Last weekend was the Keuka end of the Home & Home regatta, aka NY State Championships, for E-Scows. Since this is an off year for my E-Scow sailing, this was probably the biggest event of the year for me in E's. The visiting boats gave us I think 13 on the starting line, a pretty good showing. Six races were planned for Saturday and Sunday. But on Saturday morning rain storms and poor wind forecast had most of us believing the whole weekend would be a bust.
But Mother Nature came through. About 1:00 Saturday an interesting little North wind filtered out of the Branchport branch of the lake. The RC drove up the branch a little and set us a nice short course to at least get us sailing. We spent the entire weekend in the branch sailing very similar courses. It was nice. The shores came into play.
By the start of the first race we were sitting high side, sometimes depowering the boat. These conditions are where we excel. George and I seem to have a pretty good feel for each other's sailing. I spent the day working the vang and traveller upwind letting him steer a better race. We outpointed and out raced almost everyone there.
In race 1 we dropped the kite onto the offset mark, picking it up with us. We had to bring it aboard to unwrap the sheet before we could even do our turn. That put us in a hole that took some work to get out of. We recovered to third right behind Rick Turner.
In race 2 we had a stellar start. But Rick had better downwind speed and took the race from us.
In race 3 we fought a close race to come back at the last mark to pass and win. Rick was third.
So we were tied with Rick after day 1 with Mark Turner 3 points behind us. It was setting up to be a 2-boat battle on day 2.
We awoke to little to no air, a good sign on a south thermal lake. The North was beating the south down. We had a scheduled 9:00 start. About 9:00 the wind came up and we started the race about 10:00 in similar conditions and course to Saturday.
Race 1 and 2 we won. I'm fuzzy on the detail at this point. I know we nailed one start and blew another but won both races. Rick had a pair of seconds right behind us. In the first race of the day we were a couple feet beside Rick when his crew flipped out of the boat. He lost half the fleet but had an incredible first downwind to get back to third and beat Bob Cole on the last leg to get back to second.
So going into the last race we needed to be within 2 places of Rick. If he won we had to be third to win the regatta. It was actually a pretty good cushion. We started middle of the line with speed. It was a good start until 10 seconds later we heard our number called on the radio. We were over early. All the placing came into play for the rest of the race. Where was Rick? How many boats do we need to pick up?
Rick rounded the top mark second way behind Bob Cole but not too far in front of us. But we had traffic, and lost of it. We rounded 6th and were forced to gybe out early away from the puff. Rick extended on our pack. We got to 5th by the bottom mark. The gap to 4th was huge. We closed all of it by the top mark. Rick was still in 2nd way behind Bob and we passed to take 4th just after the top mark. It was looking good.
Rick blazed downwind in clean air cutting Bob's lead to nothing. We had to deal with traffic and bad air to fight to stay in 4th 1/3 of a leg behind the leaders. At the bottom mark we slipped to 5th behind Hudsons. We split tacks, worked extremely hard...at this point all of my 47 years of age were beating me into submission. I could not breathe, raise my arms, or think. My vision was closing in at one point. After a small respite I could hike, which I did.
Half way up the last leg we saw a very tight finish up ahead. No idea if Rick won. If he did all this fighting for 4th place was for naught. But we fought our way up and finished a clean 4th. As we crossed the line we asked the RC who won. Rick had won the race with a huge comeback. The disappointment was pretty heavy. We lost the regatta by a point.
But then the RC said we ended up with 8 points, which was confusing. Finishes of 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4 gave us 12 points. Rick had 2, 1, 3, 2, 2, 1 for 11 points. About half way in to shore we figured out there must be a throwout race with 6 races. If so, we tie Rick and win the tiebreaker. This was in fact the case. We didn't need to sail the last race. We had the regatta won after 5. If we read the sailing instructions we would have known that.
So race 6 was the most intense in years. The pack boats made a huge difference in the outcome of our race. The amount of work to get 4th was more than any win. And it all didn't mean a thing.
Rick sailed a great regatta. But we did too. We made mistakes, he made mistakes, and in the end we barely prevailed.
It is now late Monday night (on vacation). My pain meds have worn off and I feel my back pain again. I have recovered enough to walk. I finally peed Sunday night about 11 for the first time since Sunday morning so I had rehydrated. My hands are still swollen. My wedding ring won't get even close to my knuckle. My sunburn is easing. I can almost straighten my arms again. I have regained some grip strength, enough to do normal things like squeeze toothpaste onto a brush.
Even in my exhausted condition, it was worth it. That was some of the best sailing we have done in awhile. It makes me want to sail E-Scows more. Or it at least keeps me competitively sailing E-Scows past my youth. I need to get in shape so these weekends don't kill me.
Three weeks until the next E-Scow sailing. MC-Scow sailing next weekend. I should be recovered by then.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
A 6-Race Day
Sunday 7/23 we had a very pleasant south wind in the morning that was forecast to remain for the day with maybe a little SW at some point. Six E-Scows ventured out for the morning's race. We were conspicuously missing Bob Cole who was at the MC-Scow Masters Championships.
For fun we mounted the GoProc camera on the mast facing back. That was fine until the first douse ripped it off and took it into the boat with the sail. It is surprising we did not lose it on the next hoist.
Start 1 was good. George was down the line from the boat. Brent Penwarden won the boat. As soon as we had just enough clearance over Joe Meade we tacked to port. We ducked just behind Brent and headed right. I turned to George and said "That's the race." It was. Brent continued East into lighter breeze while we picked up a nice shift and pressure. We were first at the mark and extended.
Start 2 was similar. We lazily approached the line just below a boat and above and ahead of Hudsons. With seconds to go William luffed us up into the lee of the boat to windward. but we had enough forward momentum to go over William and lee bow the boat above us. We led the remainder of the race.
After lunch the wind had remained. We had 7 MC-Scows for the afternoon, a little light.
Race 1 (2 laps) I started down the line a ways. I was able to get out pretty quickly, get some good shifts and lead at the top mark by a few lengths over a charging pack of Steve Bender, Brent Penwarden, and Sean Treacy. I held on losing some of my lead but still rounding first. I extended on the long windward and held that to the end.
Race 2 (1 lap) the wind started to lighten up. The course was too long for a 2-lap so we shortened it to one. At the start I held back out to the right, timed a run and squeezed into a slot at the boat about 5 seconds late. I had full speed though and controlled the right. I picked some good shifts and ended up leading at the top by a couple lengths over Brent. I held that lead to the next mark by protecting the inside. I survived Brent's attempt to shoot up inside at the mark and covered to the end to win the race.
Race 3 (1 lap) showed some SE shifts early. I tried to port tack the fleet but was thwarted by Sean who I ducked. But I was able to cross everyone else, get right and lead at the top mark with Sean about 5 lengths behind me. I kept just West of him to protect the inside at the next mark. I rounded ahead but not by much, not enough to keep a tight cover. He tacked out from under me, picked the shifts right and was able to get clear of me. I tacked into a particularly nasty set of powerboat waves that certainly didn't help. It was a long drag race to the finish line where Sean beat me by about 1 second. It was a close fun race. It was also the first time since July 4, that I trailed in a race at any point.
Race 4 was more of the same. This time I successfully port tacked the fleet and headed out to the right, just like I had in three races prior. I decided to push it all the way to the corner because I was lazy, and saw something over there for pressure. Three boats went to the left corner, 2 up the middle, and the others were with me. The fleet was as spread out as possible when the next air came in, a 40 degree shift to the left. I was hung out to dry. The three boats to the left made huge gains. I was way behind in near last place. I held my port tack through the new wind waiting for the shift back. There was some oscillation but not nearly enough. I came back to the fleet and held a header to cross them and get left on what was left of the leg. I picked up a couple boats and some distance by coming into the top mark from the left. but I rounded fifth, about 2 minutes after the leaders.
The leaders held onto that SE wind and rode it to the east side of the course on the downwind. I split from them seeing something new coming up the lake. Spencer Jenkins who rounded in 6th right behind me also went west but much much farther than me. He was first into the new breeze, I was second, and Sean Treacy who had come back from the east pack picked up the lead. At the bottom mark I rounded third behind Sean and Spencer. Sean had a problem with his board and rounded slowly. Spencer had no place to go but inside and unfortunately hit Sean. I was trying to round on Spencer's transom and ended up also in trouble as Spencer slowed. I had no place to go but between the two. Fortunately there was room. But now I was trapped. I tried to talk Spencer into his penalty turn but he wasn't very quick on it. So I slowed and ducked behind him to get left. Sean covered. And that is the way we finished. I was happy as a clam to recover to a second place though.
All in all, four firsts and two seconds for the day. A good day of sailing. Getting off the water at 4:30 and home by 5:00 was quite late though. I'm quite tired today.
Next week is a regatta weekend, the second half of the NYS Champonships for E-Scows at Keuka.
For fun we mounted the GoProc camera on the mast facing back. That was fine until the first douse ripped it off and took it into the boat with the sail. It is surprising we did not lose it on the next hoist.
Start 1 was good. George was down the line from the boat. Brent Penwarden won the boat. As soon as we had just enough clearance over Joe Meade we tacked to port. We ducked just behind Brent and headed right. I turned to George and said "That's the race." It was. Brent continued East into lighter breeze while we picked up a nice shift and pressure. We were first at the mark and extended.
Start 2 was similar. We lazily approached the line just below a boat and above and ahead of Hudsons. With seconds to go William luffed us up into the lee of the boat to windward. but we had enough forward momentum to go over William and lee bow the boat above us. We led the remainder of the race.
After lunch the wind had remained. We had 7 MC-Scows for the afternoon, a little light.
Race 1 (2 laps) I started down the line a ways. I was able to get out pretty quickly, get some good shifts and lead at the top mark by a few lengths over a charging pack of Steve Bender, Brent Penwarden, and Sean Treacy. I held on losing some of my lead but still rounding first. I extended on the long windward and held that to the end.
Race 2 (1 lap) the wind started to lighten up. The course was too long for a 2-lap so we shortened it to one. At the start I held back out to the right, timed a run and squeezed into a slot at the boat about 5 seconds late. I had full speed though and controlled the right. I picked some good shifts and ended up leading at the top by a couple lengths over Brent. I held that lead to the next mark by protecting the inside. I survived Brent's attempt to shoot up inside at the mark and covered to the end to win the race.
Race 3 (1 lap) showed some SE shifts early. I tried to port tack the fleet but was thwarted by Sean who I ducked. But I was able to cross everyone else, get right and lead at the top mark with Sean about 5 lengths behind me. I kept just West of him to protect the inside at the next mark. I rounded ahead but not by much, not enough to keep a tight cover. He tacked out from under me, picked the shifts right and was able to get clear of me. I tacked into a particularly nasty set of powerboat waves that certainly didn't help. It was a long drag race to the finish line where Sean beat me by about 1 second. It was a close fun race. It was also the first time since July 4, that I trailed in a race at any point.
Race 4 was more of the same. This time I successfully port tacked the fleet and headed out to the right, just like I had in three races prior. I decided to push it all the way to the corner because I was lazy, and saw something over there for pressure. Three boats went to the left corner, 2 up the middle, and the others were with me. The fleet was as spread out as possible when the next air came in, a 40 degree shift to the left. I was hung out to dry. The three boats to the left made huge gains. I was way behind in near last place. I held my port tack through the new wind waiting for the shift back. There was some oscillation but not nearly enough. I came back to the fleet and held a header to cross them and get left on what was left of the leg. I picked up a couple boats and some distance by coming into the top mark from the left. but I rounded fifth, about 2 minutes after the leaders.
The leaders held onto that SE wind and rode it to the east side of the course on the downwind. I split from them seeing something new coming up the lake. Spencer Jenkins who rounded in 6th right behind me also went west but much much farther than me. He was first into the new breeze, I was second, and Sean Treacy who had come back from the east pack picked up the lead. At the bottom mark I rounded third behind Sean and Spencer. Sean had a problem with his board and rounded slowly. Spencer had no place to go but inside and unfortunately hit Sean. I was trying to round on Spencer's transom and ended up also in trouble as Spencer slowed. I had no place to go but between the two. Fortunately there was room. But now I was trapped. I tried to talk Spencer into his penalty turn but he wasn't very quick on it. So I slowed and ducked behind him to get left. Sean covered. And that is the way we finished. I was happy as a clam to recover to a second place though.
All in all, four firsts and two seconds for the day. A good day of sailing. Getting off the water at 4:30 and home by 5:00 was quite late though. I'm quite tired today.
Next week is a regatta weekend, the second half of the NYS Champonships for E-Scows at Keuka.
Monday, July 16, 2012
America's Cup Update
There was no racing yesterday so I thought I'd take a bit of time to explain what is happening in the AC world.
The AC office is moving to San Francisco a week from today. The next AC World Series event is in SF August 21-26. This will start the 2012-2013 season.
This is the beginning of overlapping time frames for many teams. The AC45 boats are the World Series boats. The AC 70 boats (twice the size, twice the speed) also start their testing for many teams. So don't get confused.
TEAMS
Who are the teams competing for the cup? There are officially 8 teams. Of those, 7 exist, 5 have real programs, and 4 have confirmed funding through the cup.
ARTEMIS RACING
Country: Sweden
Sponsor: apparently none?
Principal: Torbjorn Tornqvist
CEO: Paul Cayard
Helmsman: Terry Hutchinson
Employees: about 55
This team is the only one to come from the world of multihull racing at its heart. Artemis was the first to sail wing foil sails in the C Class Catamaran series. They have had a lot of success. They are fully staffed with about 60 people. They have a 1-boat program for the AC45 and have competed in all 6 events to date. They have not won an fleet racing event yet but got second in the first event. but more importantly, they won the overall match racing title for the season. The cup will be a match racing event. Expect these guys to be favorites.
BAR
Country: England
Sponsor: none
Principal: Ben Ainslie
CEO: Ben Ainslie
Helmsman: Ben Ainslie
Employees: 4
The team does not exist. There is no AC45, no AC70, no staff, and no program. Why they are listed as an official team is beyond me. I fully expect Ben will join up with another team after the Olympics. but even so, he is a small boat sailor with no multihull or wing experience. Good luck.
CHINA
Country: China
Sponsor: none
Principal: Wang Chaoyong
CEO: Thierry Barot
Helmsman: Phil Robertson (who?)
Employees: about 20 and hiring
This team is an extension of the state sponsored sailing program in China. The team members are for the most part part of the Chinese national sailing program. They built their AC45 in China. They picked up Phil Robertson, who is a keel boat match racing circuit star, for one event in Venice where he finished 4th in race 5, and pretty much last the rest of the week. Nobody knows if they have an AC70 in the works. I doubt it. Don't expect much from this team.
EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND
Country: New Zealand
Sponsor: Fly Emirates
Principal: Grant Dalton
CEO: Dean Barker
Helmsman: Dean Barker
Employees: about 45
This is the same team that has persisted for years to compete for the cup. They shifted from monohulls to catamarans and wings. Their learning curve is progressing well. They have a 1-boat AC45 campaign finishing 2nd overall in the 6 event 2011-2012 series and always finishing in the top three. Their AC70 launches in a week. They are moderately financed as a single boat campaign, but skilled enough to win it. I expect them to end up third though.
ENERGY
Country: France
Sponsor: Corum (possibly ended)
Principal/CEO: Bruno Peyron
Helmsman: Loick Peyron / Yann Guichard
Employees: about 15
France's best monohull sailor teamed with France's best multihull sailor (Loick/Yann). On a shoestring budget this team put together an AC45 boat, finished 4th overall and won the Venice regatta. This is France's best opportunity to win the cup ever. Unfortunately their funding may be drying up. They have until August 1 to come up with funds. If they cannot, they are done.
LUNA ROSSA CHALLENGE 2013
Country: Italy
Sponsor: Prada
Principal/CEO: Patrizzio Bertelli
Helmsman: Massimiliano Sirena, Paul Campbell-James, Chris Draper
Employees: 60+
This team arrived late to the party. Bertelli was a spectator at the second event. He was impressed, and explored the possibility. Sponsors liked it and by the 4th event there were TWO AC45 Prada boats competing. They then proceeded to win 2 of the 3 regattas they competed in. In some sort of under the table weird agreement, Prada and New Zealand are sharing technologies, gear, or whatever. They both will be sailing in New Zealand out of the same base in their AC72s. Prada is building their hulls in Italy to conform to the rules, then assembling the boat with all other components built in New Zealand. Hmmm. They are REALLY well funded and should be right there with New Zealand fighting to win the cup.
ORACLE RACING
Country: USA
Sponsor: Oracle
Principal: Larry Ellison
CEO: Russell Couts
Helmsman: James Spithill, Russell Couts
Employees: about 60
Defenders of the cup, Larry Ellison put together an all-star team. With a well finance 2-boat AC45 program, Jimmy Spithill won the fleet racing and was second overall in the match racing. Worrisome is that Spithill is 2 for 6 in match race titles, and Couts is 1 for 6. They may be fast in fleet racing but they need to win the cup in match racing. The AC70 boat is well under way and is expected to be on the water soon. They will be one of the serious contenders.
TEAM KOREA
Country: Korea
Sponsor: none
Principal/CEO: Kim Dong-Young
Helmsman: Nathan Outteridge
Emplyess: about 15
This team is brand new to the sport and has made it clear this is a learning experience with further future involvement expected. They have a 1-boat AC45 campaign. Nathan is a Moth / 49er sailor with little multihull experience. The team made a big splash by getting 2nd in the first match race event, and 4th in the last fleet race event. But in general they are mid-pack at best. There is no word on their AC70 development. If they build a boat and make it to the final four it will be a massive upset.
Overall AC Status?
The event has been scaled WAY back from the Formula One wanna-be plans they had. NBC is still covering the racing live in August and in 2013 for the cup. Newport live coverage ratings were good. But the city of San Francisco and various lawsuits and crap may curb the event even further. It is an uphill battle to build a sailing venue on the city owned piers. We'll see a number of AC45 events around the world over the next 6-9 months too.
I predict we see 4 or 5 AC70 boats built, and only 4 make it to the cup event with funding intact (Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and USA). But those 4 will be damn impressive to watch. We're talking about 11-person 70-foot boats with 130-foot wing sails travelling at speeds in excess of 40 knots. Chase and camera powerboats are being specially built to travel fast enough.
Between now and January 1, any AC70 launched is limited to 30 days of on-the-water trials. This is an attempt to limit expense and level the playing field, similar to the "no testing" rules in F1. I'm looking forward to the first video of a 70-foot boat stuffing the bow and tossing 11 people through the wing. Helmets and life jackets for everyone.
The AC office is moving to San Francisco a week from today. The next AC World Series event is in SF August 21-26. This will start the 2012-2013 season.
This is the beginning of overlapping time frames for many teams. The AC45 boats are the World Series boats. The AC 70 boats (twice the size, twice the speed) also start their testing for many teams. So don't get confused.
TEAMS
Who are the teams competing for the cup? There are officially 8 teams. Of those, 7 exist, 5 have real programs, and 4 have confirmed funding through the cup.
ARTEMIS RACING
Country: Sweden
Sponsor: apparently none?
Principal: Torbjorn Tornqvist
CEO: Paul Cayard
Helmsman: Terry Hutchinson
Employees: about 55
This team is the only one to come from the world of multihull racing at its heart. Artemis was the first to sail wing foil sails in the C Class Catamaran series. They have had a lot of success. They are fully staffed with about 60 people. They have a 1-boat program for the AC45 and have competed in all 6 events to date. They have not won an fleet racing event yet but got second in the first event. but more importantly, they won the overall match racing title for the season. The cup will be a match racing event. Expect these guys to be favorites.
BAR
Country: England
Sponsor: none
Principal: Ben Ainslie
CEO: Ben Ainslie
Helmsman: Ben Ainslie
Employees: 4
The team does not exist. There is no AC45, no AC70, no staff, and no program. Why they are listed as an official team is beyond me. I fully expect Ben will join up with another team after the Olympics. but even so, he is a small boat sailor with no multihull or wing experience. Good luck.
CHINA
Country: China
Sponsor: none
Principal: Wang Chaoyong
CEO: Thierry Barot
Helmsman: Phil Robertson (who?)
Employees: about 20 and hiring
This team is an extension of the state sponsored sailing program in China. The team members are for the most part part of the Chinese national sailing program. They built their AC45 in China. They picked up Phil Robertson, who is a keel boat match racing circuit star, for one event in Venice where he finished 4th in race 5, and pretty much last the rest of the week. Nobody knows if they have an AC70 in the works. I doubt it. Don't expect much from this team.
EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND
Country: New Zealand
Sponsor: Fly Emirates
Principal: Grant Dalton
CEO: Dean Barker
Helmsman: Dean Barker
Employees: about 45
This is the same team that has persisted for years to compete for the cup. They shifted from monohulls to catamarans and wings. Their learning curve is progressing well. They have a 1-boat AC45 campaign finishing 2nd overall in the 6 event 2011-2012 series and always finishing in the top three. Their AC70 launches in a week. They are moderately financed as a single boat campaign, but skilled enough to win it. I expect them to end up third though.
ENERGY
Country: France
Sponsor: Corum (possibly ended)
Principal/CEO: Bruno Peyron
Helmsman: Loick Peyron / Yann Guichard
Employees: about 15
France's best monohull sailor teamed with France's best multihull sailor (Loick/Yann). On a shoestring budget this team put together an AC45 boat, finished 4th overall and won the Venice regatta. This is France's best opportunity to win the cup ever. Unfortunately their funding may be drying up. They have until August 1 to come up with funds. If they cannot, they are done.
LUNA ROSSA CHALLENGE 2013
Country: Italy
Sponsor: Prada
Principal/CEO: Patrizzio Bertelli
Helmsman: Massimiliano Sirena, Paul Campbell-James, Chris Draper
Employees: 60+
This team arrived late to the party. Bertelli was a spectator at the second event. He was impressed, and explored the possibility. Sponsors liked it and by the 4th event there were TWO AC45 Prada boats competing. They then proceeded to win 2 of the 3 regattas they competed in. In some sort of under the table weird agreement, Prada and New Zealand are sharing technologies, gear, or whatever. They both will be sailing in New Zealand out of the same base in their AC72s. Prada is building their hulls in Italy to conform to the rules, then assembling the boat with all other components built in New Zealand. Hmmm. They are REALLY well funded and should be right there with New Zealand fighting to win the cup.
ORACLE RACING
Country: USA
Sponsor: Oracle
Principal: Larry Ellison
CEO: Russell Couts
Helmsman: James Spithill, Russell Couts
Employees: about 60
Defenders of the cup, Larry Ellison put together an all-star team. With a well finance 2-boat AC45 program, Jimmy Spithill won the fleet racing and was second overall in the match racing. Worrisome is that Spithill is 2 for 6 in match race titles, and Couts is 1 for 6. They may be fast in fleet racing but they need to win the cup in match racing. The AC70 boat is well under way and is expected to be on the water soon. They will be one of the serious contenders.
TEAM KOREA
Country: Korea
Sponsor: none
Principal/CEO: Kim Dong-Young
Helmsman: Nathan Outteridge
Emplyess: about 15
This team is brand new to the sport and has made it clear this is a learning experience with further future involvement expected. They have a 1-boat AC45 campaign. Nathan is a Moth / 49er sailor with little multihull experience. The team made a big splash by getting 2nd in the first match race event, and 4th in the last fleet race event. But in general they are mid-pack at best. There is no word on their AC70 development. If they build a boat and make it to the final four it will be a massive upset.
Overall AC Status?
The event has been scaled WAY back from the Formula One wanna-be plans they had. NBC is still covering the racing live in August and in 2013 for the cup. Newport live coverage ratings were good. But the city of San Francisco and various lawsuits and crap may curb the event even further. It is an uphill battle to build a sailing venue on the city owned piers. We'll see a number of AC45 events around the world over the next 6-9 months too.
I predict we see 4 or 5 AC70 boats built, and only 4 make it to the cup event with funding intact (Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and USA). But those 4 will be damn impressive to watch. We're talking about 11-person 70-foot boats with 130-foot wing sails travelling at speeds in excess of 40 knots. Chase and camera powerboats are being specially built to travel fast enough.
Between now and January 1, any AC70 launched is limited to 30 days of on-the-water trials. This is an attempt to limit expense and level the playing field, similar to the "no testing" rules in F1. I'm looking forward to the first video of a 70-foot boat stuffing the bow and tossing 11 people through the wing. Helmets and life jackets for everyone.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Another Exhausting Day
E-Scows: 1 race, 1st place
MC-Scows: 3 races, finishes of 1, 1, 1
Sunday was the third race day in 8, and all were exhausting. When I awoke Sunday morning about 8:30 there was no wind. In fact while I was awake from 1:30 - 3:30 watching and listening to the flotilla party off our shore there was also no wind. When I awoke on the deck at 5:30 there was no wind. So I was in no mood to sail a drifter. In fact I was lazy getting to the club. but on the way over the North wind started to show up, but not very strong.
We launched and headed for the starting line. The RC successfully placed the line in the exact spot on the lake where there was no wind, the confluence of the two branches. The too-short line had North wind at the pin, and NNE at the boat. But in reality there was little to no wind. So the RC postponed. For about 1/2 an hour we waited, then opted to try anyway.
Race 1: The start was unusual with a right shift, line square to the mark, and air down the left side of the course. Anywhere on the line was probably fine but getting left sooner was the key. but with the right shift 4 of the 6 boats ended up over early. We even were early missing the pin and having to circle around. But the general recall saved us. On start 2, we were pushed over early and had to bail out over the top of Cole to dip start. I think we made it down to dip cleanly but we were again recalled. That is 2 recalls in one day, actually 2 recalls in probably 10 years.
By start 3 the wind had picked up. We held back but still were very very close to the line. In fact after the race I found out at the gun half the starting pin was hidden by our bow making us exactly on the line. We went left, lost a little time on boat speed, and barely held on to be 3rd at the top mark behind William Hudson and Bob Cole. On the run Hudson and Cole ahead of us played a bit with each other letting us close the gap. We rounded second nose to tail between Hudson and Cole. Upwind every inch counted. We seemed to hold our own against Hudson and picked up some distance on Cole. At the long layline from the left corner Hudson overstood. But he was able to reach down and blanket us, as we also did to Cole. We rounded 5 lengths behind Hudson and 8 ahead of Cole. We quickly closed the gap to Hudson as they had some boat handling issues. But we were unable to clear below them so we did a quick double gybe to clear. We didn't lose that much but it wasn't the move to let us pass. At the bottom mark we were all about the same still, maybe closer.
The final beat would decide the race. Off the bottom mark Hudson led out on port. We followed for 10 seconds or so then tacked first. Hudson tacked right away to cover. We got headed as we wet left and also climbed high putting Hudson in our dirty air. He tacked right and we went left. That split put Hudson on top of Cole out to the right and us alone left. We got the better wind and won the race by 10 seconds or so.
MC-SCOWS
In the afternoon the wind held 8-12 with occasional short shots to maybe 14. It was a nice wind with smaller passing lanes, very competitive. A couple E-Scow skippers were missing including bob Cole and William Hudson as they continued to pack up their E-Scows for next weekend's regatta.
Race 1 (2 long laps) I won the pin and went left. But the 5 other boats were right on my hip locking me out left. I struggled to get enough speed to be able to tack and cross. A little past the layline I went for it barely clearing. I tracked down and sped into the mark getting there 1 length ahead of Brent Penwarden. I rounded hard and protected the inside at the next mark from the moment I rounded the top mark. Brent nearly passed me a number of times but I would then drift behind him and blanket him reclaiming the inside. We rounded nose to tail at the bottom mark and spent most of the next leg side by side. On the last tack to the mark I was able to just cover a bit and walk away to a 6-8 length lead at the mark. I held on to that to the finish. It took until the mid point of the run before I was comfortable. Brent is getting faster by the day.
Race 2 (1 shorter lap) started in much lighter air but quickly built back up. I was 1 up from the pin and was slow. At the layline I had to tack and hard duck Steve Bender. Brent Penwarden tried to tack below me but I was already bow down and simply went over him when I came up. I ground out a lead at the top mark and held on to win.
Race 3 (1 shorter lap) I tried to stay boat end but got caught up in traffic. So I reached hard and got to the pin to win it. The it was pretty much the same. I had to get the 2 boat lengths on Brent and Steve to get the lead by the top mark which I held onto for the win.
So for the first time in quite awhile I had an undefeated day. For the season now I have five wins and a second. It feels good. but my body certainly is rebelling. It could have been worse with 2 E-Scow races and 4 MC races.
Next week is light with no E-Scows and a light MC fleet. But I think I will try to get some good exercise between now and then, maybe keeping up with what little arm strength building I have done in the past week.
MC-Scows: 3 races, finishes of 1, 1, 1
Sunday was the third race day in 8, and all were exhausting. When I awoke Sunday morning about 8:30 there was no wind. In fact while I was awake from 1:30 - 3:30 watching and listening to the flotilla party off our shore there was also no wind. When I awoke on the deck at 5:30 there was no wind. So I was in no mood to sail a drifter. In fact I was lazy getting to the club. but on the way over the North wind started to show up, but not very strong.
We launched and headed for the starting line. The RC successfully placed the line in the exact spot on the lake where there was no wind, the confluence of the two branches. The too-short line had North wind at the pin, and NNE at the boat. But in reality there was little to no wind. So the RC postponed. For about 1/2 an hour we waited, then opted to try anyway.
Race 1: The start was unusual with a right shift, line square to the mark, and air down the left side of the course. Anywhere on the line was probably fine but getting left sooner was the key. but with the right shift 4 of the 6 boats ended up over early. We even were early missing the pin and having to circle around. But the general recall saved us. On start 2, we were pushed over early and had to bail out over the top of Cole to dip start. I think we made it down to dip cleanly but we were again recalled. That is 2 recalls in one day, actually 2 recalls in probably 10 years.
By start 3 the wind had picked up. We held back but still were very very close to the line. In fact after the race I found out at the gun half the starting pin was hidden by our bow making us exactly on the line. We went left, lost a little time on boat speed, and barely held on to be 3rd at the top mark behind William Hudson and Bob Cole. On the run Hudson and Cole ahead of us played a bit with each other letting us close the gap. We rounded second nose to tail between Hudson and Cole. Upwind every inch counted. We seemed to hold our own against Hudson and picked up some distance on Cole. At the long layline from the left corner Hudson overstood. But he was able to reach down and blanket us, as we also did to Cole. We rounded 5 lengths behind Hudson and 8 ahead of Cole. We quickly closed the gap to Hudson as they had some boat handling issues. But we were unable to clear below them so we did a quick double gybe to clear. We didn't lose that much but it wasn't the move to let us pass. At the bottom mark we were all about the same still, maybe closer.
The final beat would decide the race. Off the bottom mark Hudson led out on port. We followed for 10 seconds or so then tacked first. Hudson tacked right away to cover. We got headed as we wet left and also climbed high putting Hudson in our dirty air. He tacked right and we went left. That split put Hudson on top of Cole out to the right and us alone left. We got the better wind and won the race by 10 seconds or so.
MC-SCOWS
In the afternoon the wind held 8-12 with occasional short shots to maybe 14. It was a nice wind with smaller passing lanes, very competitive. A couple E-Scow skippers were missing including bob Cole and William Hudson as they continued to pack up their E-Scows for next weekend's regatta.
Race 1 (2 long laps) I won the pin and went left. But the 5 other boats were right on my hip locking me out left. I struggled to get enough speed to be able to tack and cross. A little past the layline I went for it barely clearing. I tracked down and sped into the mark getting there 1 length ahead of Brent Penwarden. I rounded hard and protected the inside at the next mark from the moment I rounded the top mark. Brent nearly passed me a number of times but I would then drift behind him and blanket him reclaiming the inside. We rounded nose to tail at the bottom mark and spent most of the next leg side by side. On the last tack to the mark I was able to just cover a bit and walk away to a 6-8 length lead at the mark. I held on to that to the finish. It took until the mid point of the run before I was comfortable. Brent is getting faster by the day.
Race 2 (1 shorter lap) started in much lighter air but quickly built back up. I was 1 up from the pin and was slow. At the layline I had to tack and hard duck Steve Bender. Brent Penwarden tried to tack below me but I was already bow down and simply went over him when I came up. I ground out a lead at the top mark and held on to win.
Race 3 (1 shorter lap) I tried to stay boat end but got caught up in traffic. So I reached hard and got to the pin to win it. The it was pretty much the same. I had to get the 2 boat lengths on Brent and Steve to get the lead by the top mark which I held onto for the win.
So for the first time in quite awhile I had an undefeated day. For the season now I have five wins and a second. It feels good. but my body certainly is rebelling. It could have been worse with 2 E-Scow races and 4 MC races.
Next week is light with no E-Scows and a light MC fleet. But I think I will try to get some good exercise between now and then, maybe keeping up with what little arm strength building I have done in the past week.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
July 4, 2012
Winds SW 5-10. Forecast 10-20 SW. GoPro camera onboard for E-Scows.
George started mid line aiming to go left. Bob Cole started toward the boat. William Hudson toward the pin. Others sailed but were not a factor in either race. Bob out to the right got a little better wind. On the first cross he was ahead. On the second cross we picked him up. Coming back to the layline bob tacked short of us and accelerated better to lead at the top mark followed by us then William.
Our set was less than stellar. We lost distance on Bob. On the rest of the leg we struggled for speed while Bob sailed lower and faster. The rest of the race stayed like that with us making some gains then losing more. In the end we lost by about 30 seconds.
Race 2 was more of the same. But this time we led at the top mark and extended. At the bottom mark the wind went crazy Ivan. We escaped with only a small lead. Half way upwind Crazy Ivan reappeared and Bob scooted through and below us. But the silliness continued. We were 8-10 boat lengths to the West and behind. And just like that we got a shot, rode over the top of Bob and the race was over. The wind clocked right for awhile. We led the next two marks and held on through the some more crazy stuff to win.
After just 2 days of sailing Steve Brown is showing real promise. We are talking details with him rather than big things. The boat is moving well enough for the old boat that it is.
MC-Scow sailing was more of the same but a little more West. 11 boats including John Anderson's first time out.
Start 1 was a quick 1-lap short course. I wanted mid line on starboard, which I timed well, I think. I suspect I was over the line and the RC was very lenient. But my number was never called and I was scored a finish. I rounded the top mark just a length or two in front of William Hudson. He proceeded to spank my butt all the way down to the leeward mark. Lucky for me he missed the board drop, rounded wide and slow and I was actually able to pass outside and go on to win.
Race 2 (2 laps) I was more conservative but still on the line. I was sort of holding the fleet on starboard. I was somehow just able to flop to port first and scoot ahead of the fleet and round in the lead. Brent rounded just behind me, I think. Tough to remember. I held the lead to the bottom mark. On the windward leg I was the first to tack on the header splitting a bit. From there I stayed exactly in phase on every tack and watched the fleet tack on lifts and drive wrong ways all the way up. I rounded minutes ahead of second. From there I coasted to a long lead win.
Race 3 was another 2 lap. The line was port favored. So I started on Starboard mid line. I was bow out and going well but held out left much farther than I wanted to go. Brent went way right and led at the top mark with me second. He held that to the bottom mark. On the long windward I worked out to the right of him crossing ahead with only 1/4 of the leg remaining. I rounded 3-4 lengths in front of him. I promptly lost that distance on the run and we rounded close at the bottom. I was ahead and on top of him when I got a nice big header. I was expecting it and tacked for the finish line. Brent did not. I quickly got headed. We split to opposite sides. I expected my SW shift and Brent expected his NW. He got his wish and reached into the finish 5 lengths clear ahead of me.
So on the day it was 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 for finishes. Very nice. Very tiring. Time for a double rum and some fireworks.
George started mid line aiming to go left. Bob Cole started toward the boat. William Hudson toward the pin. Others sailed but were not a factor in either race. Bob out to the right got a little better wind. On the first cross he was ahead. On the second cross we picked him up. Coming back to the layline bob tacked short of us and accelerated better to lead at the top mark followed by us then William.
Our set was less than stellar. We lost distance on Bob. On the rest of the leg we struggled for speed while Bob sailed lower and faster. The rest of the race stayed like that with us making some gains then losing more. In the end we lost by about 30 seconds.
Race 2 was more of the same. But this time we led at the top mark and extended. At the bottom mark the wind went crazy Ivan. We escaped with only a small lead. Half way upwind Crazy Ivan reappeared and Bob scooted through and below us. But the silliness continued. We were 8-10 boat lengths to the West and behind. And just like that we got a shot, rode over the top of Bob and the race was over. The wind clocked right for awhile. We led the next two marks and held on through the some more crazy stuff to win.
After just 2 days of sailing Steve Brown is showing real promise. We are talking details with him rather than big things. The boat is moving well enough for the old boat that it is.
MC-Scow sailing was more of the same but a little more West. 11 boats including John Anderson's first time out.
Start 1 was a quick 1-lap short course. I wanted mid line on starboard, which I timed well, I think. I suspect I was over the line and the RC was very lenient. But my number was never called and I was scored a finish. I rounded the top mark just a length or two in front of William Hudson. He proceeded to spank my butt all the way down to the leeward mark. Lucky for me he missed the board drop, rounded wide and slow and I was actually able to pass outside and go on to win.
Race 2 (2 laps) I was more conservative but still on the line. I was sort of holding the fleet on starboard. I was somehow just able to flop to port first and scoot ahead of the fleet and round in the lead. Brent rounded just behind me, I think. Tough to remember. I held the lead to the bottom mark. On the windward leg I was the first to tack on the header splitting a bit. From there I stayed exactly in phase on every tack and watched the fleet tack on lifts and drive wrong ways all the way up. I rounded minutes ahead of second. From there I coasted to a long lead win.
Race 3 was another 2 lap. The line was port favored. So I started on Starboard mid line. I was bow out and going well but held out left much farther than I wanted to go. Brent went way right and led at the top mark with me second. He held that to the bottom mark. On the long windward I worked out to the right of him crossing ahead with only 1/4 of the leg remaining. I rounded 3-4 lengths in front of him. I promptly lost that distance on the run and we rounded close at the bottom. I was ahead and on top of him when I got a nice big header. I was expecting it and tacked for the finish line. Brent did not. I quickly got headed. We split to opposite sides. I expected my SW shift and Brent expected his NW. He got his wish and reached into the finish 5 lengths clear ahead of me.
So on the day it was 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 for finishes. Very nice. Very tiring. Time for a double rum and some fireworks.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Keuka in July
Sunday's racing had a few pretty good rides, including one afternoon downwind blast in the MC-Scow that rivaled any speed the E-Scow attained that morning.
We had to wait for the South morning thermal to get replaced by the West prevailing wind. So the E-Scow racing started closer to 11 than 10. Steve Brown joined the boat as the new jib man.
At the start the last remaining South was battling the building NW wind right at the starting line. Mid line had no wind, boat end had NW at 5, and pin end had SW at 5-8. So everyone won the start regardless of their position.
But even the blind birds could see the wind on each side of the course. The skill was deciding which side to go for. George opted left. After a dozen tacks and twice as many wind puffs and shifts, we rounded second sandwiched between Bob Cole and Brent Penwarden. We quickly gybed and cleared our air and got a puff the others didn't to extend to a 10 length lead.
We gybed back to consolidate just to find we took ourselves out of the streak. Coming back on port we threaded the itsy bitsy teeny tiny space between the two other boats on starboard. It was just enough clearance to let us get to the left and inside Bob. At the mark we had a good lead which we promptly disposed of by dumping the sea anchor overboard. It took all Steve had to get the spinnaker up out of the lake. We dropped to third.
George did a nice job that leg in a building breeze to pass Brent and close back up the distance with Bob. We rounded close enough to mess with Bob's wind. A few lead changes later Bob made what we thought was an unforced error gybing for the mark too soon. We got inside him, successfully doused the sea anchor without getting it wet, and sailed the last leg a couple lengths in front of Bob to take the win.
The West wind had piped up to about 12-18 with real gut punching shots. Noon had arrived so E-Scow sailing was officially over. (Coincidentally the bar opens at Noon.)
The afternoon was set aside for the first annual Solstice Regatta, originally conceived by Brent Gillette who passed away before seeing it happen. We cancelled MC-Scow sailing in lieu of a single lap of the triangular course set up for this Portsmouth Handicap race. The course was about 6 or 7 miles long.
We launched boats and had the start right off the club main dock, tucked up nicely in the lee of the West hills in the West wind. Needless to say it was a little hairy. I had a great start alone about 2/3 the way out in the lake along the line. I promptly capsized.
Upside down is slow. On your side is a little faster but still not competetive. So I quickly rectified the situation, gathered up my floating debris field, drained my boots, and set off again.
Leg 1 was 1.5 miles from the club to a mark along the bluff about 1/4 mile up the West branch. It was anywhere from a broad reach to a tight beat depending on the shot you were in. I had a fleet of lead-bottom boats ahead of me to plow through. I decided on the next shot I'd simply run deep and go way low of the fleet. What a shot it was. I ended up the third MC, fourth boat at the first mark.
At the mark the wind lulled to 12-15 just in time to let me gybe without having to "chicken gybe." After the rounding I climbed up on Steve bender just ahead of me. When the next shot came I dove low and flew over top of him.
Now "flew" is the right term. This shot was all of 22 mph, probably 25. I was sitting as far back as I could right next to the tiller with only one foot under the strap because the other could not reach. The main was way out sideways. The vang was on about half what I normally would. The bow wave spray was as far back as the middle of the board. I was going way faster than the MC is designed for. But I was gaining like mad on Brent to.
At this point I hear a noise that isn't right. I was probably dropping off a wave. But I look at the rig. The boom is driving the mast sideways something fierce. The mast side bend is unnatural. The tip of the mast is bent so far forward I have mainsail wrinkles going up and away from the spreader. The bend in the tiller from the helm was about 1/2 an inch. The tiller extension (which I should have replaced or repaired weeks ago) is 1/4 from the tiller and coming off. The forces on the side stays were intense.
As we round the end of the bluff and head East to mark 2, the waves and wind build. The tops of the white caps were blowing off. All I needed to do was stuff the bow into a wave and I would be swimming...again. And the forces if that happened could be more than the mast or rig could handle. I don't have insurance nor the funds to deal with any replacements. At this point I was in pure survival mode protecting the boat. I decide the race isn't worth it. If I bail out now I can still make it upwind to the club without tacking.
So I quit.
Now getting from a blasting dead downwind plane to upwind was the next challenge. First I worked my way forward to reach the vang and popped that off. Then I went really deep down wind and kicked the board release. The board worked its way down about 3/4 of the way while I struggled keep upright. I started my slow turn upwind and the boom hit the water. I immediately aborted, tried again at a full hike and was able to round up enough to start trimming in.
The ride back to the club was intense. Of the 23 boats that started, 15 finished including 5 of the 10 MC-Scows. the wind never did really calm down for another 2 hours. According to the nearest WUNDERGROUND.COM weather station, the average gust speed between 2 and 3 PM was 26. That means gusts over and under that. Hmmm.
I don't need to do that again.
I have to keep perspective. The Volvo Open 70's racing through the North Atlantic spent 2 days never going slower than 20 knots. I never was going faster than 15 knotts or so. Those guys have balls.
We had to wait for the South morning thermal to get replaced by the West prevailing wind. So the E-Scow racing started closer to 11 than 10. Steve Brown joined the boat as the new jib man.
At the start the last remaining South was battling the building NW wind right at the starting line. Mid line had no wind, boat end had NW at 5, and pin end had SW at 5-8. So everyone won the start regardless of their position.
But even the blind birds could see the wind on each side of the course. The skill was deciding which side to go for. George opted left. After a dozen tacks and twice as many wind puffs and shifts, we rounded second sandwiched between Bob Cole and Brent Penwarden. We quickly gybed and cleared our air and got a puff the others didn't to extend to a 10 length lead.
We gybed back to consolidate just to find we took ourselves out of the streak. Coming back on port we threaded the itsy bitsy teeny tiny space between the two other boats on starboard. It was just enough clearance to let us get to the left and inside Bob. At the mark we had a good lead which we promptly disposed of by dumping the sea anchor overboard. It took all Steve had to get the spinnaker up out of the lake. We dropped to third.
George did a nice job that leg in a building breeze to pass Brent and close back up the distance with Bob. We rounded close enough to mess with Bob's wind. A few lead changes later Bob made what we thought was an unforced error gybing for the mark too soon. We got inside him, successfully doused the sea anchor without getting it wet, and sailed the last leg a couple lengths in front of Bob to take the win.
The West wind had piped up to about 12-18 with real gut punching shots. Noon had arrived so E-Scow sailing was officially over. (Coincidentally the bar opens at Noon.)
The afternoon was set aside for the first annual Solstice Regatta, originally conceived by Brent Gillette who passed away before seeing it happen. We cancelled MC-Scow sailing in lieu of a single lap of the triangular course set up for this Portsmouth Handicap race. The course was about 6 or 7 miles long.
We launched boats and had the start right off the club main dock, tucked up nicely in the lee of the West hills in the West wind. Needless to say it was a little hairy. I had a great start alone about 2/3 the way out in the lake along the line. I promptly capsized.
Upside down is slow. On your side is a little faster but still not competetive. So I quickly rectified the situation, gathered up my floating debris field, drained my boots, and set off again.
Leg 1 was 1.5 miles from the club to a mark along the bluff about 1/4 mile up the West branch. It was anywhere from a broad reach to a tight beat depending on the shot you were in. I had a fleet of lead-bottom boats ahead of me to plow through. I decided on the next shot I'd simply run deep and go way low of the fleet. What a shot it was. I ended up the third MC, fourth boat at the first mark.
At the mark the wind lulled to 12-15 just in time to let me gybe without having to "chicken gybe." After the rounding I climbed up on Steve bender just ahead of me. When the next shot came I dove low and flew over top of him.
Now "flew" is the right term. This shot was all of 22 mph, probably 25. I was sitting as far back as I could right next to the tiller with only one foot under the strap because the other could not reach. The main was way out sideways. The vang was on about half what I normally would. The bow wave spray was as far back as the middle of the board. I was going way faster than the MC is designed for. But I was gaining like mad on Brent to.
At this point I hear a noise that isn't right. I was probably dropping off a wave. But I look at the rig. The boom is driving the mast sideways something fierce. The mast side bend is unnatural. The tip of the mast is bent so far forward I have mainsail wrinkles going up and away from the spreader. The bend in the tiller from the helm was about 1/2 an inch. The tiller extension (which I should have replaced or repaired weeks ago) is 1/4 from the tiller and coming off. The forces on the side stays were intense.
As we round the end of the bluff and head East to mark 2, the waves and wind build. The tops of the white caps were blowing off. All I needed to do was stuff the bow into a wave and I would be swimming...again. And the forces if that happened could be more than the mast or rig could handle. I don't have insurance nor the funds to deal with any replacements. At this point I was in pure survival mode protecting the boat. I decide the race isn't worth it. If I bail out now I can still make it upwind to the club without tacking.
So I quit.
Now getting from a blasting dead downwind plane to upwind was the next challenge. First I worked my way forward to reach the vang and popped that off. Then I went really deep down wind and kicked the board release. The board worked its way down about 3/4 of the way while I struggled keep upright. I started my slow turn upwind and the boom hit the water. I immediately aborted, tried again at a full hike and was able to round up enough to start trimming in.
The ride back to the club was intense. Of the 23 boats that started, 15 finished including 5 of the 10 MC-Scows. the wind never did really calm down for another 2 hours. According to the nearest WUNDERGROUND.COM weather station, the average gust speed between 2 and 3 PM was 26. That means gusts over and under that. Hmmm.
I don't need to do that again.
I have to keep perspective. The Volvo Open 70's racing through the North Atlantic spent 2 days never going slower than 20 knots. I never was going faster than 15 knotts or so. Those guys have balls.
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