OCTOBER 11, 2016: SHORT COLORFUL SAIL

OCTOBER 11, 2016

SHORT COLORFUL SAIL

When I approached the harbor, there was apparently enough wind to have a race.  The wind was from the normal direction, about 240 from the northwest.   I love a lot of wind when daylight is limited so this was going to be a great night for a sail. We had plenty of boats out for the fun and we called the course: Start, Wharf, Blacks, Start with a 6:00 start time and gave a 5 minute horn at 5:55.

With the orientation of the wind, there was only one way to start: Starboard tack and all  boats started this way all, spread down the line.  Once we all started and went a ways out, one by one we all tacked over for the inside run.  By the time we got to the layline, Sagitarius had quite a lead on everyone followed by equinamity,  Pacific Spirit and Makani.  Pair A Dice rounded just ahead of Perfect 36, but just behind Vern and Judy on Seabird. On the long run to Blacks we set the pole but could not pass Seabird until we jibed away from them.  Even with our most fervent prayers we could not close the gap on Makani.  At the finish it was Sagittarius, Equinamity, Pacific Spirit, Makani, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36 Seabird and Kicks.

On the way to the harbor, it was a gorgeous red sunset setting the stage for a short colorful sail.

Integrity:

A great racing sailor once said something to the effect of: “If you win the race but do not win the respect of your competitors, you have not won”.  I had the pleasure of helping out with the local “505” regatta this past weekend.  Talk about a bunch of competitive sailors!  Despite being competitive, they were all friendly and were having a great time sailing against each other.  Total respect was displayed by all competitors on the water and on land and they had a blast, even though races were cut short due to fog. There was not a protest filed during the whole regatta. Witnessing the starts was awesome.     

Everyone knew the rules and there was not a whole lot of shouting. A few guys were OCS, but when called back they came back and dipped the line to exonerate themselves. I have witnessed the same respect and comradery in the Santana fleet, everyone respecting rules demonstrating complete respect for each other.  Truly a thing of beauty.  Is it the fact that someone is sighting the line that keeps everyone “honest”?

Catalina Tuesdays is a very unique situation.  I believe we all are having a great time competing and learning together.  We do not have anyone sighting the line, so it is all an honor system.  It is very difficult to determine if another boat is “OCS” (On Course Side) at the start when we all are charging the line side by side.  People will often call other boats over early, but how can you tell without someone sighting the line?  On this particular night Pair A Dice was closer to the start mark than many of the boats that were spread down the line.  We were right on the mark, at the start time I sighted back toward the lighthouse on the jetty and almost all boats were way over the start line at the start. 

Being OCS is a huge, unfair advantage in racing.  You may think, we were only 30 feet over the line, but everyone behind you is getting bad air, so this 30 foot lead grows over the course to a huge advantage.

I have done everything I can to make Catalina Tuesdays a fun, learning experience.  I desperately do not want Catalina Tuesdays to turn into the mayhem of Wednesday nights where everyone is out for show, not rounding marks or observing rules.  I feel that without observing rules, you will never be an effective racer.  Indeed, the closer you follow the rules, the more you will learn and ultimately win more races and win  honestly!

Some people have suggested a rabbit start, others have recommended a shorter start line.  I personally do not feel anything is to be learned by rabbit starts.  I would like input from as many participants as possible.  How do we observe rules without having an umpire or line sighter?  Am I wrong in wanting this? Should we just have a rally where we are all out for a sail without racing?  Our final barbecue is coming up.  I would like a group discussion at this barbecue for input from everyone on these issues and what direction we should take next year.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice