40+ Knot Gusts!

Wanting to see what Ama Mama was made of, in the spring of 2004, I signed up for the Oakland Yacht Club's Rites of Spring Single Handed Race. Since, I was the only multi-hull, I raced PHRF against a bunch of mono-hulls. The wind was in the 30's for most of the race with gusts into the 40's. The beat up the central bay to Alcatraz Island was quite a roller coaster as Ama Mama launched off of steep 4 to 5 foot wind against tide waves. There was plenty of water coming over the bow and into the cock-pit. The cock-pit bailed itself fine, and I kept on going. I was reefed going up-wind, and when I rounded the mark and headed down to reach to the next mark, Ama Mama rose up on a plane and took off at 14 knots speed over ground! As I rounded the next mark, and headed downwind, I felt like I needed a little more sail. So, I shoved the tiller stick into a deck gap and shook out the reef. This helped me hold off a mono-hull that had been gaining on me, and I held on for second place! I have not been out sailing in similar conditions since, but this day gave me a lot a confidence in this little yellow boat and the beating she gracefully shouldered.