GBCA Rum Race #4: 7/18

[KevinBednar]

Jim made the right call.  There was no way he could have known we'd have a gust front come through like that several hours after he had to make the decision.  As a matter of fact it was very difficult to tell how strong that gust was going to be until our shrouds were in the water...   

[JayZ]

---Like Bee said,  Be careful with that staph infection.  Bad things can happen with those but don't necessarily.  Staph is really on the rise in Houston.  Use that anti-bacterial soap when you can.  It often just looks like a white headed pimple or something when it starts to come up.

Now back to our normal programming.

Bee where are you at.  I am in St johns in Nassau bay with whY they believe is a staph infection in my leg.  If you are her maybe we can get together for happy hour!!!  My injury had nothing to do with sat night but did have to go to er later that evening.  I had to miss the party so I didn't get to here all the carnage reports.   So everyone keep posting stories about SAt night this gets real boring quick


Kevin

[Bee]

Thanks for the opening Jay.  Here is what can happen if you wait too long for a simple scratch to heal, or the Doc's can't figure out the proper antibiotic:

The infection usually starts with just a little white frost and a pretty good itch.  I my case, I also severely bruised the inside of the left knee. The resulting swelling reduces blood flow and gives the bacteria a great home base from which to grow and flourish.  Being an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-healthy individual the body would certainly fight the infection, kill it in the bud, and all would be fine.

Two weeks after the incident my leg had the black telltale lines characteristic of gangrene. The tiny white splotch was now a 2X1 inch long nasty looking thing.  The sports-doctor father of a friend of mine saw it on a Sunday afternoon and immediately arrange for hospital admittance and surgery.  The good surgeon removed a 2X1X.75 volume from the muscle just below my knee and put me on some of the strongest IV antibiotic known to man.

You do not want to know what post-op surgery for this kind of thing is but I will tell you that you that the only way to fill the hole is to let the hole fill --- without further infection.

[Christopher]

Jim made the right call.  There was no way he could have known we'd have a gust front come through like that several hours after he had to make the decision.  As a matter of fact it was very difficult to tell how strong that gust was going to be until our shrouds were in the water...   

55.396 knt gust recorded at Eagle Point NOAA meteorological station.  11 knts to 55 knts in less than 15 minutes.

After rounding the mark we had few boats behind us by which to judge the force of the breeze, until the 1D35 off our hip went splat.

We all went out.  Yes, it's the skippers responsibility; but each is also responsible for our own personal safety.  Anyone could have stepped off at the dock, but did not.

[KevinBednar]

Hahah, I hadn't even looked.  Still licking my wounds I suppose.  Funny thing is Stinger's anemometer only read 33 knots.  I guess it's a little less accurate when it's submerged.

[Jim Powers]

I think the 55kts was from the cell that went southeast of Kemah around 3pm. The sailflow graph shows mid-30's about the time we were on the last leg.

[STuma]

This brings up my point for years, why do people have to be told to wear a PFD? can't they think it might be a bit safer to wear one?  maybe I still remember helping pluck Sandy out of the water after a rum race and taking her to the ER... The skipper is responsible for the boat and crew safety... the crew can even take responsibility for their own safety and wear a jacket  ... If the weather is bad or light, it is the skipper's responsiblity to sail or not sail... they have to sail according to their crew's ability... The R/C cannot stand around waiting for perfect conditions, people are out and subjecting themselves to more danger circling the starting line waiting for someone to make a decision they agreed to do... I did not realize there was a race committee for a TGIF race... yes, they are still TGIF races to me... people need to watch the cells on the Gulf Coast... I was eating dinner, across the bay and saw it building... I am glad no one got really hurt from this...

cheers...
Scott

[edthemainsailguy]

I only saw 33 Kev, after that I was watching our helmsman trying to get to the high side and keeping my face out of the bay...