Crew Orientation — Lupo Di Mare, Newport → Bermuda
Read before race week. One mandatory action: memorize the squall protocol below.
The Boat
Lupo Di Mare — Italia Yachts 12.98 Fuoriserie, hull 2023 (ex-Querencia): - 42.6 ft LOA (12.98 m), ~17,500 lb (7,950 kg) — light for her size, built to race - Axxon carbon mast and boom — this shapes every heavy-air decision - J1/J2/J3 run up the forestay track — changing between them is a foredeck peel (new sail up unused groove while old keeps flying, drop and bag the old once new is loaded) - J4 is different — dedicated furler, own halyard (J4 w/lock), 3-to-1 tack line; deploy by unfurling, no peel - Code 67 is also different — furls on the sprit; deploy/recover without a peel - Two spreaders, swept back. No inner forestay. No running backstays.
Critical context: No one on this crew has raced on Lupo Di Mare before. The delivery was mostly motoring. Race week is the shakedown. This drives everything — conservative sail strategy, low maneuver counts, thorough pre-race drills.
The Race
636 nm. Rhumb course to St. David's Head: 150°T. Fleet starts in Narragansett Bay.
| Phase | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Start → Block Island | 0–12 h | Upwind/reaching, Rhode Island Sound. Crowded, tricky tides. |
| Offshore | 12–30 h | Open Atlantic. First night offshore. |
| Gulf Stream | ~30–50 h | 2–4 kt NE current. Steep chop. Squalls. Race won or lost here. |
| Sargasso Sea | ~50–80 h | Post-Stream to Bermuda. Can be reaching, light, or anything. Wind shadow near Bermuda. |
| Bermuda approach | final miles | St. David's Head finish. Final layline decision. |
Expected elapsed time: 80–95 hours (3.5–4 days).
Gulf Stream
- Water temp jumps 64°F → 81°F over 5–10 nm; ocean turns blue. Entry signal.
- Wave character: short, steep, confused chop — worst when wind opposes current.
- Squalls develop fast. Convective cells can build in 15 minutes. Radar every 10–15 min mandatory inside the Stream. Squall protocol is non-negotiable (see below).
- Current sets you east. Stream flows NE. Compensate heading or you exit 20 nm east of plan.
Key rule: Commit the Stream-entry sail at the T-2h / 50-nm window and plan to stay in it. A track peel inside the Stream is a deliberate, skipper-cleared call — not a watch improvisation — because the payoff is lopsided: a slightly-wrong sail costs only ~4–21 nm over the crossing, while a botched foredeck peel in steep chop at night risks a blown sail, a halyard in the current, or an MOB. The asymmetry, not the crew, is the reason. J4 and Code 67 furl — they're the low-risk change if you genuinely need one.
Sail Inventory
| Code | Sail | When |
|---|---|---|
| J1 | Main headsail (genoa) | Upwind, medium air |
| J2 | Intermediate genoa | Upwind 10–20 kts (racing TBD) |
| J3 | Heavy headsail | Upwind or reaching, 18+ kts |
| J4 | Storm headsail | Very heavy air, survival |
| Code 67 | Code sail | Mid reaching, 80–120° TWA, 4–14 kts |
| A1-1 | Light asymmetric | Light air, broad angles |
| A1.5-1 | Mid-light asymmetric | 110–160° TWA, 4–16 kts — Newport–Bermuda workhorse |
| A2-1 | Medium asymmetric | Deep running, 140–170° TWA, 12–22 kts |
| A3 | Heavy asymmetric | Reaching/broad, 100–150° TWA, 12–30 kts |
| A4 | Heaviest asymmetric | Heavy air, broad |
| GS | Gennaker (orange — required) | Tight-reach gap-filler, 95–125° TWA, 14–24 kts |
| SS | Spinnaker staysail | Heavy-air deep running; flown low beneath the asym (140–165° TWA, 14–24 kts) |
Squall Protocol
Non-negotiable. Know this before you sail.
| Trigger | Immediate actions |
|---|---|
| Echo 30 nm (W/NW/N) | Kite down. Now. No discussion. |
| Echo 20 nm | Kite down. Reef #1 in. All crew clipped in with tethers. |
| Echo 10 nm or lightning visible | Kite down. Reef #1 in. All non-watch crew called up. Hatches closed. |
Why: Gulf Stream squalls can deliver 35–45 kts in 10 minutes. These thresholds may feel conservative. They are correct.
Drill completion sets the active trigger level: - Drill passed (confirmed by Skipper or WC): primary trigger = 20 nm inside Stream; 30 nm pre-Stream. - Drill not confirmed: conservative branch — 30 nm trigger applies everywhere; all rungs are active at that threshold.
Crossing the north wall steps the primary trigger from 30 nm to 20 nm (drill-passed case only).
Drill sign-off is confirmed in the pre-race brief. If neither Skipper nor Watch Captain has explicitly confirmed completion, treat drill as incomplete.
This 30/20/10 ladder is the source-of-truth for all onboard cards and playbooks. Card 09 = per-rung response procedure. Cards 04 and 05 = phase-specific application.
Safety
Harnesses and tethers: - Everyone in the cockpit: harness on. - Anyone forward of cockpit coaming: clipped to jackline before stepping forward. - Inside the Gulf Stream: everyone on deck clipped in, no exceptions, at all times.
Man overboard: - Shout "MAN OVERBOARD." - Press MOB button on GPS immediately. - One person keeps eyes on the person in the water — does not look away. - Skipper runs the recovery. - Know where MOB gear is before leaving the dock.
Communication: - VHF Ch 16 always monitored. - Emergency contacts and EPIRB location: confirm with skipper before departure.
Race Week Priorities
| # | Goal | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asymmetric kite set and douse ×3 each (A2-1 and A3) | Confident by race start |
| 2 | Headsail peels J1 → J2 → J3 | Under 10 min |
| 3 | Reef #1 in and out from pre-rigged state ×2 | Under 7 min |
| 4 | Night watch rotation | ≥1 night before race |
| 5 | Instrument check: GPS speed vs. log speed, wind speed and angle calibration | Done before race start |
Watch System
Full schedule, core positions, and your bunk buddy are on the Watch Roster — posted in the cabin for the race.
- Rolling 4-hour rotation: each hour one person comes on and one comes off — a continuous conveyor, no cold full-team handoff.
- Always a navigator on watch (Joel or Ryan) and always a bow person (Rod, Brandon, or Mary).
- Driving rotates among the qualified drivers — helm shifts kept to 1–2 h, especially in heavy weather.
- Core positions are assigned per the roster (same as the NYC→Newport delivery).
- Watch handoff brief is mandatory: wind trend, boat speed, next decision point, any concerns.
- Navigator works to the wake-thresholds, not the watch clock, for analysis time at Stream entry.
- The watch starts ~3–4 h after the gun. Off-watch = sleep.
Personal Gear
Essential: - Offshore foul weather gear (jacket + trousers — not just a spray top) - Harness with 2 m and 1 m tethers - Non-slip sailing boots - Lifejacket (auto-inflating offshore type) - Personal EPIRB or PLB (strongly recommended) - Headlamp with red mode - Multiple layers — cold at night in the Stream - Seasickness medication (Bonine, Dramamine, or Scopolamine patch — start 12 h before departure)
Useful: offshore gloves, sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, small dry bag, ear plugs, food you like.
Leave at home: anything breakable or irreplaceable, laptop, roller luggage (duffel only).
Key Contacts
| Role | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Skipper / Owner | ||
| Tactician / Navigator | ||
| Watch Captain (Watch 1) | ||
| Watch Captain (Watch 2) | ||
| Shore contact |
Complete before departure.
Pre-Race Reading (optional)
- Card 09 — Squall & Frontal Response
- Card 04 — Gulf Stream Entry
- Card 02 — Offshore Approach
- Sail Inventory — know the code names before you arrive