Julye 26, 2016: RETURN OF THE FOG MONSTER

JULY 26, 2016

RETURN OF THE FOG MONSTER

After spending four days in Vegas and 113 degree temperatures, it was a welcome sight to see the fog when I returned home Monday evening.  Sure enough it remained for our Tuesday night races.  It always adds an element of mystery when you can’t see further than a quarter mile and you cannot see what competitors are doing.  Even though the fog seemed to dampen enthusiasm with only 5 boats out, we still had good wind to hold a race.  We called for course M2: Start, Mile, start-finish and gave a 5 minute horn.

With the wind almost from due South, Pair A Dice set up for a port-tack start while Kicks and Pacific Spirit came in on starboard.  After clearing the two starboard tackers we marched on toward Mile. Pacific Spirit was closing the gap on us from behind, while we kept a close eye on them.  Finally they tacked over to starboard which did not surprise me since it looked like there was more wind on the left of the course by the appearance of the water.  Ultimately, staying on port tack to the lay line paid off because there was even more wind on the right side of the course.

On a night like this we were depending on our GPS to determine laylines.  This is much different than judging laylines by sight.  Since we had our 155 jib working, we opened a small lead on Kicks who was right on our heels. At Mile, Pair a Dice rounded first with Kicks second, Pacific Spirit third and Hamachi and Tara (both Santana 22’s) following.

On the run to finish mark we were not able to extend our lead on Kicks but still limped over the line just ahead of them.  Kicks was followed by Pacific Spirit then Hamachi and Tara.

We had a great time at the barbecue at the club discussing tactics while letting the heat from the barbecue keep us warm despite the fog.

Rules:

Last week I admonished participants to follow rules, start appropriately and round marks.  I was not at Gov last week when all boats seemed to converge on the mark at the same time, so I do not know the specifics.  I do feel it is appropriate to discuss mark roundings and the rules pertaining to oundings. The rule that governs these situations is rule 18 of section C.  Specifically 18.2, 18.3 and 18.4.  Since mark roundings are often an intimate affair it is a good idea to know the rules, your rights and your obligations. Simply put the rule starts the moment a boat reaches the 3 boat zone.  This 3 boat zone is determined by the first boat that enters the zone.  The zone would be completely different if a 22 foot boat entered the zone first over a 30 or 36 foot boat.  It is a great idea to mark off in a parking lot exactly what 3 of YOUR boat lengths look like. Keep in mind when judging this distance, the helmsman is closer to 4 boat lengths from the mark!

It is always a good tactic to PLAN and set up so you are the inside boat upon entering the zone.  You have entered the zone when any part of your HULL is entering the zone.  Your rights and obligations are determined by overlap.  Overlapping another boat is when any part of your boat (ie spinnaker in normal position) is inside the plane established by the transom of either boat.  You are overlapped if neither boat is CLEAR AHEAD or CLEAR ASTERN.  Frequently you will see the tactitian standing at the transom declaring whether or not there is an overlap. In a dispute, the burden of proof falls on the boat claiming to have achieved overlap.  Neighboring witness boats are a help in the protest room in these situations.

In a situation where there are multiple boats entering the zone at the same time, an overlap established with your closest boat will give you rights to mark room with all boats that are overlapped with this boat.

Frequently when rounding a mark, sailors like to swing wide so they can pass the mark on their new course.  If you are enjoying rights to mark room and are the inside boat, you must not swing wide and must make a “seamanlike turn” around the mark. If you are the outside boat you must allow room for the inside boat to make their turn without hitting you (Rule 14).

It is a very good idea to review and know these rules if you plan on entering sanctioned races because these situations can get very exciting and can land you in the protest room if not conducted appropriately. There are many books and magazine articles that explain the finer nuances.

Looking forward to next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

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