Three hours after the start of the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race, Cole Brauer decides to switch up the game plan. "We can't race the same way as everyone else because we don't have a full crew," she vents. "I have to remind myself of that."
For the past 20 miles, Brauer and her teammate, Cat Chimney, have been short-tacking the Class40 First Light down the Miami coast to avoid the Gulf Stream, which travels north at 4 knots. With a southeasterly breeze building offshore, they must balance current relief with stronger wind offshore, choosing when to tack toward the beach and when to head out for fresh breeze. But with every tack, the competition increases their lead. Class40s aren't known for stellar upwind speed, and the fact that Brauer and Chimney are doublehanding only makes the maneuvers slower.
"The conditions aren't the same for everyone all the time," Chimney responds. "I'm happy for a split here if that's what you want to do."
This is the duo's first race together, and they are still getting a feel for their roles on the boat. Before today, the two had cultivated a strong professional friendship racing against each other in Class40s, often helping each other fix things before the starts of big races. A few weeks before the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race, the Magenta Project sent them to a training session on the Canadian Ocean Racing Team's IMOCA 60, and they instantly hit it off as teammates, deciding then and there to do more doublehanded racing together.
"All right, let's go for a tack," Brauer says. "We're not going to gain by following."
They set up at the back of the boat, with Brauer breaking the jib from her seat at the helm and Chimney trimming the new sheet on the other side.
"OK, autopilot is off," Brauer says, clicking the remote-control puck strung around her neck.
"Copy."
"Three, two, one, tacking."
This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Sailing World.
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This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Sailing World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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