MAY 28, 2019: 5 MINUTE HORN: STOP THE WIND!

MAY 28, 2019

5 MINUTE HORN: STOP THE WIND!

I got to the boat by about 3:30 and immediately noticed a consistent Easterly wind was showing on the Crow’s nest flag.  BY the time we got crew together we left the harbor around 5:40 and as we motored out to the start area saw that the wind seemed to be coming from the south.  Right at the start area we checked the wind and it was once again blowing from 240 degrees, our most consistent wind direction in Santa Cruz!  We quickly set the buoy for the line and called for Whiskey 3: Start, Wharf, Blacks Finish.  It sure looked like enough wind for such an ambitious course, even if it was a BBQ night at the club.

Once again the challenge was to find clear air on a crowded line with about 12 boats out for the night.  As is becoming usual, we blew the 5 minute horn.  I believe the wind gods are taking our 5 minute horn as a signal to stop blowing.  Several of the boats had good starts, but Pair a Dice got caught up on the line trying to fight through bad air while giving right of way to other boats as required.  Most of the wind was outside and we all needed to fight our way through the surf in light wind to get outside where it was blowing about 15 knots.  Finally we tacked over for Wharf mark and ended up about 200 yards inside of it, once again in the lighter wind.

 

At wharf mark, Patricia J was first around followed by Tusitala, Perfect 36, Avatar, Pacific Spirit, Nidaros, Pair a Dice and Makani.  On the long slog to Blacks the wind was dying inside causing many of the boats the compress.  Even from the back of the pack, I could see it was going to be a struggle to finish the course and called for a shortened course finishing at Blacks.

At the finish, Patricia J was first 1:04 (congrats to Jason Lauer sailing single handed), Avatar 1:14:20, Tusitala 1:15, Perfect 36 1:19:12, Pacific Spirit 1:25:20, Pair a Dice 1:27:26, Nidaros 1:32:45, Makani 1:34:17.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 2.94 nautical miles.

We had a great turnout for the BBQ at the club.  I usually make the rounds to socialize with everyone but my sciatica was really hurting so I was not snubbing everyone, I just needed to give it a rest!

RACE QS:

Race QS showed a couple of malfunctions tonight with Patricia J’s and Makani’s tracks fading in and out so their finish times are estimates.  Only 8 boats had Race QS running tonight.  I know we had more boats out that did not employ Race QS.  I am reminding everyone, running Race QS is the only way to be counted in our races. It is also an app that you can use to improve your sailing by looking at your track later.

Looking at the tracks for this night, it appears there was quite a nail biter over the finish between Avatar and Tusitala.  You got to love those 155 jibs going down wind in light wind!

To see the race QS track for this night click on the following link.

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011635&divisionId=59084&updatedAt=2019-05-29T02:46:50Z&dt=2019-05-28T17:29:59-07:00..2019-05-28T19:46:43-07:00&boat=Dice&model=J24&time=1559089838505&focus=Dice&rival=Makani&tab=fleet&view=auto

LIGHT WIND STARTS:

I find these situations to be very frustrating.  On this particular night, I believe we may have crossed the line 5 minutes after the start.  It appears the boats that really did well on this night were right on the line at the start, consequently not getting bad air.  This also achieves another goal: if first off the line, you should not need to tack to avoid right of way boats assuming you are on starboard tack.   The only danger being on the line is if a boat gets to leeward of you, they can luff you up over the line and make you OCS (on course side), which would require turning back to dip the line for a proper start assuming we are following the rules of sailing.  Another thing we have learned over the years is to not get too far from the start line, especially if the wind is starting to die.

THE RRS (RACING RULES OF SAILING):

In any sanctioned race (conducted by a yacht club), there are two documents that need to be read and understood.  The Notice of Race (NOR) and the Sailing instructions (SI’s).  In these documents they will indicate how the RRS are changed for the series of races. There are two rules of the road documents used in sailing: Colreg and the RRS.  Colreg rules are used mainly on the ocean and cruising.  Since we are getting accustomed to racing, we use the RRS.  It is good to learn these rules.  By sailing on Tuesday nights you are agreeing to follow these rules.  I will usually cover some of these rules in the blog when it is appropriate.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair a Dice

MAY 14, 2019: A CRAZY, MIXED UP SAIL

MAY 14, 2019

A CRAZY, MIXED UP SAIL

I got to the boat around 3:30 and there was definitely wind as I got the boat ready and talked to dock members who had sailed earlier.  They had come in early because of the rough conditions.  As we talked, I looked at the Crow’s Nest flag as it hung limply showing no wind at all.  Where was the predicted 10-16 knot breezes predicted for this evening?  By the time we left the harbor at 5:30, it looked like a South or East wind was developing.  As we approached the start mark the bearing of the wind was from 250 degrees.  We were going to have a crazy mixed up sail tonight!

We set the start line mark, called for course M2 (start, Mile, start/finish) and gave a 5 minute horn.  We had 11 boats out for the fun or frustration, depending on which boat you were on.  As the 5 minutes counted down it seemed the wind was dying where we had set the start line.  There was still adequate wind outside but how to get to it with a healthy South swell rolling through?  On Pair A Dice, I wanted to avoid all of the boats on the outside end of the line (with more wind).  My plan was to cross the line on starboard, closer to shore and quickly tack over to avoid the dirty wind of multiple boats further out. As we got closer to the start time, the wind seemed to die with multiple boats in close quarters with some declaring “I have no steerage”. Other boats were pushed into the mark by the motion of the ocean. 

Finally we all got far enough from other boats to actually sail in the whisper of a breeze. Some boats accomplished clear air and got outside where there was more wind. On Pair A Dice, we were in the unenviable position of watching ALL of the boats sterns sailing away from us.  Finally we got into some wind and made our way outside noting that there were frequent 30 degree shifts in the wind.   We noticed boats that followed the normal path of tacking toward mile sailed back into the lighter wind.  We saw a lot stronger wind way outside and sailed out to get into it.  It sure felt good to be actually sailing again in a steady breeze. 

We all rounded Mile and started back inside into the lighter wind.  At the finish it was Tusitala 33:02, Pacific Spirit 37:14, Perfect 36 44:45, Avatar 46:48, Makani 47:24, Kicks 48:03, Pair A Dice 48:30, Dusk till Dawn (Sweet Pea) 51:47 and Aeolian 54:15. Course distance was 2.17 miles and times are elapsed.

To see the race QS track for this night, click on this link.

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=58684&updatedAt=2019-05-15T12:29:47Z&dt=2019-05-14T17:45:03-07:00..2019-05-14T21:30:35-07:00&boat=Pair%20a%20dice&time=1557881223733&focus=Pair%20a%20dice&rival=Makani&tab=fleet&view=auto

With the congested start in light wind and multiple massive wind shifts along the way, it truly was a crazy mixed up sail.

STARTING STRATEGY:

Races are often won or lost by how your start compares to competitors.  It is a common axiom to strive for clear air at the start with room to leeward so you can fall off a little and squirt ahead of the pack to keep your air clear. Achieving these goal in normal wind are desirable.  When the wind at the start is minimal, attaining these goals become critical. On this night Tusitala got a clean start and was able to find a gap to sail through at the start line and soon was in more wind romping off ahead of everyone.  Being a larger boat, maybe there was more wind higher up to propelled them through the other boats achieving an excellent start.

 

Most boats will start on starboard and try to sail right on the line and harden up at the start time.  This often leaves a gap on one end of the line since everyone wants to be on the line for the start. Perfect 36 used this phenomenon to their advantage on this night, coming down the line on port and hardening up into the gap on the line left by the starboard tackers.  They did well capitalizing on this excellent start for a great finish.

STARTING RULES:

For the start, all boats are sailing at close quarters, so it is critical to know and abide by the rules regarding right of way. My crew knows to always apprise the skipper of every boat that needs to be dealt with.  With all the blind spots behind sails and the work of sailing a boat and having a small crew, it can be a daunting, but still critical a task to keep an eye out for other boats.

 

One rule commonly employed at the start is the windward vs leeward positions.  Leeward boat has right of way over windward boats and if overlapped on the line, the leeward boat can luff the windward boat and force them over the line early.  This gets to be quite a game in team racing as everyone strives to avoid “getting hooked” by a leeward boat. Windward/leeward positions are used to also close the door on a boat attempting to barge at one end of the line.  Since we have no race committee for our Tuesday nights and no protest room, it is critical to follow the rules.  We are all on the honor system.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

MAY 7, 2019: A COOL EVENING SAIL

May 7, 2019

A COOL EVENING SAIL

Predictions were all over the place for wind with some saying we would have greater than 20 knots on the bay.  Checking the Crows Nest flag, I could see it starting to droop a little so we kept the 155 jib on for the night. As we left the harbor, there was heavy overcast for a cool evening sail, there was also a healthy swell jacking up in the harbor entrance. From the entrance of the harbor to the start mark, we lost almost 5 knots of wind speed, but the northwesterly was blowing outside.

With the wind coming from 240 degrees (we are in Santa Cruz you know) we dropped the ball for the line and called for course Whiskey 3.  I did not want to get too aggressive and have boats negotiating the harbor entrance in the dark with such a swell running.  We had about 14 boats out for the fun, but only half of them had Race QS running.

On Pair a Dice, my plan for the start was to be at the beach side of the line with clear air for the first beat.  I accomplished hitting the line about 10 seconds late, but had Avatar directly in front of me, so did not get the clear air I desired. We all made our way tacking toward wharf mark.  The wind was very fickle, with pockets of good wind followed by lighter wind pockets.  It was not real apparent where the greater wind was by looking at the water.

At Wharf, Tusitala was the first around followed quickly by Avatar, then Pacific Spirit, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36 and Patricia J.  On Pair a Dice, we followed roughly a line directly to blacks, only altering course to avoid the bad wind from boats behind us. Remember to always look at the windex of the boat behind you to see if you are in their wind shadow.  If the tail of their windex is pointing at you, you can expect to see your sails sag a little.

At Blacks, once again Tusitala was followed quickly by Avatar, Pair a Dice and Pacific Spirit rounded together with Pacific Spirit claiming inside rights to “room at the mark”.  After rounding we had Patricia J and Perfect 36 in hot pursuit.  We all tacked over at different times toward the finish line.  At the finish it was Tusitala (50:29), Avatar (51.55), Patricia J (55:26), Pacific Spirit (55:51), Pair a Dice (56:25), Perfect 36 (57:04) and Kicks (1:05:10).  All time are elapsed and the course length was 3.23 miles.

SHOOTING A MARK:

Shooting a mark is NOT a second amendment right!  It is something I am still learning the finer nuances, but was able to accomplish on this night.  You use this move to get around the windward mark in a tight situation.  You have done all you can to round the mark and are very close but more than likely will bounce off the mark requiring a one turn penalty.  Shooting the mark requires incredible coordination of the whole crew to pull it off.  The skipper stays as high as possible and about 2-3 boat-lengths away from the mark falls off to get more speed, then turns directly into the wind.  The coordination of the crew requires the jib trimmer to completely release the jib just as the boat comes into the wind.  Watch for kinks in the jib sheet, because a back-winded jib KILLS the move by stopping the boat and the momentum you built up by falling off before the mark.  When the mark is mid-ship (and not before), the jib should be tightened to help pull the boat around and down. It is also important to release the main-sheet at the same time so the boat can turn down  swinging the transom away from the mark. It is critical to NOT pass head to wind if there is a nearby boat to weather. Shooting the mark is easier with heavier boats (more momentum) so works well with Catalinas.  It is a lot harder to accomplish in higher winds because the windage of the boat will stop you in your tracks.  From my experience, 8-15 knots is ideal.

 It is certainly better to properly call the layline so you do not need to use this trick.  Even if performed perfectly it is still a gamble, better to round comfortably. Still, shooting the mark is definitely a slick move to have in your bag of tricks.

THE RULE THAT NEVER SLEEPS:

Rule 14: Avoiding contact

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right of way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room (a)need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and (b) shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule and the contact does not cause damage or injury.

It is early in the season and I think it is important to emphasize this rule.  NOTHING discourages participation in our Tuesday night sailing more than boats crashing into each other.  Please do everything in your power to avoid collision.  Keep in mind we have many novice sailors learning about the racing rules so sometimes you may have to give up your “rights” to avoid collision. Above all else, if you see an impending collision with your boa DO NOT try to fend off, this is how injuries occur!

 Since we are engaged in “Beer can racing” there is no protest committee if someone does break a rule.  If a rule is broken and you witness it, please let me know about it.  I will discuss the rule in this blog, never implicating guilty parties.  We are all trying to learn about sailing and racing.

See you next Tuesday,

Barry L. Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

APRIL 30, 2019: A BLUSTERY NIGHT

 APRIL 30, 2019

A BLUSTERY NIGHT

On approaching the harbor, it was apparent that there was adequate wind for a race. As we left the harbor, we could see that there was a good northwesterly breeze blowing at about 15 knots.  We set the line and called for course W3.  This seemed like a good course for a barbecue night.  We had about 13 boats out for the fun.  We blew a 5 minute horn and set up for our start.

Pair a Dice wanted to start up the line (toward the yellow start mark) and accomplished this with Makani off our starboard hip and Perfect 36 ahead of us off our port bow.  As Makani crept up on us we slowed down a bit which allowed Perfect 36 to be the first to tack over toward the mark.  We all made our way toward wharf with Tusitala first to round and Perfect 36 following right behind them, then Makani, Patricia J, Pair a Dice and Rosie.

On the long run to Blacks there was not a lot of change in order and at the finish it was Perfect 36 (41:36), Tusitala (42:19), Pair a Dice (47:10), Patricia J, with Jason single-handed (48:03), Rosie (53:40) and Aeolian (54:10).  All times are elapsed and the length of the course was 3.23 miles. I know that Makani, Pacific Spirit and Auquavie finished way ahead of us but something happened with their Race QS track so I do not know their times.  Special not should go to Avatar which had an exceptional race coming in between Perfect 36 and Tusitala.  Unfortunately, Their RaceQS track did not show on my track.  We will get to the bottom of the Race QS mystery.

With only “15 knots” of true wind, it sure was a blustery night.

RACE QS:

There were many more boats out tonight, but many did not upload their race QS track.  Unfortunately we can only count you if your track uploads. This is a free app that allows us to track all boats in our race if used correctly.  From my experience there are several things that can cause a Race QS malfunction:  battery running out while recording the track and not having your phone GPS enabled. Also, when I use my phone for Race QS, it is dedicated to this app, I do not take pictures or take calls while the app is running.  On Pair a Dice, we have started using two phones (it is a free app) to record.  If one malfunctions upload the other.  It is still fun to come out and race, but it would be good to see how you are doing, so  it is suggested to record on 2 phones in case one malfunctions.

Copy and past this link into your browser to see this weeks track. Remember you must have google earth installed on your computer for this program to work.

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011635&divisionId=58377&updatedAt=2019-05-01T18:13:57Z&dt=2019-04-30T17:30:02-07:00..2019-04-30T19:14:09-07:00&boat=Dice&model=J24&time=1556675619344&focus=Dice&rival=The%20Perfect%20Thirty-six&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.952498&lon=-121.995403&tilt=1&range=1306&heading=251

BLUSTERY WIND:

One of the boats indicated the wind was 15 knots true.  It sure felt like more to me.  I was wondering about the effect of temperature on the effect of wind on sails (this evening was unusually cool).  It made sense to me that cooler temperatures would have more force than warmer temps.  I know we had our 155 jib on this night, but we were heeling a lot!

It has been shown that cooler air IS denser and exerts more pressure on our sails than in warm air. One person even thought there should be a gauge similar to “wind chill factor” used for sailing predictions.  “the wind today will be 20knots but will feel like 22 knots”

If you want to see the whole discussion on this topic, google WIND STRENGTH MYTH and read the whole forum on scuttlebutt-sailing forum.:dock talk: WIND STRENGTH MYTH.

DEALING WITH INCREASED WIND:

We all know our boats and our limits with regard to wind.  On Pair A Dice, I have a jiffy reefing system and can put the first reef in within 60 seconds.  Some people will change to a smaller jib.  Some, rather than changing to a smaller jib, will move to the outside track which opens the slot and allows you to keep the larger jib for a little longer.

Once, I was in the Santa Barbara channel in 40 knot winds, going down wind. We had one reef in and no jib.  We determined we needed a second reef in the main.  I gingerly climbed to the cabin top as the sail was lowered, I needed to thread a line through the second reef cringle. In 40 knots this is nearly an impossible task , as the leech of the sail flails wildly.  I ultimately succeeded and we got our second reef in.

 When we returned, I was talking to a dock mate about the experience and his advice was to always have a small line looped between the first reef cringle and the second reef cringle in the leech.  This small line between the cringles should have a loop tied in it, so when the second reef needs to be used, you can put the reefing line through the loop, pull the line through the second reef cringle and tie off the leech part of the sail. Use the Cunningham to keep the luff in place.

Looking forward to next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A DIce