Sail Canada Sailor of the Month: Zingara

HH Sailor of the Month

May 23, 2019

The Bajan TP52 Zingara (Conviction) set it sails on April 27th for the Peters & May Round Antigua Race chartered by Canadian Richard Reid (National Yacht Club, Toronto), alongside 15 sailors including 11 Canadians.

Competing in a 53-mile race in CSA – Racing 1 against 33 boats, the team was ambitious to get to Antigua to prepare their charter boat and get a feel for the environment. The crew of Zingara arrived for two days of practice before the race.

With winds ranging from 14-16 knots, the sailors were ready to start their journey. Little did they know what was about to happen, Richard comments on the beginning of the race:

“We used a port approach, made our final tack on to starboard several boat length back of the line with about 1:30 until gun, pulled the trigger about 45 seconds out on a nice layline for the starboard side start mark rumbling at roughly 8 knots.

Before we had turned to starboard we knew the Scallywag was well above our line and several lengths back, so when Richard Clarke started talking (okay shouting) to Scallywag still holding a line higher than us but absolutely reaching in at a speed that suggested they had plans. I did not luff up, in fact, I started to steer off but it was too late with about five seconds to go we got covered in their wind shadow, our boat stood up with our crane gaffing their mainsail and then snagging their leeward runner. This became interesting as we were first pulled up hard to starboard and then released as Scallywag’s runner finally failed.”

Once everything settled down, the crew of Zingara continued their race with their rig perfectly intact but driving blind as their masthead fly and wind instruments were gone. Continuing the race with only their knowledge and an iPad, the team finished 1st in their fleet, Line Honours and 1st Overall.

Sail Canada’s Sailor of the Month award acknowledges sailing achievements by Canadians involved or associated with the sport in all its forms. Sail Canada encourages the submission of noteworthy Canadian sailing activities to communications@sailing.ca.

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