Terremoto in the 2013 Duwamish Head Race by Jan Anderson.

Terremoto continued its tradition of starting slow and finishing fast in the Duwamish Head Race. Terremoto wallowed off the Des Moines Marina on the morning of January 5, 2013. The wind was a chilly three knots, which died promptly when the start horn bellowed. Terremoto stayed in the same place effortlessly. Last year, Terremoto exhausted itself by making two required penalty turns to stay in the same place..

Astute observation from last year’s parked race start suggested that a new wind would come from the southwest. Terremoto optimistically set its chute for a starboard start, and eventually the wind wheezed from that direction. Weinstein set the boat on a hot angle and Terremoto was able to squeeze itself between a dense mass of Class 1 and 2 big boats.

Steve Brockway and Mark Brink concluded that Terremoto had to sail to wherever the wind was and so Terremoto jibed on to port and headed towards Vashon Island and away from most of the fleet. The Terremoto was rewarded with more pressure and was able to seize a good lane by jibing back on starboard. The crew of David Brink and Ken Monaghan was able to clamber on the deck like sand crabs. They maintained boat balance and Weinstein and Brockway were able to cooperate finally in flying the spinnaker to accelerate the boat speed quickly.

Mark Brink judged the rapidly changing wind shifts well and Terremoto was able to maintain 4 to 5 knots. Terremoto managed to hit a black hole at Three Tree Point and only a series of obscure jokes about dilithium crystals and more warp speed seemed to arouse Terremoto from its doldrums. Boat decibel volume built faster then the wind as a vigorous discussion on picking shifts and avoiding holes occurred.

Weinstein screamed loudest, this time about “the hypotenuse.” Teremoto was able to sail a more direct line to the mark than its “big sisters,” the Bieker designed 44 foot Dark Star and the 40 foot Madrona. Terremoto jibed and the decision finally justified Weinstein wasting a year taking Geometry. Terremoto was able to sail a perfect line past Alki Point. Team Moto responded to rapidly oscillating and building gusts to reach Duwamish Head directly in front of Madrona.

The wind increased dramatically as the T headed to Duwamish Head. Terremoto became overpowered, Brink grabbed the helm, and the boat broached. By the time everything was sorted out, Madrona regained the lead. Weinstein rounded the Duwamish Head Light smoothly, but Terremoto struggled as it sailed towards Bainbridge Island’s Blakely Rock. It took a few minutes for the crew to realize that the boat was tipping over because they were pumping water ballast to the wrong side of the boat.

Once Terremoto was able to achieve the feng shui of wind, water, water ballast, sail shape, and boat balance, it was able to “rumble” to Bainbridge Island. Terremoto rounded Blakely Rock in fourth position.

A strategic decision to sail back to the Seattle eastern shore or stay on the western Vashon side of the channel created another cacophonous boat roar. The wind was heading Terremoto so the decision was made to head for Seattle. The wind continued to head the T so when Terremoto tacked it was lifted straight down the channel with a clear lane.

Terremoto in the 2013 Duwamish Head Race. Left to right: Ken Monaghan, Steve Brockway, David Brink and Bill Weinstein by Jan Anderson.

Terremoto stayed near the front of the fleet as other faster boats sailed less efficient lines. As Terremoto approached the Three Tree Point lay line the crew was already clamoring for the celebratory Scotch. However, Terremoto sailed into the same black hole and this time no obscure Star Trek references to Spock, Scotty, or Bones could rescue it. The only cosmic miracle was the appearance of the eponymously named catamaran Pax, the Space Spider. The galactic arachnid circled Terremoto twice as it too was sucked in to a windless hole.

The humbled T spent nearly 15 minutes in a time space continuum while the Class 1 and 2 boats caught up. Madrona, Dark Star, and White Cloud passed Terremoto as they sailed with more pressure near the Vashon shore. Terremoto struggled in very light air to catch these boats and to shake the clinging Space Spider.

As Terremoto approached the finished line it deliberately overstayed the finish to gain a hot angle in light air. It was able to nearly touch Madrona’s stern at the finish line. Only Wasabi, Dark Star, Jam, and Madrona crossed the line ahead of Terremoto. Terremoto thought it had won again, but learned later that a 30 foot Henderson, Gardyloo, sailed by an outstanding mixed crew of Romulans and Klingons, avoided all of the galactic disturbances and beat Terremoto in a 4 hour and 24 minute race by 21 seconds.