JUNE 21, 2022 GREAT WIND WITH A TRANSITION

 

JUNE 21, 2022

GREAT WIND WITH A TRANSITION

As I arrived at the harbor around 4:30, The flags showed a healthy Northwesterly blowing and the conditions on the water appeared to be about a 15-knot breeze.  We got the boat ready while no change in conditions seemed to be occurring.  As we left the harbor around 5:15, the northwesterly was in force with apparent winds up to 20 knots.  We determined the direction of the wind was 235 degrees and set a long line square to this direction.  We had 20 boats out for the fun with a healthy 15 knot Northwesterly blowing. We called for course Whiskey 2: Start, Schuyler, Mile, Blacks, Finish.  We blew a five-minute horn for the start.

Right after blowing the 5-minute horn, we tried to unfurl our jib. Due to mechanical problems, we were not able to unfurl and had to sit this race out.  As we watched  the boats tack their way to Schuyler, we retrieved the start line ball and headed for the harbor.  At this point we could see a healthy Easterly developing toward the beach.

The first boat to round Schuyler was Sweetheart followed by Aboriginal then Pinata, Aquavit, Geronimo, Sagittarius, New Wave, Tusitala, Sanctuaire, Simpatico, Pacific Spirit, Big Mac, Good Timin', Avatar, Nidaros and Sweet Pea.  The order of rounding did not change around Mile, but on the way to Blacks, all boats had to deal with the transition to an Easterly breeze.

At Blacks, the first around was Aboriginal followed by Sweetheart, Pinata, Aquavit, Geronimo, Tusitala, Sagittarius, New Wave, Sanctuaire, Simpatico, Pacific Spirt, Good Timin', Avatar, Big Mac, Nidaros and Sweet Pea.

At the finish, it was Sweetheart 47:44, Pinata 48:11, Aboriginal 48:26, Aquavit 49:55, Geronimo 50:13, Tusitala 51:43, Sagittarius 52:15, New Wave 52:25, Sanctuaire 53:45, Simpatico 56:01, Pacific Spirit 56:14, Good Timin' 1:01:14,  Avatar 1:03:57, Big Mac 1:04:20, Nidaros 1:05:40 and Sweet Pea 1:13:57. All times are elapsed and the course distance is 3.92NM.

It was a beautiful evening to be sailing and to escape the intense heat on shore.  We had a great Northwesterly breeze that changed with a transition to a strong Easterly.

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                                     ADJUSTED SECONDS                       HIGH SCORE

1                              PINATA                                2514                                                       16

2                              SAGITTARIUS                    2664                                                       15

3                              GERONIMO                        2671                                                       14

4                              AQUAVIT                             2712                                                       13

5                              SIMPATICO                          2714                                                       12

6                              PACIFIC SPIRIT                   2738                                                       11

7                              TUSITALA                            2750                                                       10

8                              NEW WAVE                          2756                                                       9

9                              ABORIGINAL                      2776                                                        8  

10                            SANCTUAIRE                     2778                                                        7

11                           SWEETHEART                     2887                                                        6

12                           BIG MAC                              2989                                                        5

13                           GOOD TIMIN'                      3121                                                        4

14                           AVATAR                                3319                                                       3

15                           NIDAROS                             3481                                                       2

16                           SWEET PEA                         3790                                                       1

 

RACE QS:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2022-06-22T02:29:24Z&dt=2022-06-21T17:45:01-07:00..2022-06-21T19:28:45-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1655864037861&focus=Aboriginal&rival=Sweetheart&tab=match&view=manual&lat=36.949427&lon=-121.991870&tilt=13&range=448&heading=226

DEALING WITH TRANSITION ZONE:

Transition zones in Santa Cruz are a common occurrence as the outside Northwesterly is replaced by the inside Easterly.  Usually, you can find an area where the two winds are closer together with a narrow area of glassy water between the two winds.  If you can find this area and set your boat up so waves will propel you through the glassy area, it will minimize the time taken to cross the transition.

DARN JIB FURLINGS SNAFUS:

 At the slip we discovered that our Jib halyard had wrapped around the forestay 3 times before attaching to the upper furling system swivel.  This was like a knot tied around the forestay.  The only way to resolve the issue was by observing with binoculars at the dock while unwinding the knot.  Even after clearing this knot, something did not appear right.  The furling system did not spin as freely as it should.  We discovered that the furling line had dropped below the lower drum and was tangled underneath the drum.  Lesson learned: always keep tension on the furling line when the jib is unfurled.

DECISION FOR THE FLEET:

As our fleet has grown, I have been approached by multiple sailors about how to deal with the larger fleet.  Some people have suggested splitting the fleet for reasons of safety and a more level playing field.  Having 40- and 50-foot boats on the same starting line with 20-foot boats could lead to issues. In an attempt to make the starting line safer, we set a long start line.  We have attempted several times to split the fleet with mixed results.

Arguments for not splitting the fleet are just as strong.  How do you split the fleet, PHRF or boat length? We have a diverse group of boats and a vast array of conditions that we sail in.  Frequently, the higher PHRF (slower boats) finish ahead  of the lower PHRF (faster boats) on corrected time.  I believe that this competition with all boats is one of the things that make our fleet appealing and continuing to grow.   We will have an open debate at the barbecue with discussion on how to move forward with this issue.

NEXT TUESDAY IS BARBECUE NIGHT AT THE CLUB AFTER THE RACE.  BRING YOUR BEST GRILLING FOOD!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice