11/26/2019 TRS SEMINAR: BAREBOAT CHARTERING / BARRY KEELER

                                                                   
                                                                  NOVEMBER 26, 2019

                                                             BAREBOAT  CHARTERING                                                           
                                                                     BARRY KEELER

To see the powerpoint presentation for this  TRS click on this link:

https://1drv.ms/p/s!ArjGq5xSks3iqWG6e37aq2exm2e2?e=huDzQk

We had an interesting discussion about bareboat chartering.  By viewing the powerpoint presentation you can see the highlights of our discussion.  I learned a lot from the various discussions we had.  

When there is a man overboard incident, you should start throwing floating objects overboard so you have a trail leading back to the victim.  (Thanks to Stefan Berlkinski)

The best type of anchor for general cruising is a Rocna or other spade type anchor. (Thanks to Don Radcliffe)

I guess I am rather old school because after taking the coastal navigation course from Coast Guard auxiliary, I have always used a puck compass to see where I am and where I am going.  When I described this process it was pointed out that it is easier to look at your chart plotter (Thanks Don)

This coming Tuesday a discussion will be held by Chris Hofmann and Fred Molnar on "Crossing situations and rules on rounding marks".  Barbecue will be open from 5:15 to 5:45 and seminar will start at 6pm.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

                                         

11/19/2019 TRS SEMINAR "IMPROVING BOAT SPEED" WITH TOM CONERLY

 TUESDAY RACING SEMINAR (TRS)

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

IMPROVING BOAT SPEED

WITH TOM CONERLY

Tom started his talk describing the difference between “racing sailboats” and “cruising sailboats”.  This was something I had never considered.  We all know that racing boats are lighter and narrower beams.  But I had never thought about the way the weight is distributed.  A racing boat usually has 50% of its weight in the keel, which is usually deeper on a race boat.  This difference makes the race boat more stable both at anchor and while sailing.  The fact that the weight is more centrally located makes it easier to sail through wave (with less hobby-horsing).

Tom had many tips about boat handling and basically dealing with problems that can occur on a boat.  He described how it is better for the boat to be flatter in high winds.  The boat sails better this way and it is a dryer ride for the crew.  As wind increases it is better to flatten sails by using the outhaul, backstay  and moving jib fairleads back.  Since cruising boats are heavier in the bow and stern, it is best to compensate for this by getting the crew centered in the boat and on the rail.  The worst place for crew to be is in the cockpit on any point of sail since this increases the wetted area on the boat.  Going down-wind the crew should be forward to help catch waves.

Tom discussed the whole “mentality of racing”.  There are times for leisure sails and there are times for racing.  Is the crew earnest about racing?   Does the crew get the jib sheets in quickly and winched In quickly (upper chest over the winch grinding in using both hands?) Is the boat as light as you can get it?

Tom went into depth describing the best points to sail for best speed.  He pointed out that sailing 10 degrees off course only results in 1% more distance sailed. This means if you can sail 10 degrees higher or lower AND increase your speed, you will come out ahead of the boats that sail dead down wind.

Tom went into length about how the things you learn from racing can be applied in all types of sailing, including cruising.  If you race a lot, you will learn how to deal with all the things that can go wrong on a sailboat, from dealing with spinnaker wraps and spinnaker halyard breaks to dealing with winch over-wraps.

I found the subject of over-wraps to be interesting.  Over-wraps happen when the jib sheet does not coil around the winch as it should and over-wraps on itself.  With the loads on a jib sheet in a strong breeze, these forces can be formidable.  There are several ways to undo the over-wrap.  You can lead the tail of the wrapped line to another winch and use the leverage to undo the wrap.  You can luff up momentarily to reduce the load and allow the wrap to be untangled, or you can even ease the jib halyard to ease the tension.  The last resort is to cut the jib sheet (with the owner’s permission😉).

One last takeaway that I got from Tom is dealing with the Jib Halyard.  Most of us have roller furling jibs.  I have known for some time it is best to ease the halyard when coming in from a sail to keep the jib from getting stretched out.  Tom also indicated this is good practice, but also pointed out that if you loosen the jib halyard when you come into the harbor, you will have to TIGHTEN it when you sail again.  When you are tightening the jib halyard for the new sail, it will be tightened appropriately.  For many boats, this adjustment is frequently a “set it and forget it” setting. 

Tom laid out a lot of ideas for improving boat speed.  If you can apply these concepts your sailing will definitely improve.

Thank your Tom for your time and expertise.

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Next Tuesday will be Thanksgiving week but we will forge ahead with our TRS series on Tuesday night November 26.   Though the topic does not pertain to racing, we will talk about “BARE BOAT CHARTERING”.  Personally, I have done quite a few of these and I encourage others that have experience to show up for the discussion.  I would like to discuss topics such as which company to rent from, tips on anchoring and getting mooring balls (if available).  Please come if you can.  This will be an open discussion about bare boating.

Barry Keeler 

     

Sailing Pair A Dice

NOVEMBER 12, 2019: NOTES ON "STARTS SEMINAR"

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

STARTS SEMINAR

FRED MOLNAR AND DON RADCLIFFE

This was the second of our Tuesday night seminars and was attended by 25 people with active participation.  It started with Fred talking about his preparation and execution of the start of a race.

Fred set out a comprehensive plan for approaching any regatta or race.  He described studying any notes he had about the venue (if in a venue other than home).  He also said it is important to know who your competitors are and who are the fast boats you are competing against.  In preparation for the race you should check your boat for the race (weight? Clean bottom?).  Also check the weather reports for the type of wind predicted (predict wind website).  Your crew should engage in safety drills if something untoward should occur (MOB?).  You should assign crew to appropriate positions.   Leave dock in plenty of time to assess the situation on the water and practice a few tacks and jibes (if new crew).  As you approach the start area check for kelp which can slow your boat dramatically if it decides to hitchhike.  You should observe the water for wind indications and look for birds and flags for further information.  You can also observe the flow of the kelp to determine the direction of currents that may be taken advantage of.

Ten to thirty minutes before the start you should determine the true direction of the wind and which end of the line is favored.  Everything else being equal, if you can start at the favored end of the line, it is like taking a legal head start on the other boats.  You should also sail around the end of the line to get a sight on a landmark that helps determine when you are on the line.

Assess the wind.  Is it steady, oscillating or shifting?  Time the line: how long does it take to sail the length of the line?  You should note the course number indicating which course to follow (have two people agree on the course).  Have crew apprise skipper of any boats that may interfere with the planned start.  And ALWAYS keep an eye out for kelp strands in the water waiting to hitchhike and slow you down.

These steps are aimed at having you start in clean air at the favored end of the line at full speed going in the right direction (toward the better wind).

After Fred’s presentation Don Radcliffe discussed some of the racing rules that come into play at the start.  There were several scenarios presented.  What I learned was that in a “barging situation” there is no such thing as barging in the rule book.  There IS windward/ leeward right of way and luffing rights.  If you have a boat that is attempting to “barge” it is important to hale “NO ROOM” OR “DON’T GO THERE” well ahead of time so they have time to clear the committee boat or mark. It is also critical that the boat that is being “barged” does NOT alter course.   The boat should be sailing straight for the corner of the line where the windward boat is trying to sneak through.

There was also a discussion of luffing rights on the line.  In these situations a lot depends on HOW the overlap was achieved.  As an example if the leeward boat achieved overlap from behind, AFTER the start signal the leeward boat cannot sail above proper course to luff a windward boat.

Thanks to Fred and Don for an excellent presentation.

Next Tuesday we will have Tom Conerly speak about improving boat speed.  Start time will be 6pm with the grill open from 5:15 to 5:45.   As usual the seminar will be downstairs at the yacht club.

Upstairs will not be open.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

OCTOBER 29, 2019 LAST TUESDAY OF THE SAILING SEASON

OCTOBER 29, 2019

LAST TUESDAY OF THE SAILING SEASON

Douglas Mahone
to me

This was the night of the short course and early sunset.

Fifteen boats showed up for racing, with a light breeze out of the north (actually, a few degrees west of north).  A short course (about one mile) of Start to finish at Gov was called, and the race began at 5:45p. It was a starboard tack close reach the whole way.

Because of the light winds at the start, about half of the fleet was caught well behind the line and started late.  The old starting tactic of sailing two minutes away from the line and then two minutes back to start only works if there’s consistent wind.  In light winds, it works better to bob around near the line until it’s time to go. Once we all got going, the wind filled in rather nicely, even building occasionally to 6 to 8 kts as we got farther up toward the mark.

There was apparently some shouting around the starboard end of the start line before the start.  I didn’t witness it, but I was told that about four boats were stacked up heading to the line.  The leeward boat was trying to push up the boats above it, which is allowable, but the upwind boats didn’t yield.  Apparently, one or more would have had to sail above the start mark, and would have had to circle back to start properly. Because they were close together, the ability to yield to the leeward boat depended on the farthest boat upwind yielding first, because the others below couldn’t push up without collisions. Nobody was allowing the leeward boat to push up, hence the shouting.  If I have this story right, it illustrates how the rules can require multiple boats to change course because of the action of one boat.  At least they all observed Rule 14, and avoided collisions.

Once the race was underway, a lot of the outcome turned on who got the best wind.  Although it was blowing rather well, there were puffs and lulls, and the northerly was often a bit stronger closer to shore.  Avatar and Perfect 36 were farther offshore, while Pair-a-Dice, Tusitala and Nidaros were closer inshore; the rest of the fleet was scattered.  Avatar was leading for most of the first leg, PAD and Perfect were in close pursuit, and Tusitala was coming up hard on the inside. As we approached the finish, Avatar was still in the lead, but the wind inshore was stronger so PAD and Tusitala had pretty much closed the gap. As Tusitala tried to pass PAD, PAD (the leeward boat) pushed her up, away from the mark.  Then, PAD quickly turned down toward the finish, leaving Tusitala behind.  A classic match racing tactic, well executed by guest skipper Fred Molnar.  PAD ended up crossing 11 seconds ahead Tusitala, and Avatar came in one second behind Tusitala.  The whole thing took less than 15 minutes of actual racing. Who says short races can’t be exciting?

For the final results, there were ten boats that recorded their tracks.  RaceQs reported final corrected times of PAD 10:30, Avatar 11:33, Perfect 36 12:05, Tusitala 12:15, Pacific Spirit 13:10, Patricia J 13:11, Sandpiper 13:54, Nidaros 14:38, Kicks 15:53, and Aeolian 16:25. Please note: these are corrected times not elapsed time as I usually report.

This was the last race of the season, which began last March. We’ve had a lot of interesting races, some informative rules infractions, a lot of boat and crew improvements, and more fun than we can count. The last BBQ of the season followed this last race, and it was one of the liveliest and best attended yet. We’ll declare it a great success! Looking forward to starting the next season when daylight savings time returns in the spring.  In the meantime, please try to participate in the Midwinters and other off-season racing to keep your skills up and your crews engaged.

A huge thanks to Doug for an excellent recap of the last race for the season!

The race QS track can be reviewed at: https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1009265&divisionId=62884&updatedAt=2019-10-30T03:26:33Z&dt=2019-10-29T17:35:10-07:00..2019-10-29T18:04:42-07:00&boat=PAD&model=Express27&time=1572397452552&focus=PAD&rival=Tusitala&tab=match&view=manual&lat=36.957836&lon=-122.013093&tilt=1&range=333&heading=4

TUESDAY NIGHT SEMINARS:

Our first Tuesday night seminar will be downstairs at the Yacht club on November 5 and will be conducted by Fred Molnar and Chris Hofmann.  This will start at 6pm and the topic will be Race QS.  A discussion will be held about the Moore 24 incident that lead to the death of a racer earlier this year in Monterey.  There will be an open question and answer session on rules and tactics and anything else people want to talk about.

We have some amazing talent in our group and these seminars will be an incredible learning experience if you choose to participate.

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I want to thank all of the participants we have had this year.  I have really enjoyed seeing the number of participants grow and everyone having so much fun.

We will see you at the seminars.

Barry L Keeler

Sailing Pair a Dice