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Racing started on Friday.  We were in a division of ten boats (the spinnaker 1 division).  Our opponents included a number of rather legendary maxi-yachts.  Donnybrook from Annapolis was there (72 feet), Mischievous, Chippewa (the fast 68-foot Swan), and the two newest maxi racers in the world, Pyewacket (owned by Roy Disney) and Morning Glory (owned by German business magnate Dr. Hasso Plattner).  At 86 feet long, with 15-foot draft and hydraulically controlled canting keels and two steering foils, these almost-sister ships are SUPER fast.  This was their first regatta.  We were both third-fastest and also third-longest.

Titan XII is fairly new, only about 9 months old.  She was supposed to have been delivered to our owner Tom Hill about 13 months ago, but the construction yard had difficulty getting her finished (Carroll Marine in Rhode Island went out of business not long after finishing her).  At last years' Heineken Regatta she was to have been the fastest mono-hull competitor (faster than the old Pyewacket and old Morning Glory) ... oh well.  On race days we were up at 5AM, into the cars by 6, on the boat by 6:30, and out of the slip by 6:45 to make the 7AM bridge opening.  We were berthed in Simpson Bay, and there's a bridge to go under, and if we missed it we would miss the racing.  After arriving dockside we would have a quick breakfast on Titan XIV, Mr. Hill's luxury sailing yacht rather than his racing yacht.  XIV is newer than XII ... quite large at maybe 120 feet, and luxurious doesn't even begin to describe her.  Below are four guest suites (each with either a pair of twin beds or a queen bed), as well as the owner's master suite, a large galley, crew quarters, an engine room, laundry room, etc.  WOWWWWW!!!!

So Friday we went racing.  As navigator on the Swan I'm accustomed to spending half the race below,  fiddling with the computer and punching buttons.  Well, that's not how it's done on Titan.  The navigator gets equipped with a handheld computer (a mobile data wireless display, 1.5 lbs, about 8” x 6” x 1” with a hand-strap on the back), which has a touch screen and full communication with the computer below.  I used the stylus to control all the functions ... amazing.  It took some time to get used to, but once I did it was WAY cool.  I stood (or mostly hiked out) right behind the helmsman, in the aft end of the boat.  Rotten view, but I had to have that info handy for the rest of the afterguard and owner.

The first race went pretty well (it was the around-the-island race, 31.5 miles for us sailing on the longest course).  The instruments still weren't talking to the computers, so I had limited electronics at my disposal.  Still, I got us from point to point with no wasted motions ... I did OK.  I didn't run us aground and I didn't make any other mistakes, either.  All that while surrounded by amazing talent.  I was still shaking my head (to myself).  (("Breathe deeply ...")) That first race we came in fourth out of 10 in division.  In front of us were the two super-maxi's.  Also correcting above us was the smallest boat in our very fast division, Rosebud, a Transpac 52 (which has an ultra-light hull designed to get up on a plane right away).  Most Carribean racing is handicapped time-on-time.

We were slightly disappointed, but HEY, at least we didn't blow anything up.  Oh, out bowman fell into the water for a while but managed to hang on ... that's a good thing!  It was windy ... between 12 all the way up to 35 knots of breeze.  While spinnaker running downwind we got the boat up over 22 knots of speed ... WOW!  Oh, at that speed, navigation has to happen a WHOLE lot faster than I'm accustomed to.  (Truth is I'm accustomed to navigating at 6 to 9 knots)(don't tell them that on Titan!)  That race only took us about 3 hours (racing started for us around 9 AM every day).  I think we were back at the dock by 1 PM.  There was a lot of clean up to do, and we had a few beers as well.  The guys were pleased with what I did.  Oh, among the crew was an islander (Jean) they brought in for "local knowledge".  He and I did a lot of chatting back and forth, and that process went pretty smoothly.  He was stunned at the electronics at my disposal ... didn't even want to touch the computer.  We in the afterguard were happy to consult his "local knowledge".

Also on the boat (our last addition) was another local guy named Randy _____?  Pretty good sailor, actually.  Apparently a well-liked local: when we went past a few spectator boats there were HUGE shouts of "RANDY!!!"  Well, since I had been on the boat for three days now most everyone thought it was for me, and that was WAY funny.  Also on the boat was Peter Holmberg's new wife, and two girlfriends of crew.  That first race we sailed with 26 people on the boat.  Amazing.