CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILING MONTEREY BAY AUGUST 27, 2013

Tuesday August 27, 2013

CONDITIONS: Wind East at approximately 13 knots, with clear, sunny skies

Course selected: Course 8 (Start to Blacks, Mile, Gov finishing at Start taking it to port), Start time was 6:15 with the Catalina 27 and smaller boats start at 6:13.

Diver Down and Aeolian were right on time at the line. Pair a Dice and Pacific Spirit did not fair as well and ended up late at the start. We were all playing catch up with Iris which was romping on ahead. For some reason, Pair a dice was able to roll Aeolian to leeward and followed Iris, Tessa and Diver Down around blacks. In the run to Mile, most of the boats ran a little hotter steering above the rhum line to Mile. Pair a dice tried to run straight to the mark. Iris was doing a great job of maintaining her lead and rounded mile pretty much right with Diver Down. In the run to Gov, pair a dice was able to roll Iris to windward. We love our long whisker pole which was a distinct advantage on this particular leg. The further we all moved toward GOV, the wind seemed to die more and more. Diver Down rounded Gov comfortably in front of us and continued further inside, after Pair A Dice rounded Gov, we got caught in a hole of no wind and the current swept us backward around the mark just as the other boats were coming down to round. We finally got some wind and headed further outside where we thought we saw more wind. The boats that took the inside track closer to the beach seemed to be moving in very light wind and were moving into some building wind. Alas the course was too long for most of the boats, as one by one they retired. Diver Down and Pair A Dice were slogging it out toward the outside in very light wind. Alas Bellisima (Erickson 35) joined us outside as the wind started to build again getting up to 15 knots again. Diver Down prevailed once again (by over 6 minutes) and Bellisima was second with Pair a Dice finally rounding third, having to tack again at the last minute to avoid the mark.

After the regatta, we all went to the yacht club for a Barbecue. We had the largest group yet with over 30 people. It was really great chatting and getting to know the participants s a little better. It was good to see almost the whole crew of Pacific Spirit show up for the Barbecue. We also got the lowdown on things that happened during the race, such as Aeolian snagging another strand of kelp which explains why we rolled them so easily. So much for my dream that it was our superior sailing. Those @#$%^ kelp monsters!

INREGATTADAVIDA:

This seems to be the regatta season! In addition to our very fun Tuesday nights, there seems to be a lot of Regatta activity this time of year. The Double Ender was this last Saturday and the first of the Score Series was Sunday. Windjammer starts from San Francisco Saturday morning and ends in Santa Cruz and of course we have Big Brothers BIg Sisters on Sunday. September 22 is the Jack and Jill when husband and wife teams (or any Male-Female pair) can sail their boats against others. Both BBBS and Jack and Jill are a reverse PHRF start, which makes the starts much easier than fighting your way through a forest of boats of various sizes and speeds. Reverse PHRF start means that the slowest boats start first, sailors often refer to these races as pursuit races since the faster boat pursue the slower boats.

My wife chides me with "when will you ever get enough regattas?" One thing that keeps me coming back for more regattas is the chance to learn even more about sailing. Sure, you can learn while just out on a sail, but until you are comparing your progress against other boats (in a race) you have nothing to compare your progress and force yourself to learn even faster. Oh and the social gathering before and after regattas is nothing to scoff at either. I encourage everyone with a boat to participate in as many regattas as possible, just for the fun of it!

SANTA CRUZ CALIFORNIA: CATALINA TUESDAY AUGUST 20 2013

AUGUST 20, 2013

It was a cold damp evening in the Santa Cruz harbor, with a huge cloud bank hanging just off shore. The wind was blowing out of the northwest at around 10 knots. In our sailing around before the start, the wind seemed to pretty similar between inside and outside with possibly a very slight bit more wind inside.

We decided on a shorter course (course 4): start to wharf (SB) GOV (SB) finish at start mark taking it to port. Once again, it is amazing to see all of the boats starting at the same time. On Pair A DIce, we started on starboard tack and were right behind DIver Down and Pacific Spirit, with Emeritus sailing to windward of us. We were stuck in a bad situation with bad air all around, so at the first opportunity, we tacked over and cleared Emeritus's stern. Iris was trucking along nicely on their port toward the pier. As Iris tacked outside, we had to duck their stern. Homer had tacked over earlier and had gone further outside. On Pair a dice, we felt we were getting the best of it, taking advantage of the greater wind that seemed to be right at the edge of the cloud bank. We kept getting blanketed by different boats and had to keep tacking to get clear air. Diver Down seemed to sail further outside than the other boats. With all of the different tactics employed by everyone, Homer rounded Wharf ahead of Iris. We had to pinch heavily to make wharf, but had inside overlap over DIver Down and Emeritus. Somehow, despite bad wind and pinching, Fred was able to coast Pair A Dice around the mark, and it was Emeritus, Diver Down and Pair A DIce headed toward GOv. DIver DOwn was able to open the gap between all of us and we slowly rolled Iris, trying our whisker pole first on starboard, then port. Pacific SPirit was in the thick of the battle also, ducking quickly to windward of Emeritus and rolling them. We all watched as Homer rounded GOv way ahead of everyone, with Diver Down rounding right after them Pair A dice was the third to round with Iris right bihind. We all headed toward start mark. At one point, it looked like Iris was going to roll us until we made a few minor adjustments in our sail trim. Homer was the first to finish, with Diver Down being the first Catalina around the mark. We came in third after Homer and Diver DOwn.

It was a very tight race all around the course. Great starts by all boats, tight roundings at WHarf and Gov and all boats finishing within 5 minutes of each other. ANother great night of sailing and racing Catalinas on Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz.

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KICKING IT UP A NOTCH:

We all enjoy our Tuesday nights racing against similar boats in our relatively unstructured environment. The fact that our starts are so close in itself shows everyone knows how to start correctly. We all have the opportunity to carry our racing abilities to the next level. This Sunday the 25th is the first day of racing in the fall Score races. All you need to enter these races is a Monterey Bay PHRF certificate, which is pretty easy to get. After your certificate, you can register online. All information is on line at SCYC.org under racing.

It would also be good to get a large turnout of Jammers (Jib and Main) boats in the Big Brothers BIg Sisters regatta on September 1. This is really a fun event and a good cause to boot. It is a reverse PHRF race, so the slower boats start first. This is a fun time for everyone.

I am looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday night.

 

 

 

 

 

AUGUST 13 CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILNG TUESDAY NIGHTS ON MONTEREY BAY

August 13, 2013

Another awesome night for sailing the Monterey Bay out of Santa Cruz. This night the wind was particularly steady coming from the East. We decided to sail Course 8 which is: Start, Blacks, Mile, Gov and end at the start mark. We decided on a 6:10 start, but extended to 6:15 when it was apparent Pacific Spirit was coming out of the harbor and would be late for the start. On Pair A Dice, we decided on a Starboard tack start, right at the pin and timed it perfectly, with DIver Down in hot pursuit. Iris had a great start and did an excellent job of keeping ahead of us all with the 2 minute head start given the 27's. Iris was first to round Blacks and start toward Mile, with PAD second and Diver Down following. WIth the strong easterly blowing (18 to 20 knots) there was definitely a weird chop in the water which was really slowing the smaller boats down, but Diver Down just seemed to glide right through the waves. About 2/3 of the way to Mile, DIver Down rolled us to leeward and just kept on going. Miraculously, Iris was maintaining their lead over both PAD and Diver Down. Diver Down rolled by Iris on the way to GOV and rounded GOV before both Iris and PAD.

On the way back to the start mark, we all seemed to use different tactics. Iris and Diver Down sailed further toward shore before tacking back out. PAD, after rounding GOV immediately tacked back outside. Ultimately, DIver Down tacked back out and stayed on port tack clear to the layline to start mark. Iris tacked over early and PAD tacked just before the layline to the finish mark, hoping for a lift that would carry us around the mark. Though we did get lifted some, we still had to tack to clear the mark. Diver Down won this one hands down, with PAD second and several boats crossing in quick succession after us. Aeolian, Pacific Spirit and Iris.

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RULES, TACTICS AND TUESDAY NIGHTS:

We are getting quite a turnout for our Tuesday nights. It is really great to see everyone bring their game up and getting more competitive. Since there are many of us that enjoy both Tuesday and Wednesday night sailing, it is important to differentiate the difference between the two nights. Wednesday night is party night and is definitely a HOOT. All the boats are out in their splendor, and alcohol is everywhere. Though rules are generally followed such as starboard vs port crossing rights of way, there is little reason or care to observe all of the rules. On Wednesday nights, if you round a buoy the wrong way or can't quite make it, just sail on: nobody is keeping score. You cannot get a less challenging start than a rabbit start like on Wednesday nights. Generally, there are some boats that take the race seriously, but most boats are there for the event rather than a race.

Tuesday nights, though very fun, are meant to be more educational. What better way to learn how you are doing than to sail against similar boats, complete with a start line and everyone observing the rules. Like Wednesday nights, there is no committee boat and protest panel. We are all on the "honor system". You know when you are "Over Early" or if you didn't round a mark appropriately. If a mark is touched, we do our turns even if there is no protest panel. It does no good to cross the finish line earlier than everyone else if you did not follow the rules. Despite best intentions, some of us infringe on the rules and "in the heat of the battle" neglect to take our turns. I am guilty on this count resulting in disqualifying my boat for the race (see Mea Culpa on this blog a few weeks ago).

I know this area of rules and lack of knowledge about them keeps many boats from participating actively, even on Tuesday nights. I am seeing multiple Catalinas that are out on Tuesday nights, nowhere near the start line and not even following the course. These may be the boats that lack knowledge on the rules and "don't want to get in the way of those that know the rules".

There are many books and articles in sailing magazines about the finer nuances of the rules. But to get started there are just a few you really need to know and observe. The primary rules, used in almost all racing are in section A of the rule book- Right of Way when two boats meet. Rule 10 says a boat on Starboard tack has right of way over a Port tack boat. THis means the port tack boat must YIELD to the Starboard tack boat. Rule 11 Two boats on the same tack overlapped: the windward boat shall yield to the leeward boat. Rule 12: same tack NOT overlapped: the boat clear astern must yield to the boat clear ahead. This means if you are overtaking a boat, you must keep clear of the boat ahead. Rule 13 says that any boat that is in the process of tacking must keep clear of other boats until it is hard on the wind. Above all of the rules is the primary rule: avoid contact at all times. Whenever boats collide, there is someone breaking a rule. This gets interesting on Tuesday nights because there are no protest panels. As stated earlier, we are on the honor system, just out for some fun sailing and to LEARN. If any right of way rule is broken, the proper thing to do is to take a two turn penalty (two 360 degree turns) as soon as is possible when clear of other competitors.

We will see you next Tuesday.

Barry L Keeler

　

CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILING MONTEREY BAY TUESDAY NIGHTS AUGUST 6, 2013

Tuesday August 6, 2013

Another awesome day for a sail, with steady 20 knot winds from the northwest. With this much wind and no sign of it backing off, we decided on course 1 again. On Pair A DIce, we decided to do a port tack start right at the pin and ended up following Pacific Spirit right on the line. Iris and Tessa (Hugh Rideouts boat) started two minutes before us. Aeolian started on starboard and went a short distance, then tacked over on a track further outside than us, but slightly behind us. There was enough wind that the bad wind from Pacific SPirit did not seem to slow us down much. We headed lower trying to roll Pacific Spirit to leeward. By the time we got to Wharf mark, Aeolian rounded first with Pacific Spirit right behind. Pair A Dice was a distant third followed by Iris and Diver Down.

By the time we rounded Mile, Pacific Spirit and Aeolian still had their lead on us, but seemed to take different paths to Blacks. Aeolian apparently thought the finish mark was Blacks and rounded the wrong mark. Pacific Spirit took a wide turn around Blacks, and we took a closer turn but Pacific SPirit still rounded in front of us (again). As it ended up Pacific Spirit crossed the line comfortably ahead of us, with Pair A DIce coming in second. Aeolian eventually discovered their error and came back to round BLacks with DIver Down and Iris. From our perspective, it looked like DIver Down was third and Iris was fourth.

Tactically, Aeolian did great starting on starboard and going outside to get clear air. Until their error thinking start was Blacks, they sailed a perfect race. Our thought was that with the wind being only slightly more outside, we could take advantage of flatter water inside, but this gambit did not work for us.

We met at the Crows nest afterwards for dinner. Normally, Mark and the crew from Aeolian are the first ones there, but this night they were not. It was not until Vance showed up and asked if Paul was ok that we found out what happened. As it turns out, in the rounding of Blacks, as Aeolian jibed around the mark, Paul caught the boom square on his forehead. Mark had to rush in and take Paul to the Emergency room. After x-rays and tests, it turns out Paul is ok other than being a little shaken and a few stitches.

SAFETY AT SEA:

Whenever a misshap happens at sea, I believe most sailors have a knee-jerk reaction and think "these guys are rookies, and this could never happen to me because I'm smarter...". This goes for all misshaps, from the tragic loss of "Low Speed Chase" on the Farallons to a simple scraped knee. Suffice it to say, if an accident can happen on Aeolian, it can happen to any of us.

To some of us, safety is automatic and others of us give little thought to it. I try to be the former but frequently find myself in the latter camp. An example is when we went to San Diego in 2010. We left the harbor on a Friday night in a heavy fog. The ocean was very calm like a lake and we motored out of the harbor. As we exited the harbor, Mark set the rules for the trip: everybody not in the cabin, must have a lifejacket on and tethered in at all times. At the time, I respected this edict, and felt remiss in the fact that it wasn't me that had made it. Time and again, Mark has advised me about things that are not safe, always thinking about safety.

I always make certain during a race, that everyone wears life jackets, but what good does a life jacket do if it has a pull cord and you are not conscious? How often do auto inflate life jackets inflate accidentally rendering you immoveable and useless? After this incident with Paul, I think I will take my chances with a non inflate life jacket. Better to be a little uncomfortable and know your life jacket will work if needed.

In racing, we often get caught up in the action and we do things we would never think of doing in a normal situation. Someone once told me that after years of racing, he was finally ahead of all the boats that normally beat him. Suddenly, a wave swept the deck and a spinnaker was swept overboard. He confessed that for about 10 seconds he was thinking "its just a spinnaker, forget about it" before reality set in and he went back and got it. Would "Low Speed Chase" have sailed inside of a surf line if there wasn't a race on? My point is that we should all strive for safety, even more in racing situations.

Stefan is a crew member of mine that is our mainsheet trimmer. When we jibe, he always announces to the crew in a very loud voice, so everyone can hear, "heads down! JIBING". There is no question what is happening. Stefan constantly has his eye on the masthead fly and will aprise all of us whenever we are "SAILING BY THE LEE", letting us know to keep an eye out for an accidental jibe.

Sail safe and we will see you next Tuesday.

CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILING SANTA CRUZ CALIFORNIA 7/30/2013

JULY 30, 2013
Another night with great wind, and this time from the South-west, between 10-15 knots.  After missing out on last weeks sail and barbecue, I was really looking forward to this night!
We decided on course 2, with a start at 6:15.  On Pair-A-Dice we decided on a port tack start at the pin end, while Diver Down and Pacific Spirit started on Starboard and headed outside.  Homer, on his C&C 25, stayed on port and nearly sailed to the layline before tacking over on starboard to head toward Wharf mark.  On Pair a dice, we were trying to play the middle of the course, tacking whenever we detected a header.  Iris had sailed, like Homer, staying on port tack until the layline out to wharf mark.  As we aproached the layline to Wharf, Iris was already charging toward the mark on starboard tack, leaving us no option but to lee-bow her.  It was quite a surprise to see Diver Down rounding Wharf with Homer following shortly after. Aeolian also had a comfortable lead on us at wharf.   We were approaching Wharf pinching to make it, when Pacific Spirit came in on port just before the mark.  Rather than duck our stern, they opted to tack over early, but couldn't quite clear the mark and had to turn around at the mark in order to round it correctly. 
It was quite a progression toward Mile, with Diver Down and Homer way out in front, followed by Aeolian, Pair A Dice and Iris, then Pacific Spirit.  For some reason, we were able to slowly close the gap between Aeolian and as we rounded Mile, Aeolian was just ahead of us with Iris right behind us.  As we all marched toward GOV, we were able to roll Aeolian to windward.  There was something happening that couldn't be explained by superior (?) sail and boat handling.  We rounded Gov well behind Diver Down and Homer and comfortably ahead of Aeolian.  Iris was sailing nicely and was keeping right up with us.
As the race ended, Diver Down was way out in front of most of us  with Homer close behind.  Pairadice was third with Iris right behind.
As we congregated at the yacht club for the barbecue, we were all talking story.  It was only then that we found out why we were able to pass Aeolian so easily.  They had been attacked by a kelp monster. Mark said it was more like an island he was dragging behind him!  We on Pair A Dice could sympathize with their predicament, having experienced this same phonomenon a month or so ago.  It was great to see some of the crew from Pacific Spirit at the barbecue.
Tactical lessons:
It was really interesting on this night that the two leading boats took completely different courses.  Diver down going outside and Homer going completely inside, so the middle of the course didn't work out for Pair A Dice on this particular night. 
Another lesson that all of us are learning is the importance of avoiding the heavy kelp strands we have in Monterey bay.  It is incumbent on the foredeck crew to aprise the skipper of kelp in the water.  When telling the skipper about kelp, don't just say "kelp ahead".  Say something like: "we have kelp ahead, come up 5 degrees" or whatever course to steer through the kelp.  The foredeck has a much better perspective and should be the "eyes" for the skipper who can't see as well from his perspective.  Be particularly on the lookout for kelp when there has been a big swell running, which tends to tear kelp from it's anchor and send it floating.
If you do get ensnared in kelp, Fred Molnar swears that spinning a quick 360 will clear the kelp.  This may be a quicker maneuver on a Santana 22 (Freds boat) than on a heavier keel boat, but should be considered as an option to clear kelp.  Frequently we will use a boat hook to snag kelp caught by the rudder.  Obviously, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!
I am looking forward to next Tuesday.  See you out there!