Racing Catalina 37s: Wet Wednesday, Series 1 Race 2, 2026

Race 2 was indicative of the Terminal Intermediates’ series. Being a pick-up team with minimal C37 experience, we mainly toiled mid-pack. Competition in this fleet is tough. Lots of good sailors and most teams have been racing these boats for years. We pulled off a good start, but going hard left cost us several boats (the right-side paid throughout the series). Then Boat 10 rolled us at the set. My second tactical error in the first 20 minutes. But we jibed away, sailed deep and passed three boats by the bottom mark. Lap 2: Being slow learners, we tacked early and proceeded left again. Didn’t lose any boats but allowed those behind to close the gap. Rounded second at the top, but wrapped the kite at the set and let Boat 10 by again. Boat 9 passed us at the channel entrance with an aggressive kite drop. A little too aggressive. Rules require the head of the spinnaker to be on deck by the “A” Mark. They didn’t make it and withdrew from the race after seeing a video of the incident. No places were exchanged from there on. Fun day on the water. Couple of notes: The video is cut down from about 80 to 18 minutes, but will still feel too long for most viewers. For those interested, the Catalina 37s are available to rent and race at very reasonable rates. Check out https://www.lbsailingfoundation.org/ for details.