Ok I have to qualify, 2 weeks off meant working Mon-Wed each week, checking e-mails constantly, working issues over the weekend, and of course the loads of family time. So actual sailing opportunities didn't present themselves often. When they did I had to choose between those and fixing broken cottage things or playing with the kids or sleeping in.
So no pleasure sailing at all. I did get out for a racing day, finishes of 3,1,2,1. I think I have about a 7 or 8 point lead for the season. That will go away in an instant when I skip a week.
What I did do over the past 2 weeks was laugh, probably more than the prior few months combined. I very much enjoyed the company of my kids and family, extended family, and lots of friends. I'd love to write a witty recount of the best of the vacation, but I only have a few moments to write this. Maybe some other time.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Eight Points in Two Races - OUCH
What a bad sailing day. Well actually it was a pretty good sailing day for the first 6 hours.
E-Scows sailed without KU-1. So I nursed my annual gin hangover longer than usual, did some chores, and set up to sail about 12:30. The wind was West 5-15 with 20-30 degree shifts, a great day for asymmetrical chutes. I took a few good pics that I will post later.
By 1:00 I was out on the racecourse doing laps between the E-Scow's windward mark and start pin. It was really good practice time. About 1:45 the first sails went up at the club. By the start of the sequence at 2:15 we had 7 boats on the line. By 2:20 the wind died.
My start strategy was mid-line with speed in the light diminishing stuff. I was early and crowded with 30 seconds to go so I violated my own rule and did a quick spin. When I started I was second row (in a fleet of 7 that is hard to do). I slow motion tacked to port to clear, only to find myself now totally dead in the water while those five boats that went left found a nice little streak.
My only hope was to split right, and hope and pray for the right shift. I got the right shift just after the leaders rounded the mark. I was measuring the distance to the lead in football fields.
Andrew Campbell once said on his blog that 1/3 of the race is the start, 1/3 is the first windward leg, and the entire remainder is the balance. We sail 1-lap short courses. It's more like 45% start, 45% windward leg, and 10% for the balance. So I had 10% of the race left to gain any places.
I split downwind (equivalent to throwing a hail mary) and proceeded to lose more distance. In the couple hundred yards back upwind, I closed the gap to the next boat but could not make the pass. I finished 6th out of 7.
Race 2 was better. Actual breeze kept us going the entire race. I won the pin on a hard left shift start and led awhile. On the first header I tacked while Sean held to a layline. He rounded ahead and never looked back. Steve split left downwind and picked me off for second. On the final upwind though I sailed through underneath on some really good boat handling downshifting from a 12 puff to 3. I cleared him and consolidated second.
In race three, the wind dropped to 0-3. Sniffing out the light breezes I rounded first, lost Bob who rolled me, then picked up the lead again before we all decided it wasn't fun anymore and abandoned the day.
Three and a half hours of sailing for a 6, 2 finish. I lost 5 points to both Bob and Sean for the day. If I had a lead (and I really don't know) I bet it is gone.
Worse, I dinged the bow on the dock. Plus the sail is really starting to show its wear. Time for some maintenance work.
E-Scows sailed without KU-1. So I nursed my annual gin hangover longer than usual, did some chores, and set up to sail about 12:30. The wind was West 5-15 with 20-30 degree shifts, a great day for asymmetrical chutes. I took a few good pics that I will post later.
By 1:00 I was out on the racecourse doing laps between the E-Scow's windward mark and start pin. It was really good practice time. About 1:45 the first sails went up at the club. By the start of the sequence at 2:15 we had 7 boats on the line. By 2:20 the wind died.
My start strategy was mid-line with speed in the light diminishing stuff. I was early and crowded with 30 seconds to go so I violated my own rule and did a quick spin. When I started I was second row (in a fleet of 7 that is hard to do). I slow motion tacked to port to clear, only to find myself now totally dead in the water while those five boats that went left found a nice little streak.
My only hope was to split right, and hope and pray for the right shift. I got the right shift just after the leaders rounded the mark. I was measuring the distance to the lead in football fields.
Andrew Campbell once said on his blog that 1/3 of the race is the start, 1/3 is the first windward leg, and the entire remainder is the balance. We sail 1-lap short courses. It's more like 45% start, 45% windward leg, and 10% for the balance. So I had 10% of the race left to gain any places.
I split downwind (equivalent to throwing a hail mary) and proceeded to lose more distance. In the couple hundred yards back upwind, I closed the gap to the next boat but could not make the pass. I finished 6th out of 7.
Race 2 was better. Actual breeze kept us going the entire race. I won the pin on a hard left shift start and led awhile. On the first header I tacked while Sean held to a layline. He rounded ahead and never looked back. Steve split left downwind and picked me off for second. On the final upwind though I sailed through underneath on some really good boat handling downshifting from a 12 puff to 3. I cleared him and consolidated second.
In race three, the wind dropped to 0-3. Sniffing out the light breezes I rounded first, lost Bob who rolled me, then picked up the lead again before we all decided it wasn't fun anymore and abandoned the day.
Three and a half hours of sailing for a 6, 2 finish. I lost 5 points to both Bob and Sean for the day. If I had a lead (and I really don't know) I bet it is gone.
Worse, I dinged the bow on the dock. Plus the sail is really starting to show its wear. Time for some maintenance work.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Too Hot to Sail
Monday was miserable. Due to conflicts George did not sail the morning. It took every motivation I had to get off the hammock and rig the MC. Temps were in the mid 90's, winds were in the 0-5 range with moments of 10 and 60 degree shifts. Fouth of July boat traffic created a chop tank too. Luckily the race course was TINY. I'd measure the windward leg in yards not miles. It was typical of a Jr. Sialing Laser course from years gone by.
After the long miserable sail out to the first start I had drained all my water. Start 1 was right favored at 3 minutes to go but heavily left favored at the start. I started at the boat and tacked quickly but still found myself in fourth at the top mark. While they sailed high to stay East I sailed low straight at the mark. I rounded 1 boat length in front while all four other boats rounded together behind me. Their mess allowed me to scoot away for the win.
Race 2 was even lighter. I found tiny slivers of wind to get around the top first. As soon as I rounded the wind died. We drifted in 0-1 from nowhere for a leg plus a bit. When the wind filled in I was stil ahead and got it first. After the win we decided to use what little wind was left to sail home.
Final finished for the weekend: last, first, first, second, first, first, first. I wish it were like figure skating where the high and low scores were dropped. Oh well.
I drank most of the lake, used half a bottle of sunscreen, and still feel like I was cooked all weekend. Not too much fun.
After the long miserable sail out to the first start I had drained all my water. Start 1 was right favored at 3 minutes to go but heavily left favored at the start. I started at the boat and tacked quickly but still found myself in fourth at the top mark. While they sailed high to stay East I sailed low straight at the mark. I rounded 1 boat length in front while all four other boats rounded together behind me. Their mess allowed me to scoot away for the win.
Race 2 was even lighter. I found tiny slivers of wind to get around the top first. As soon as I rounded the wind died. We drifted in 0-1 from nowhere for a leg plus a bit. When the wind filled in I was stil ahead and got it first. After the win we decided to use what little wind was left to sail home.
Final finished for the weekend: last, first, first, second, first, first, first. I wish it were like figure skating where the high and low scores were dropped. Oh well.
I drank most of the lake, used half a bottle of sunscreen, and still feel like I was cooked all weekend. Not too much fun.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Almost got lapped
Once in my life, maybe 1000 races ago, I actually got lapped. It was at a major regatta with 75 boats or so. The wind was light and shifty and I just did not get off the line then sailed into a hole by the top mark. About 40 minutes later around the bottom mark 6 or 8 lead boats passed me. It was a very low point in my sailing career almost making me quit.
Yesterday, in a 4 boat fleet we alomost got lapped, and we are the fastest boat on the lake. We were competing for the lead and sailed maybe 50 feet farther East than the others near us coming into the bottom mark. Last place scooted inside and around the mark getting the last of the dying breeze to take them West again to the freshening breeze. The rest of us stopped. One little puff 10 minutes later freed another boat, but we still sat. We watched the leader go all the way up to the top mark, round it and come most of the way back before we essentiall drifted into a small puff. We were release from our hold just as the leader passed us heading into the mark.
In my youth I would have been utterly frustrated ruining the day, family dinner - everything. Today we laughed about it as it was happening. Age puts everything in perspective.
We ended up winning the next race. And in the afternoon I finished 1, 2, 1 in the MC Scows out of 9 boats. Overall it was a great sailing day. Today is forecast to be light so we'll see what happens.
Yesterday, in a 4 boat fleet we alomost got lapped, and we are the fastest boat on the lake. We were competing for the lead and sailed maybe 50 feet farther East than the others near us coming into the bottom mark. Last place scooted inside and around the mark getting the last of the dying breeze to take them West again to the freshening breeze. The rest of us stopped. One little puff 10 minutes later freed another boat, but we still sat. We watched the leader go all the way up to the top mark, round it and come most of the way back before we essentiall drifted into a small puff. We were release from our hold just as the leader passed us heading into the mark.
In my youth I would have been utterly frustrated ruining the day, family dinner - everything. Today we laughed about it as it was happening. Age puts everything in perspective.
We ended up winning the next race. And in the afternoon I finished 1, 2, 1 in the MC Scows out of 9 boats. Overall it was a great sailing day. Today is forecast to be light so we'll see what happens.
Monday, June 21, 2010
1 day, 7 races, 13 points
Father's Day. This is a day of rest and relaxation for the normal Dads. For me, it always lands on a Sunday, so that means sailing.
Yesterday was the first day both E-Scows and MC-Scows sailed this year. All I can say is that 7 races in a day is more than this body can handle.
It started with E-Scows and a 10:30 or so start in South wind. We won the start and were first to the windward mark only to find the spinnaker sheet set up under the bow sprit, which dropped us to second, a few hundred yards behind the eventual winner. Race 2 was delayed an hour while the Race Committee shifted the course for a West wind. It went just as swimmingly with an unexpected bow sprit retraction that led to a sea anchor set. We had enough time in this race to recover and win thanks to George's astute choices downwind.
I went home for a quick lunch and watched the wind die completely. So with energy to burn I shoveled dirt for 45 minutes or so until the wind came up. Sails went up at the club so it was time to sail out to the starting line.
MC-Scow race 1 had 6 boats, the largest fleet yet this year. We ended up with 7 for the following races. The boat end was heavily favored. There was quite a scramble for control there. I came out on top but in the mix let a couple boats down the line get ahead. Third at the top mark, but closed on a puff and gained the inside at the mark. From there I defended to the finish and won it.
In race 2 I made a big mistake. I tacked on top of second place on the layline to the windward mark. I hoped to roll him prior to the mark but didn't make it. On rounding he REACHED for at least 5 seconds, maybe 10. That straight sideways motion lost us both the race, and guaranteed we would not get anywhere near the inside at the bottom end. Another boat also caught up making me the outside of the pinwheel at the bottom mark. With no clear air and no lane and no real time to recover, I went from 1st to 4th with no control over my destiny for 3/4 of the race.
Race 3 was equally challenging. I picked the wrong side and rounded deep, maybe fourth. It took a lot of work to get back to second.
Race 4 was interesting. I had this one won coming around the bottom mark. I was second there but headed the right way and in phase on the shifts. I passed for the lead and was already adding up the points in my head. But I tacked 2 boat lengths too soon onto the Starboard layline. I ended up with a boat on my hip preventing my tack back to Port. When I could, I lost that boat and had to shoot the line and do a lot of avoiding. But 5 boats finished in 7 seconds. So pulling out a 2 from that race was a big save. I thought it might be a 5.
Race 5 was unusual. With the wind shifting NW all day, the boat was always favored. But this time it didn't seem right. The wind was picking up to 15 or so and veering SW. I decided on the pin end which ended up very favored. I quickly tacked to Port and layed the mark with traveller all the way down and vang on hard. The lead never evaporated and I finished on a strong win.
So finishes for the day were 2, 1, 1, 4, 2, 2, 1. I think that was pretty good. For the first time this year we had some real challenging MC sailing. Almost all the hot shots were out.
But this morning my old man body was really screaming at me. My hands wouldn't open up. My arms rebelled at being lifted to wash my hair. I have a big bruise on my head (again). Typing this is not comfortable. But on the plus side I lost 5 pounds!
The day finished with a nice hammock nap, a great steak dinner, a boat ride, and a very pleasant evening.
Happy Fathers Day.
Yesterday was the first day both E-Scows and MC-Scows sailed this year. All I can say is that 7 races in a day is more than this body can handle.
It started with E-Scows and a 10:30 or so start in South wind. We won the start and were first to the windward mark only to find the spinnaker sheet set up under the bow sprit, which dropped us to second, a few hundred yards behind the eventual winner. Race 2 was delayed an hour while the Race Committee shifted the course for a West wind. It went just as swimmingly with an unexpected bow sprit retraction that led to a sea anchor set. We had enough time in this race to recover and win thanks to George's astute choices downwind.
I went home for a quick lunch and watched the wind die completely. So with energy to burn I shoveled dirt for 45 minutes or so until the wind came up. Sails went up at the club so it was time to sail out to the starting line.
MC-Scow race 1 had 6 boats, the largest fleet yet this year. We ended up with 7 for the following races. The boat end was heavily favored. There was quite a scramble for control there. I came out on top but in the mix let a couple boats down the line get ahead. Third at the top mark, but closed on a puff and gained the inside at the mark. From there I defended to the finish and won it.
In race 2 I made a big mistake. I tacked on top of second place on the layline to the windward mark. I hoped to roll him prior to the mark but didn't make it. On rounding he REACHED for at least 5 seconds, maybe 10. That straight sideways motion lost us both the race, and guaranteed we would not get anywhere near the inside at the bottom end. Another boat also caught up making me the outside of the pinwheel at the bottom mark. With no clear air and no lane and no real time to recover, I went from 1st to 4th with no control over my destiny for 3/4 of the race.
Race 3 was equally challenging. I picked the wrong side and rounded deep, maybe fourth. It took a lot of work to get back to second.
Race 4 was interesting. I had this one won coming around the bottom mark. I was second there but headed the right way and in phase on the shifts. I passed for the lead and was already adding up the points in my head. But I tacked 2 boat lengths too soon onto the Starboard layline. I ended up with a boat on my hip preventing my tack back to Port. When I could, I lost that boat and had to shoot the line and do a lot of avoiding. But 5 boats finished in 7 seconds. So pulling out a 2 from that race was a big save. I thought it might be a 5.
Race 5 was unusual. With the wind shifting NW all day, the boat was always favored. But this time it didn't seem right. The wind was picking up to 15 or so and veering SW. I decided on the pin end which ended up very favored. I quickly tacked to Port and layed the mark with traveller all the way down and vang on hard. The lead never evaporated and I finished on a strong win.
So finishes for the day were 2, 1, 1, 4, 2, 2, 1. I think that was pretty good. For the first time this year we had some real challenging MC sailing. Almost all the hot shots were out.
But this morning my old man body was really screaming at me. My hands wouldn't open up. My arms rebelled at being lifted to wash my hair. I have a big bruise on my head (again). Typing this is not comfortable. But on the plus side I lost 5 pounds!
The day finished with a nice hammock nap, a great steak dinner, a boat ride, and a very pleasant evening.
Happy Fathers Day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)