[C320-list] 320 race to mackinac

[pat reynolds]

On July 17th after a great day surfing at 8 to 10.5 knots with the symerical spinnaker and winds from 10 to 25 knots on the quarter, a very intense storm hit the 350 boat race fleet at approximately 11 pm.  Due to lightning which proceeded the storm we first reefed both sails and then after looking at a internet picture of the storm decided to drop the main and back wind the 80% genoa we had reduced to and heave to.  We had just done so when the fast moving storm hit.  Winds in our area were 45 to 55 knots out of the west.  Due to the speed of the storm, waves did not have a chance to build over 6 feet but on Lake Michigan they tend to be much closer together.  Winds in other cells further north hit 70 knots and one boat recored 100 knots.  Another boat from our marina, a C&C 33 had the main up and was knocked down and spun around "like water going down a drain" they bent the boom and snapped the boom vang.  I am very pleased to report that our 15
 year old 320 and a Catalina 36 behind us survived with little or no damage, a tribute to the Catalina staff.
Our boom vang did separate at the top where for some reason there is a pin holding the sections together.  Unbelievably we found the pin on deck later and simply reinstalled it and duct taped it.  During the storm the lightning show was indescribable.  Bolts hitting the water, between clouds, zig zagging everywhere and lighting up the area like day.  Somehow with 300 some masts in the area I don't believe any one was hit.   I did end up with lines all over the cockpit including lines which came out of their camcleats on the mast and a pole topping lift up at the block on the mast.
 
Lessons learned:
 
1. Although I have not had much success heaving to with the main up in the past, with the main down and the 155 genoa partially reefed and the wheel held hard over our boat acted exceptionally well particularly since we were only 6 miles off a lee shore.  Probably most boats that were damaged still had too much sail up. Our boat crabbed one mile during the 20 to 30 minutes of heavy wind and waves. 
2.  Our boat by rule carried a lift raft, gpirb, storm jib, jacklines and personal crew harnesses with strobe lights and tethers.  However when the storm hit, the lift raft was somewhat buried in the lazerette, the rented gperb was still in the box in the v berth with the storm sail ( which I had just gotten and never tried to put up) and one of my off watch crew came on deck without his harness.  Obviously we were unprepared for the storm which we never expected to be so sudden.   Valuable lessons in being better prepared were learned.  We should have brought the raft up, had the gpirb ready at hand, and had the storm jib ready and made sure all lines were secure  You can do none of that when you are hanging on to the boat.  Unfortunately one boat did lose two crew.  >From initial reports they were tethered to the boat when found and may have been hit by the boom or the boat and may have been unconscious.  see
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/20/deadly-storm-during-macki_n_904498.html