4 man crew was always racing and tweaking the sails through the night!!’
Was there anything about the design process, or the order process you would like to highlight?
‘I really liked the follow up and communication during the design process. Sebastian called me to discuss my specific sailing style and needs and then modified the design accordingly. I also liked being informed of the status along the way.’
