DECEMBER 20, 2022 YULE TIDE SAILING

 

DECEMBER 20, 2022

YULE TIDE SAILING

I got to the harbor and followed my usual Tuesday afternoon routine looking at the flags to see if there is any prospect of breeze.  Once again it was a light breeze showing on the flags.  If it weren’t for the spectacular weather (despite light wind) we have in the wintertime, it would be very frustrating.  We prepped the boat and left the harbor to see very light wind showing with patches of ripples on the water.  We went to the GOV start area, set the line square to the wind and set the red ball as the windward mark. Calling a course in these conditions can be very challenging.  It is good to have options for shortening or lengthening the course as conditions play out.   I called for a course to take the windward mark to port, then SC2 to port and finish at the line between Wharf end and GOV.  I was surprised to see 14 boats out for the fun! We blew a 2:55 horn as the 5 minute horn for a 3pm start with all boats starting at the same time.

We are not accustomed to the next occurrence: the wind increased a little as the start time approached and we all shot off the line in the brisk 6-7 knot breeze.  You must work with what you can get!  As the first boats rounded the windward mark, I called to increase the length of the course making the new course: Start, Windward mark, SC2, Windward mark, finish at the Wharf-Gov line.  Right after I announced the new course, the wind seemed to die a little, but all boats finished the course so it was a good call after all.

The order of the boats finishing was Sweetheart 29:06, Geronimo 29:28, Yellow Belly 29:39, Wind II 31:50, Nidaros 32:31, Aquavit 32:46, Tusitala 33.29, Avatar 34:00, New Wave 34:40, Perfect 36 35:29, Big Mac 36:41, Pair a Dice 37:33, Pacific Spirit 38:25 and Kicks 43:39.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 1.42 NM.

Though the wind was light, conditions were delightful, and it was a beautiful example of Yule Tide sailing. We had an awesome turnout at the club for the barbecue even though the club was closed.  A big thanks to Mike Gross for setting up the barbecue and to everyone that contributed awesome food for the barbecue. A special thanks to Todd Johnson for the beer he provided.

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                     ADJUSTED TIME

1              WIND II                                26:47

2              YELLOW BELLY                   27:56

3              GERONIMO                        29:28

4              SWEETHEART                     29:21

5              NIDAROS                             30:24

6              AQUAVIT                             31:17

7              AVATAR                               31:41

8              TUSITALA                            31:50

9              BIG MAC                              32:45

10           NEW WAVE                        34:40

11           PERFECT 36                         32:56

12           SAILING PAIR A DICE       34:21

13           PACIFIC SPIRIT                   35:32

14           KICKS                                    39:23                                                                                    

WINTERTIME SAILING IN SANTA CRUZ

  Race QS:

The track for this evening can be seen at:  

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=86811&updatedAt=2022-12-21T00:32:19Z&dt=2022-12-20T14:40:02-08:00..2022-12-20T16:27:14-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1671579821228&focus=Avatar&rival=Big%20Mac&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.956400&lon=-122.010058&tilt=2&range=377&heading=184

SEASONS GREETING:

I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and an awesome new year!  It is an esteemed honor for me to be associated with such an awesome group of sailors.  I am looking forward to next year to continue our traditional awesome Tuesday sails.

NEXT TUESDAY:

Next Tuesday will be two days after Christmas and the last Tuesday of the month and year.  Though the club will be closed, we will have a barbecue potluck once again: WEATHER PERMITTING.  Since the club will be closed once again, it will be bring you own food and drink.  If weather is questionable, keep an eye on your e-mail for a cancellation notice which will be posted by noon if the race is called off.

Merry Christmas to all!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair a Dice

DECEMBER 13, 2022 AREN'T WE BLESSED

 

DECEMBER 13, 2022

AREN’T WE BLESSED!

I got to the harbor around 1:30, and as usual, there was a breeze showing on the flags.  This is a positive sign that can quickly disappear, leaving us flat, anxious, and cursed.  We prepped the boat and left the harbor around 2 with wind still showing on the water.  We went to the start area around GOV and set a start line using the small, yellow with red flag mark.  We then motor-sailed to an area towards Steamer Lane to set the red ball mark as the windward mark.

We had about 10 boats out for the fun and called for a course: Start to windward mark, Mile and back to the finish line between the end of the wharf and GOV.  We blew a 5-minute horn at 2:55 for a one fleet start. We had a clean start with several boats crowding at the GOV end of the start line.  We all tacked our way toward the windward mark which was plagued with varying winds and current creating difficulties in getting around it.

After rounding the windward mark, we all made our way to Mile with the first to round being Avatar, followed by Nidaros, Aquavit, Big Mac, Simpatico, Perfect 36, Pair A Dice and Kicks.  As we all made our way back to the finish line, the wind seemed to be decreasing from the brisk 8-9 knot wind to a more anemic 5-6 knots. At the finish Aquavit was first over the line 39:24, followed by Nidaros 40:35, Avatar and Wind II both at 40:51, Big Mac 43:33, Perfect 36 44:05, Simpatico 44:14, Pair A Dice 44:15 and Kicks 49:20.  Times are elapsed, and the course distance was about 2.80 NM.

With the windy, rainy weather we have had in the last week, it was incredible to have such a beautiful sunny day with enough wind to have a good race. When you consider that most of the country is digging out from blizzards, we have weather like today: aren’t we blessed!

PHRF ADUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                     ADJUSTED TIME

1              WIND II                                30:54

2              BIG MAC                              34:35

3              AVATAR                                35:30

4              NIDAROS                             35:42

5              AQUAVIT                             35:58

6              PAIR A DICE                        36:57

7              SIMPATICO                          37:40

8              PERFECT 36                         39:28

9              KICKS                                   49:20

 

RACE QS:

The track for this afternoon can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=86751&updatedAt=2022-12-14T00:38:39Z&dt=2022-12-13T14:45:05-08:00..2022-12-13T16:38:18-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1670976505957&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Big%20Mac&tab=match&view=auto

TACTICS AND RULES:

As noted above, it was an exciting rounding of the windward mark.  On PAD, I could not round the mark and used the tactic called “shooting the mark”.  This is when you aim below the mark to gain speed, then turn head to wind to coast around the mark. The move is best attempted with no other boats close by, but this was not the case for us, with a boat entering the zone to windward of us.  While we were successful in this attempt (not hitting the mark), it was a good education for me.  To this point in the race, we were doing well, but coasting to a stop in 6 knot winds on a heavy boat is not a good tactic! By the time we got up to speed again, we had surrendered our good position.  Using this move to round a finishing mark may be appropriate, but not in the middle of the race. It would have been better to do two tacks.

 The rules involved in this situation are noted in rule 18.2. 18.2(b): If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at that moment shall thereafter give her mark-room.  Without these criteria being met, the outside windward boat could hail “No overlap, No room”.  When leeward boat is turning head to wind to “shoot the mark”, he can turn no further than head to wind. Turning any more than head to wind would mean you are tacking within the zone invoking rule 18.3: “If a boat in the zone of a mark to be left to port passes head to wind from port to starboard tack and is then fetching the mark, she shall not cause a boat that had been on starboard tack since entering the zone to sail above close hauled to avoid contact and she shall give mark room if that boat becomes overlapped inside her.” The rules were honored by both boats on this rounding.

LAST TWO TUESDAYS OF THE MONTH:

The next two Tuesdays are entwined with the holiday season and, with the club closed for these two Tuesdays, we have options.  If you want to race, we will be racing both days starting at 3pm.  We will also be having a barbecue at the club after each sail.  Mike Gross will be providing tools for the barbecue and, though the upstairs will be closed, we will have access to the restrooms and downstairs.  Since the bar will not be open, we need to bring our own food and drinks for each of these events.   This could all be called off if weather does not cooperate.  If we cancel, an email will be sent by noon on each day.  Watch your email if weather looks questionable.   

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

 

DECEMBER 6, 2022 BOBBING TO RETIREMENT

DECEMBER 6, 2022

BOBBING TO RETIREMENT

When I got to the harbor at about 1 o’clock I was encouraged to see a healthy Easterly showing on the flags.  It was no surprise to see the flags go limp (as is the routine) as we approached the start time for the race.  As we left the harbor, we were impressed with the beauty of the spectacular display of clouds around the bay.  We approached the start area around GOV where the water was incredibly glassy looking more like a pond than an ocean.  For over 10 minutes we waited with not a ripple showing on the water.  As boats left the harbor and approached the start area, they seemed to bring a very light breeze with them.  We set a line square to this hint of a breeze and called for a short course from the start line to SC2 and finish at the line from wharf end to Gov.  We blew a horn at 2:55 for a one fleet start at 3pm and as usual, the horn was a signal to the wind gods to go back to sleep.

Despite the vagaries of the whisper-less wind, several boats accomplished good starts and started drifting slowly toward SC2.  Though we had close to a dozen boats sailing only 3 boats finished the very short course.  The first to the finish line was Yellow Belly 17:33 followed by Aquavit 24:44 and New Wave 27:36. Times are elapsed, and the course length was 0.35 NM.

Though it was a beautiful display of nature on the bay, the wind did not cooperate.  This resulted in multiple boats drifting in erratic courses as most of the boats ultimately retired.  Most of us were just bobbing around until we retired.  

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                                     ADJUSTED TIME

1              YELLOW BELLY                                   16:43

2              AQUAVIT                                             24:18

3              NEW WAVE                                        27:01

RACE QS:

To see the track of this exciting race you can view the track here:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2022-12-07T00:07:37Z&dt=2022-12-06T14:40:04-08:00..2022-12-06T16:07:24-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1670369256413&focus=Nueva%20Ola&rival=Yellowbelly&tab=match&view=manual&lat=36.958128&lon=-122.011937&tilt=5&range=396&heading=354

RULES AND RESPECT:

Tuesday sailing is a developmental series for us all to improve our sailing, racing and learning the rules.  We have a wide gamut of sailors in our group, from beginning sailors/racers to world class sailors. I take issue when someone says “it’s just Tuesday sailing” indicating we don’t need to follow the rules. By signing up for this series, you have agreed to follow the racing rules of sailing.  While not all of us know the rules as well as others, there are some things that we all know.  Being blatantly OCS at the start or brushing up against a mark or not rounding a mark without exonerating or correcting are just several examples. With our relaxed situation on Tuesdays, relying on RACE QS for tracking boats, the door is open for people to not follow the rules.  After a major infraction and no exoneration, I believe it is only appropriate to retire from the race.  You may continue to sail, but just don’t cross the finish line.  Always remember, if you race and do well in a race, if you have not gained the respect of your competitors, you have not really won anything.

HOLIDAY HOURS:

The club will be closed from December 19 until New Years Eve.  The club will be open (serving food and drinks) for next Tuesday 12/13 after the race.  There will be no “club services” for 12/20 or 12/27, though we could use the barbecue for these days if there is interest and weather permitting.  Let me know after the race next Tuesday what you want to do. If there is interest, we could have a potluck barbecue on the two nights that the club is closed.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

NOVEMBER 29, 2022 ONE AWESOME SAIL

 

NOVEMBER 29, 2022

ONE AWESOME SAIL

With predictions of eight knot winds, I was surprised to see the flags flying briskly when I arrived at the harbor.  We prepped the boat and with a full crew, left the slip at 2pm.  As we left the harbor, we saw steady wind across the bay.  After the "bob-fests" we have had this month, prospects were looking good. 

The winds were coming from the normal 240 direction.  This presents a problem with the few marks we have in the winter with no windward mark. I decided to set the orange ball mark straight upwind from the start line.  The distance of about 300 yards seemed to be a little short for such a large fleet. We had about 13 boats out for the fun and blew a 5-minute horn for a single start at 3pm.  The course was announced: Start line to round the orange ball to port, Mile to port, SC 2 to port and finish line being the line from the end of the wharf to Gov.

The start line was crowded as all boats rocketed off the line in the 12-13 knot winds  and made their way to the first Red-ball mark, then off to Mile.  The first boat to round Mile was New Wave, followed by Perfect 36, Rosie, Pair A Dice and Pacific Spirit (together), Simpatico, Aeolian, Aquavit, Big Mac and Kicks. 

The wind was not subsiding as we have experienced too often this November and all boats made their way to SC2 and then finishing.  This is when the confusion started as some boats thought that they needed to round Gov and finish going to weather while others used the Wharf-Gov line as a finish line.  In the future, I will designate to take the finish mark to port or starboard to prevent this dangerous situation.  Still learning! At the finish, Perfect 36 was first 22:50, Aquavit 24:29, Rosie 24:48, Simpatico 25:06, New Wave 25:12, Aeolian 26:42, Sailing Pair A Dice 26:55, Big Mac 27:19, Pacific Spirit 27:42, Wind II 28:45 and Kicks 35:05. All times are elapsed and the course length was 2.5 NM.

Some of the confusion on the finish line is because we traditionally round the start mark outside of the line using the extension of the lighthouse and start mark.  The reason for this is so I can retrieve the start line mark before the last boat finishes.   The finish line, wharf-end to Gov, are both permanent marks so the line between them can be used.  I should have explained this over the VHF when calling the course.

After all of the "No-winder sails" we have had this month, it was great to have enough steady wind for one awesome sail!

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                                                     CORRECTED TIME

1                              PERFECT 36                                         16:54

2                              ROSIE                                                    18:20

3                              BIG MAC                                              18:28

4                              SIMPATICO                                         18:39

5                              AEOLIAN                                              19:42

5                              PAIR A DICE                                        19:42    (TIE)

7                              WIND II                                                19:52

8                              AQUAVIT                                             21:08

9                              PACIFIC SPIRIT                                   21:13

10                           NEW WAVE                                         21:14

11                           KICKS                                                    27:35

As a side note, New Wave sailed an extra leg out to the red ball before finishing.  Kicks had a late start and Avatar raced but had no track on Race QS. 

Race QS:

I encourage people to preset their start so their track begins before the start. Race QS uses 24hr timing so 3pm reads as 15:00 and you must preset your start for some time before 15:00 (like 14:45). 

The track for this race can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=86470&updatedAt=2022-11-30T01:39:09Z&dt=2022-11-29T14:40:04-08:00..2022-11-29T16:19:40-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1669762498892&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Nueva%20Ola&tab=fleet&view=follow&lat=36.957954&lon=-122.012053&tilt=0&range=1028&heading=145

WHAT A SEASON:

One of the things that keeps me going in our Tuesday sailing adventure,  is seeing all of us bringing our game up.  How amazing it is to see so many boats right on the start line right on time for the start.  Exciting (crowded) rounding of the first mark and everyone following rules resulting in no "incidents".  Almost all boats finishing withing 5 minutes of each other (elapsed time).  With the confusion at the finish having some boats going through the line in opposite directions BUT following rules resulting in no collisions.  I am proud to be associated with such an awesome group of sailors!

I am looking forward to next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

NOVEMBER 22, 2022 "NOWINDER" SAIL

 

NOVEMBER 22, 2022

"NOWINDER" SAIL

Predictions for the afternoon were encouraging with up to 10 knot winds being predicted. When I arrived at the harbor at 1:30, I was encouraged to see the flag flying on the Crow's Nest which confirmed this prediction.  We prepped the boat and left the harbor to discover the SCYC marks had been pulled for the winter as is the usual custom.  I announced multiple times over the radio that the start would be from the Gov mark area as all boats seemed to exit the harbor and turn left rather than right to get to the start area.  The wind seemed to be strong enough to call for an ambitious course.  Since we were starting earlier (2:55), we would have time to complete the course before darkness would spoil the fun.

We determined the wind was coming from about 210 degrees and set a line square to this direction and called for a course: start, Mile to port, SC2 to port and finish at the line between Gov and the end of the wharf. We called for all boats to start at 2:55 and blew the 2:50 horn giving 5 minutes to the start.  As has turned into a normal occurrence, the wind died in the last 5 minutes before the start.  Despite this lack of wind, many boats accomplished good starts.  The boats that had good starts really achieved a good advantage as the wind outside seemed to die a little slower than the inside breeze.  The first boat around Mile was Geronimo, followed by Tusitala, Avatar, Nidaros, Rosie (Olson 25), Perfect 36, Kicks, Pair a Dice, Pacific Spirit and Big Mac.

As all boats made their way back inside, the wind was ranging from very light to nonexistent depending on where you were on the bay.  Despite this lack of speed, it was a glorious afternoon spent bobbing around on the bay. Although a few boats retired, most boats finished the course.  Geronimo was first across the finish line 57:10, followed by Tusitala 1:05:48, Avatar 1:07:20, Nidaros 1:10:12, Perfect 36 1:23:50, Rosie 1:35:07, Big Mac 1:47:59, Pair A Dice 1:48:41, Pacific Spirit 1:52:45 and Kicks 1:53:01.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was 2.34 NM.

Though it was a slow race, it was still a beautiful sunset sail in very light wind.  We all learned why sailors in Santa Cruz call the month of November "Nowinder".   It certainly was a "Nowinder sail"!

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                                              ADJUSTED TIME

1                              GERONIMO                                        53:46

2                              TUSITALA                                           1:02:03

3                              AVATAR                                               1:02:12

4                              NIDAROS                                            1:05:37

5                              PERFECT 36                                        1:18:12

6                              ROSIE                                                   1:29:06

7                              BIG MAC                                             1:39:21

8                              SAILING PAIR A DICE                       1:41:43

9                              KICKS                                                   1:45:59

10                            PACIFIC SPIRIT                                   1:46:26 

                  CAN YOU THINK OF ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WOULD RATHER BE?

                                                    PHOTO BY SAM HARDIN

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=86371&updatedAt=2022-11-23T01:05:57Z&dt=2022-11-22T14:52:51-08:00..2022-11-22T17:03:28-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1669157775862&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Nidaros%20II&tab=fleet&view=auto

THE START:

Everyone knows that the start is a critical part of racing.  A good start involves knowing time and distance.  How long will it take to sail a certain distance in a certain amount of time?  This gets difficult when the wind is quickly dying.  The better sailors know to not get far from the line before the start in varying conditions.  If you are early to the line, it is better to slow the boat a little by loosening the sheets a little rather than trying to tack around as I did on this night.   Tacking in very light wind is excruciatingly slow resulting in a very poor start.

PHYSICS OF LIGHT AIR SAILING:

Predictions for light wind encourage me to use my largest headsail: the 155. I have found that when the wind gets very light that, with the larger headsail, it is impossible to control the boat going to weather.  When this happens, I partially furl the headsail to regain control but never thought about how this works. How the sails work normally going to weather: the wind on the leeward side of the sail (having a greater distance to travel) speeds up relative to the windward wind.  The vortex created by these two winds meeting at the leech, creates the suction that pulls the boat forward.  If the speed of the boat decreases to the point that the leeward wind does not reach the leech, you get no vortex (suction) and the physics of the sail do not work. Partially furling the headsail  shortens the distance between the luff and the leech and allows this vortex to form.  Would it help to have a telltale on the leech of the jib for these situations to tell when you have furled the sail enough? This concept was explained to me by one of the better sailors at the club.  I LOVE SCYC and the opportunities to learn presented there!

We will see you next Tuesday afternoon for a 3pm start.

NEXT TUESDAY IS THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AND THERE WILL BE A BARBECUE AT THE CLUB AFTER THE RACE  WEATHER PERMITTING. BRING YOUR BEST GRILLING FOOD!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

NOVEMBER 15, 2022 ALMOST A GREEN FLASH SUNSET

 This was the night we almost saw the green flash.

 

Barry was on vacation this week, so Doug Mahone filled in for him setting up the race and writing this report.

 

It was a cool (upper 60’s), sunny afternoon.  The wind was blowing 4-6 kts from 240 - 280.  We set up the start line and called for course W5 (Start, Schuyler, Finish), hoping the wind would hold long enough to complete the race.  We called for a single fleet race, with the 5 minute warning at 3:50p and the start at 3:55p.

 

There were 11 boats out for the start, but only 7 recorded RaceQs tracks. As we were maneuvering for the start, the wind showed signs of fading, but there was enough for everybody to get a clean start, with the left end favored.  There was a bit of verbal discussion about the rules (shouting), but no collisions. And it was all in slow motion, so everybody settled in to trying to go fast (typically around 4 kts). On the upwind leg to Schuyler, most boats went offshore, where the wind was a bit steadier and stronger. By the time we got to Schuyler, the breeze had lightened and the fleet was quite spread out. Boats were beginning to give up and head for the harbor (club bar).  It took the leaders about 25 minutes to get to Schuyler, which gave us some hope the race would complete within an hour, right around sunset.

 

The rounding order at Schuyler was: Yellowbelly, Perfect 36, Avatar, Rosie, Big Mac, and Pacific Spirit.  Everybody else had resigned the race.  As the fleet headed back downwind to the finish, some were using whisker poles, some were jibing downwind.  New Wave impressed us by popping open their spinnaker, but that was only to get back to the harbor quicker. By this time, the wind was down to less than 4 kts and boats were dropping out one by one.

 

In the end, Yellowbelly was the first to finish, in just under an hour.  Perfect 36, finishing about 15 minutes later, was the only other boat to hold on to the end. The rest of us enjoyed a lovely sunset.  It was clear enough to look for a green flash as the sun dipped below the horizon, but we never saw it (it DOES happen sometimes). The modest parade of boats back into the harbor was a preview of the lighted boat parade (with running lights). We were greeted outside the harbor mouth by a 6 kt breeze from the north that showed up too late to be of any use for racing.

 

To see the action on RaceQs, follow this link:  https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1066813&updatedAt=2022-11-16T01:29:15Z&dt=2022-11-15T15:50:03-08:00..2022-11-15T17:29:13-08:00&boat=Avatar&model=Express27&time=1668556271597&focus=Yellowbelly&rival=P36&tab=match&view=manual&lat=36.951347&lon=-121.993811&tilt=1&range=173&heading=270

 

Doug.

 

Douglas Mahone

305 Harbor Drive

Santa Cruz  CA  95062

 

doug@dmahone.com

(916) 541-6607

Thanks Doug for putting the race on and an excellent recap!

Barry

NOVEMBER 1, 2022 AFTER THE FRONT PASSED THROUGH

 

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

AFTER THE FRONT PASSED THROUGH

There were predictions for rain on Tuesday and I was apprehensive about sailing.  I checked the predictions, and all indications were that the rain would pass Santa Cruz be done by 3pm.  I left Pacific Grove at about 1 in driving rain and saw rain the whole way up to Santa Cruz. When we arrived at the harbor, the flag was limp, and it was still raining but there was a blue sky approaching from the north.  Once again, the wind was coming from various directions.   As we left the harbor around 3:20, the sky was blue and the predictions for 13 knot winds were vanquished with winds approaching 20 knots.  The wind direction was from the North, so we set a line square to the wind and called for a course of: Start, Gov and finish at the harbor entrance.  With such dire predictions, it was not surprising that we only had 3 boats out for the fun.

We blew a horn at 3:50 for a 2-fleet start with all three boats starting at 5 minutes till four.  We all romped our way through the waves on our way to Gov with Pacific Spirit being the first around Gov and New Wave being second around.  Pacific Spirit was First through the harbor entrance and as conditions started to get milder came back out for a pleasant sail under blue skies.

We went back to retrieve our start-line buoy and made our way to the harbor.   While it all started with raucous wind, the afternoon turned into beautiful sailing conditions after the front passed through.

I was surprised to see the number of people that came to the club with only 3 boats out.  Many came for Paul Tara's presentation on Seamanship.

PAUL TARA'S "SEAMANSHIP":

Paul put on an excellent presentation about many of the marine disasters that have occurred in the past as well as more recent events.  He talked about everything from the Titanic to smaller boats lost locally.  The discussion centered around errors made in judgement as well as design and race management. One critical aspect presented was the number of accidents that have occurred when people used autopilot without having anyone on watch.  The presentation was so all encompassing that even my visiting non-sailing sibling found it very interesting.

RACE QS:

The track for this evening can be seen at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=85950&updatedAt=2022-11-02T00:20:08Z&dt=2022-11-01T15:42:06-07:00..2022-11-01T17:20:04-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1667343962221&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Nueva%20Ola&tab=fleet&view=auto

Stay tuned for next Tuesday's afternoon sail starting at 4pm.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

OCTOBER 25, 2022 LAST TUESDAY NIGHT SAIL OF THE SEASON

 

OCTOBER 25, 2022

LAST TUESDAY NIGHT SAIL OF THE SEASON

It was not encouraging to see the flag hanging limp over the Crow's Nest when I got to the harbor. Sure enough, as we left the harbor the bay was absolutely glassy with no wind.  With the impending sunset, we could not call for anything but a very short course.  As time progressed, a whisper of Easterly was showing on the bay so we called for the course: Start line and finish at Blacks.  We determined the wind was coming from 60 degrees and set a line for the start.  We blew the 5:50 horn for a two-fleet start as the Easterly wind was getting even weaker and the sun was sinking lower on the horizon.  We had over a dozen boats out to experience the frustration.

Fleet A started at 5:55 as four boats made it over the line and inched their way toward Blacks.  Fleet B had more boats start at 6pm but several boats got discouraged and/or thirsty and headed for the harbor and the bar.  It was excruciating to see the boats inching slowly toward the finish line at Blacks.

The first Fleet A boat to finish was Double Expresso 30:32, followed by Tusitala 31:16, Sweetheart 32:54 and Avatar 33:42.  The first of Fleet B to finish was Makani 30:01 followed by Kicks 35:59, Goldrush 36:45 and Toad 36:55.  Times are elapsed and the course length was 0.26NM.

It was frustrating and understandable that only 8 boats finished the race, though it was a beautiful sunset.

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                                     ADJUSTED SECONDS

FLEET A:

1              DOUBLE EXPRESSO                          1806

2              TUSITALA                                            1852

3              SWEETHEART                                     1975

4              AVATAR                                               1987

FLEET B:

1              MAKANI                                              1762

2              KICKS                                                    2106

3              GOLD RUSH                                        2172

4              TOAD                                                    2176

RACE QS:

The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=85783&updatedAt=2022-10-26T02:49:34Z&dt=2022-10-25T17:40:01-07:00..2022-10-25T18:49:49-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1666748350795&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Makani&tab=fleet&view=follow&lat=36.953771&lon=-121.985815&tilt=8&range=783&heading=353

TUESDAY AFTERNOON SAILING:

Next Tuesday (November 1) will be the first Tuesday afternoon sail of the season.  We will start races at 4pm and will use our two fleet start with a horn blown at 3:50.  Since the SCYC marks are pulled for the winter, we may start from other locations like Gov. Monitor channel 69 each Tuesday for starting location. Winter sailing has impediments that will sometimes prevent us from sailing: Rain, shoaled harbor, large waves at the harbor entrance can prevent our ability to sail.  I will be informing the group by email (by 12 noon) if a race will be cancelled.  

Every Tuesday the club will be open at 5pm offering food and drinks just like our summer evening sails.  We will also continue our tradition of barbecues on the last Tuesday of each month. 

On November 1, as a special bonus, Paul Tara will present his piece on seamanship after the race. My understanding is that this presentation describes how things can spiral out of control and should be educational for all of us.   This will be downstairs at the club and start time will be announced at the club depending on when the race ends.

If you can make it, I hope to see you next Tuesday on the water.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

               

OCTOBER 18, 2022 BATTLE OF THE WINDS

 

OCTOBER 18, 2022

BATTLE OF THE WINDS

I had a project to do on my boat so I was at the harbor by 2pm.  I was encouraged to see plenty of wind on the flags through the afternoon, but as the afternoon progressed, the wind was dying.  By 5pm the flags were limp!  As we left the harbor, there was a good Northwesterly blowing way outside and a hint of an Easterly at the start area.  Which wind would prevail?  We even felt a Northerly blowing off the beach at times then hints of a Northwesterly again.  In these changing conditions, it is impossible to set a line square to the wind, but we tried anyway.  I really thought the wind would fill from one of the directions but the wind confusion continued.  In such light conditions, there are no marks close enough to conduct a race, so we motored about 300 yards from the start line and dropped our "flag buoy". We called for a course from the start line to take the flag buoy to starboard and used the harbor entrance as the finish line. We blew the 5:50 horn for a two-fleet start.  Though I counted close to 20 boats out for the fun, it was understandable that many boats were enticed by the stronger wind outside or the better drinks at the bar and only 12 boats actually sailed the short course.

I decided to sail Fleet B this night and witnessed a hectic A Fleet start with the wind changing to a direction that favored the yellow ball end of the line and several boats trying port tack starts.  The first A fleet boat to round the flag buoy was Avatar followed by Tusitala, Sweetheart, Sanctuaire, Pacific Spirit, Double Espresso and Muffin.   While there was a very light breeze for the A Fleet start, B Fleet had even lighter wind with many of us stuck in a hole of no wind.  The first B Fleet boat around the temporary mark was Kicks followed by Sweet Pea, Makani, Nidaros and Simpatico.  Pair a Dice could not finish the race in order to retrieve the marks.

At the finish for A Fleet, Avatar was first across 23:39, followed by Tusitala 25:03, Sweetheart 25:30, Sanctuaire 26:15, Double Expresso 26:21, Pacific Spirit 28:08 and Muffin 28:44.  Fleet B finished with Kicks in the lead 24:55 (GO KICKS!), followed by Makani 24:56, Sweet Pea 26:03, Nidaros 26:57 and Simpatico 29:32.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was about 0.6 NM.

It was a beautiful sunset, but throughout the race, wind was constantly changing direction and strength. It was like we were experiencing a battle of the winds.

PHOTO FROM SEB SUSSMAN ON TOAD

 PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE   BOAT                                                     ADJUSTED SECONDS       HIGH SCORE

FLEET A:

1              AVATAR                                               1339                                       7

2              TUSITALA                                           1449                                       6

3              SANCTUAIRE                                     1506                                       5

4              DOUBLE EXPRESSO                         1521                                       4

5              SWEETHEART                                    1533                                       3

6              PACIFIC SPIRIT                                  1589                                       2             

7              MUFFIN                                               1641                                       1

FLEET B:

1              KICKS                                                  1387                                       5

2              MAKANI                                              1407                                       4

3              SWEET PEA                                         1464                                       3

4              NIDAROS                                             1552                                       2

5              SIMPATICO                                          1673                                        1

             

BOATS SAILING TOWARD FINISH LINE AT HARBOR ENTRANCE    
FROM DIANA LANE ON PACIFIC SPIRIT

                       

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=85644&updatedAt=2022-10-19T01:55:28Z&dt=2022-10-18T17:40:04-07:00..2022-10-18T18:55:19-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1666140112084&focus=Sweet%20Pea&rival=Kicks&tab=match&view=match

NEXT TUESDAY- LAST OF THE SEASON:

Next Tuesday will be the last Tuesday night sail of the season.  It is also a barbecue night and a celebration at the club with many boats and sailors getting recognition for various attributes and characteristics.  If you have participated in this Tuesday Night Sailing series, I encourage you to attend this celebration.

We will transition to Tuesday Afternoon Sailing on November 1 for those that can make it.  We will start the season with a 4PM start and we will begin with a two fleet start, with the horn blown at 3:50 for Fleet A to start at 3:55 and B Fleet at 4pm.

There are differences between Tuesday Night summer sailing and Tuesday Afternoon winter racing.  While Summer sailing has few impediments, Winter is different.  The harbor may be shoaled, it could be pouring rain or have large swells at the harbor entrance.  The SCYC racing marks will ultimately be removed so we may change the start area to be around GOV.  These differences require communication if there will not be a race.  This will be communicated through email, so if you are not on the Tuesday Afternoon email list and you are interested in Tuesday afternoon sailing, please send me your email address. As a bonus, SCYC will be open and food offered starting at 5PM.

NOVEMBER 1 PAUL TARA PRESENTATION:

Put this on your calendar.  After the race, Paul Tara will present his piece on seamanship and the chain of errors that can cause things to spiral out of control.  Start time of this presentation will be determined by the time of our arrival at the club after the race.  We will let you know when it will start.

TUESDAY SAILING BONUS:

I love sailing with different crew.  It can be an incredible learning experience.  While I am on the helm, I focus on the tell tales to make sure I am steering efficiently.  I experienced a new element on this night with new crew.  This crew was scanning the boats to anticipate and announce wind changes as displayed by other boats.  This is an elementary concept, but for me was a revelation with such changing winds.

BARBECUE POTLUCK NEXT TUESDAY AFTER THE RACE, BRING YOUR BEST BARBECUE ITEMS TO GRILL AND SHARE.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice