Practice May 10, 2012

We actually went to Buoy 18. Just the netbook decided to go to sleep at the end of this track. Bill O., Bill S., and myself were sailing. We set just the head sail to begin with. This brought us to an over the water speed of 6 knots. About half way to 18, the wind died a little. It normally does the closer you get to the I-205 bridge. We raised the main while running with the wind until we could not raise it any more. We turned into the wind briefly and raised it the rest of the way.

After turning back to running with the wind, that's when it happenned. Bill O. and I were setting the traveller when the main did a jibe. The boom was on the port side jibing to the starboard side. Both our heads were down adjusting the traveller when it jibed. Since I was at the helm, I was not paying attention to my duties. It hit Bill O. on top of his head and he almost went overboard. He had enough sense to grab the stanchion and life line. He stopped dangling from that at about the level of the toe rail outside the lifelines. I went over to haul him back aboard. Initially I could not grab him securely enough. That's when I saw his life preserver with the safety harness shackles and grabbed that. I hauled him back aboard with much relief. We checked his head. There was not a bump or bruise. He did not even get wet. We were lucky and all realised it.

We rounded 18. We ran close hauled back tacking about 6 times. Nothing else happened out of the ordinary.