JULY 26, 2022 SENTINEL RECOGNIZES SPLIT FLEET

 

JULY 26, 2022

SENTINEL RECOGNIZES SPLIT FLEET

On my arrival at the harbor, I was encouraged to see a healthy Northwest breeze showing on the flags.  We might be able to have a race!  We prepped the boat and exited the harbor and saw 10 to 15 knots of wind filling the bay.  We determined the wind direction was from about 230 degrees and set a line square to this direction.  The Yellow start mark was partially submerged whenever waves went under it.  We saw that we were in a rising tide and knew that this mark would soon be submerged and present another hazard.  With about 20 boats out for the fun, we split the fleet into two starts: Fleet A and Fleet B.  We called for course Whiskey 3 and blew one horn at 5:50 . This horn was a 5 minute horn for Fleet A and a 10 minute horn for Fleet B.  It was interesting with most light displacement boats choosing Fleet A, and two Catalinas choosing the challenge of competing in this class. The "rolling start" seemed to work well.

All boats tacked their way to the first mark: Schuyler.  The first around was Aboriginal, followed by Frisky, Geronimo, New Wave, Tusitala and Aquavit together, Good Timin', Pair A Dice and Simpatico.  As Fleet A sailed toward the next mark, Fleet B approached Schuyler with Makani first around followed by Nidaros, Toad, Pacific Spirit and Kicks.

The wind always feels like it is dying when sailing down wind, but adding the apparent wind to the boat speed showed we still had 10 knots or more of wind.  The first Fleet A boat to round Blacks was Aboriginal then Geronimo, Frisky, Tusitala, New Wave, Aquavit, Good Timin', Pair A Dice and Simpatico.  As Fleet B approached Blacks, the first around was Nidaros, then Makani, Toad, Pacific Spirit and Kicks.

Since the yellow start mark was submerged, the race finished at the red ball end of the line.  For fleet A, the first across was Aboriginal 41:02, then Geronimo 47:56, Frisky 48:59, New Wave 50:21, Tusitala 50:17, Aquavit 50:47, Good Timin' 52:13, Sailing Pair A Dice 55:44 and Simpatico 58:18.  For fleet B, the first around was Makani 56:35 followed by Toad 57:02, Nidaros 57:11, Pacific Spirit 1:02:26, Kicks 1:04:15 and Winn II 1:05:07.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 3.42 NM.

Splitting the fleet to Fleet A and B was well received by the crowd.  I did not get any negative comments about the experience. With the boats spread across the bay, it must have been quite a sight with the Santa Cruz Sentinel photographer (Schmul Thaler) posting a front page photo of the scene.  Tuesday Night Sailing makes front page news!

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

STANDING          BOAT                                                     ADJUSTED SECONDS                       HIGH SCORE                       FLEET A:

1              ABORIGINAL                                                     2349                                                       9

2              GERONIMO                                                        2578                                                       8

3              GOOD TIMIN                                                     2650                                                       7

4              FRISKY                                                               2661                                                       6

5              NEW WAVE                                                        2682                                                       5

6              TUSITALA                                                          2709                                                       4

7              PAIR A DICE                                                       2728                                                       3

8              AQUAVIT                                                            2800                                                       2                                                            

9              SIMPATICO                                                         2933                                                       1

FLEET B:

1              MAKANI                                                              2892                                                       6

2              TOAD                                                                   2909                                                       5                 

3              NIDAROS                                                            3061                                                       4

4              WINN II                                                               3178                                                       3

5              PACIFIC SPIRIT                                                  3191                                                       2

6              KICKS                                                                  3239                                                       1

 

PHOTO ON FRONT PAGE OF SC SENTINEL (7/27) BY SHMUEL THALER

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2022-07-27T02:41:16Z&dt=2022-07-26T17:40:02-07:00..2022-07-26T19:34:46-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1658887455669&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Tusitala&tab=match&view=manual&lat=36.953081&lon=-121.995897&tilt=0&range=286&heading=194

STRATEGY AND TACTICS:

While it was interesting competing in the A fleet with a cruising boat, it presented an opportunity to learn.  The lesson was about using good strategy and good tactics.  Strategy involves choosing the right course with conditions on the water.  Tactics involve how you deal with other boats.  On Pair A Dice, for this evening we did not employ a proper strategy or correct tactics.  In Santa Cruz sailing the strategy with Northwest wind, almost always, is to tack over to port very soon after crossing the start line.  Doing this, you get flatter water taking the waves on the beam rather than on the bow. Waves on the bow inhibit smaller boats more than larger boats.  Additionally, you experience a lift as you approach the point.  Tactics always dictate that you sail in clear air and not closely follow a large boat disturbing the wind in your sails. Strategically, we should have tacked over to port right after crossing the line rather than following bigger boats further out.  This would have also been the correct tactical move presenting clearer, undisturbed wind. 

TUESDAY NIGHT SEMINARS:

We are going to start having seminars on the FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.  Next Tuesday (August 2) we will have a seminar centered on understanding and using Race QS. The timing of the seminar will depend on the finish time of the race, allowing people to get their meal and drinks then meet downstairs for the seminar.  Since we are dealing with Race QS, it would be wise to bring the phone that you record your track on.  

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS:

It is time to implement everything you have learned about racing!  Big Brother Big Sisters regatta is this Sunday July 31.  I have always had fun participating in this regatta.  Crowded start lines are not a problem in this regatta since it is a reverse PHRF start, you seldom have boats starting at your same time.  It is a short race with a great party (Food, Drinks and Music) below the yacht club where the boats are usually on trailers.  You can register at SCYC.org > Regattas> Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

JULY 19, 2022 A SWELL WIND

 

JULY 19, 2022

A SWELL WIND

Like a dark cloud hanging over us, the harbor had issued a warning about a huge South swell predicted to hit its climax here on Tuesday afternoon.  This creates two issues for sailors, transiting the harbor entrance safely and dealing with intense currents in the harbor creating hazards while docking.  I watched the harbor cam Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning and did not see anything too intense with five wave sets of about 5 foot waves hitting about every 15 minutes.  I went to the harbor at about 3:30 and was surprised to see plumes of water splashing on the lighthouse jetty.  I looked from the end of the dock and was surprised to see a large set breaking into the harbor.  I walked down to the entrance to get a closer look and watched for 20 minutes and saw no other sets come through.  With a light Easterly showing on the Crow's Nest flag, it seemed crazy to risk the waves for another night of bobbing in light wind. I returned to the boat and prepped for sailing. 

As we exited the harbor just after 5 o'clock, there was a healthy Easterly wind filling in that seemed to be increasing.  Yet another problem to resolve was the fact that the start mark was not visible because it was submerged. We set one of our marks for the start mark and the red ball for the other end of the line.  With the wind increasing and 14 boats out for the fun, I called for course Echo 2.  This course frequently presents problems as the Easterly wind can die.  We blew a 5 minute horn for a single start at 6pm.

On PAD, the plan for the start was to achieve clear air and not get shadowed by other boats.  We accomplished this close to the beach end of the line.  All boats tacked their way to the first mark, as the wind seemed to be increasing.  At one moment I noticed apparent wind of 20 knots!  The first around was Aboriginal followed by Geronimo, Tusitala, Sagittarius, Avatar, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit, Good Timin',  Simpatico, Kicks, Muffin and Nidaros.

After rounding, we had the run to Blacks, but had to steer clear of the heavy kelp bed extending south from the point.  It was also an unusual experience trying to find Blacks approaching from that angle.  First around Blacks was Aboriginal then Geronimo, Tusitala, Sagittarius, Avatar, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit, Good Timin', Kicks, Simpatico, Muffin and Nidaros.

With the yellow start mark submerged just outside our temporary mark, it was  announced to use the red finish line ball as the finish mark to avoid the "submerged start mark danger".  Many boats used the start line as the finish line which is normal for racing, so this was the finish line I used rather than the extension line from the lighthouse. At the finish, Aboriginal was first 32:12, followed by Geronimo 35:41, Tusitala 38:59, Sagittarius 40:23, Avatar 40:46, Sailing Pair A Dice 41:16, Perfect 36 41:59, Pacific Spirit 44:08, Good Timin' 45:08, Kicks 45:49, Simpatico 46:01, Muffin 46:29 and Nidaros 47:54.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 3.12 NM.

With the hazard of the large swell, I was asked how many boats I expected to come out and my estimate was eight or nine.  We exceeded that number with 14 boats.  It was a beautiful sunny day on the bay with a swell wind.

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                                     ADJUSTED SECONDS                       HIGH SCORE

1              ABORIGINAL                                     1829                                                       13

2              GERONIMO                                        1869                                                       12

3              SAILING PAIR A DICE                      1914                                                       11

4              AVATAR                                               2034                                                       10                          

5              SAGITTARIUS                                    2048                                                       9

6              TUSITALA                                           2058                                                       8

7              PERFECT 36                                        2069                                                       7

8              PACIFIC SPIRIT                                  2142                                                       6

9              KICKS                                                  2187                                                       5

10           SIMPATICO                                          2246                                                       4

11           GOOD TIMIN'                                      2268                                                       3

12           MUFFIN                                                2358                                                       2

13           NIDAROS                                             2537                                                       1

 

RACE QS:

All boats recorded their tracks.  The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=82156&updatedAt=2022-07-20T02:28:33Z&dt=2022-07-19T17:40:01-07:00..2022-07-19T19:22:39-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1658277640225&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Nidaros%20II&tab=fleet&view=match

BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS REGATTA:

This regatta is a yearly event put on by the yacht club that is very fun and will occur on July 31 this year.  This is an event worth participating in.  On top of benefiting the children, this is a great regatta with a party (music and food) after the regatta.  Check out the SCYC.org website under "regattas" to register.

EPIC SWELL:

My transformation from being a surfer to being a sailor is interesting.  As a surfer, I always wanted waves. As a sailor, I must deal with waves leaving and entering the harbor.  While the swell was definitely something to be considered on this evening, we only received a minimal amount of the energy in Santa Cruz.  In Hawaii, they were closer to the source of the swell.  Check out this You Tube video to see the energy they experienced on Maui:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZiAe8KINB0

 

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

See you next Tuesday!

 

Barr Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

JULY 12, 2022 ENOUGH CHILLY WIND

 

JULY 12, 2022

ENOUGH CHILLY WIND

When I arrived at the harbor at 4:30, the flags were showing a good northwest wind with a heavy cloud bank just offshore.  I was thinking it was going to be a carbon copy of last Tuesday's conditions.  As we left the harbor, conditions had subsided a little, but still showed enough wind for a race.  The question is always: will the wind last for a good race?  We set the start line and called for an ambitious course for the conditions: Whiskey 3.  We blew a 5-minute horn for a 6 pm start for a single fleet race.

On PAD, we detected that the outer end of the line was slightly favored and set up to start closer to that end with the object of achieving clear air.  While we started on starboard tack with Tusitala on our starboard stern, there were a couple of boats that did port tack starts and pulled it off without needing to duck too many boats. Everyone tacked their way to Schuyler, in the 10 knots of apparent wind.  The first boat around was Aboriginal, but their Race QS track stopped short of the mark.  The next boat to round was Pinata followed by New Wave, Pacific High, Avatar, Aquavit, Yellow Belly, Nidaros, Tusitala, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36, Toad, Simpatico, Sea Quake, Kicks, Pacific Spirit and Sweet Pea.

After rounding Schuyler, the wind seemed to decrease which is normal when you round a windward mark and start running with the wind.  It was a long, slow slog toward Blacks, but we had enough wind to at least achieve 3 knots of boat speed.  Pinata was the first around Blacks followed by New Wave, Yellow Belly, Pacific High, Avatar, Aquavit, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36, Simpatico, Tusitala, Toad, Nidaros, Kicks, Pacific Spirit, Sea Quake and Sweet Pea.

At the finish, Pinata was first 51:31, followed by New Wave 55:32, Yellow Belly 57:20, Pacific High 57:49, Avatar 59:55, Aquavit 1:00:47, Perfect 36 1:03:53, Pair A Dice 1:04:44, Wind II 1:05:49, Tusitala 1:06:23, Toad 1:06:32,  Nidaros 1:06:57, Simpatico 1:07:28, Kicks 1:11:19, Pacific Spirit 1:12:55, Sea Quake 1:14:17 and Sweet Pea 1:15:02.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 3.42 NM.

Though it was overcast and cloudy, there was at least enough chilly wind to have a good race!

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                     ADJUSTED SECONDS                     HIGH SCORE

1              PINATA                                2762                                                       17

2              YELLOW BELLY               2957                                                       16

3              NEW WAVE                        2993                                                       15

4              AVATAR                              3143                                                       14

5              PACIFIC HIGH                   3150                                                       13

6              WIND II                               3220                                                       12

7              SAILING PAIR A DICE      3268                                                       11

8              PERFECT 36                       3340                                                       10

9              AQUAVIT                            3400                                                       9

10           TOAD                                   3479                                                       8

11           SIMPATICO                         3483                                                       7

12           NIDAROS                            3647                                                       6

13           KICKS                                  3663                                                       5             

14           TUSITALA                           3675                                                       4             

15           PACIFIC SPIRIT                  3820                                                       3

16           SEA QUAKE                        3844                                                       2

17           SWEET PEA                         3937                                                       1

 

RACE QS:

It is necessary to run this app to be counted in this series.  Some boats record the track on two phones  so if the track stops on one phone, you can upload from the other phone.  I plug my phone in so it is charging while running the track.   We had several boats that had no track for this evening's race.

The track for this evening can be seen at:

                https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=81875&updatedAt=2022-07-13T02:35:27Z&dt=2022-07-12T17:45:01-07:00..2022-07-12T19:33:35-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1657677992428&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Nueva%20Ola&tab=fleet&view=follow&lat=36.951106&lon=-121.994162&tilt=5&range=281&heading=214

CHANGES COMING:

Several members of our fleet have requested a desire to split the fleet.  A ballot was sent to all boat owners registered in the series to determine the predominant feeling.  We had 21 boat owners reply and the vote was 13 choosing to keep our format as a single fleet and 8 voting to split the fleet.  The fact that only 21 out of 37 registrants voted indicates to me that many owners will be happy either way.

I always say that Tuesday Night Sailing is a work in progress.  We have made numerous changes over the years to improve, and the growth of our fleet shows that our efforts have been successful.

 There is a concern by some about possible danger with a crowded starting line.    These dangers only occur when boats do not follow good boating practices: 1) establishing a good lookout to be aware of other boats. 2) following the racing rules of sailing and 3) practice good boat handling skills. Next Tuesday, we will try a new strategy.  We will have two starts with two fleets of sailors: A fleet and B fleet. The A fleet is for those that enjoy the excitement and challenge of a crowded start line and want to open the competition to everyone. This allows all boats to compete with everyone else like we have done in the past.  The B group is for the sailors that do not want to deal with a crowded start line and are still learning and implementing the practices noted above.

The following procedures will be followed:

1)There will be no assignment for boats to either fleet, it will be the skipper's decision as to which fleet to compete in for each night.  Opening the B fleet creates a great opportunity for people interested in learning how to compete and race without dealing with an aggressive, crowded start line. 

2) There will be a single horn at 5:50. This single horn blast will be a 5-minute horn for fleet A (start at 5:55) and a 10-minute horn for the fleet B start (6pm start).  Each fleet will follow the same course (announced on channel 69) but will be separate races.  Fleet A is one race and fleet B is another race. It is critical for the fleet B boats to keep clear of the start line for the five minute countdown for the Group A boats start.   With varying conditions, it is impossible to compare elapsed times between fleets with a five-minute difference in starts. 

SEMINAR PROPOSAL:

We have established that the last Tuesday of every month is the barbecue night at the club.  These have become very popular social events.  We have enjoyed Tuesday night seminars before.  While barbecues at the club are great social events, seminars on this night are like a distraction.  We could offer seminars on the first Tuesday of every month.  We could have talks about using Race QS, starting strategies and other sailing topics.  Please let me know if this would interest you and fit into your schedule.

 

See you next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

JULY 5, 2022 FIRECRACKER TUESDAY

 

JULY 5, 2022

FIRECRACKER TUESDAY

With Predict wind calling for 11 knots decreasing to 7 knots through the evening, I was anticipating another no-wind Tuesday on the water.  I was surprised to see a fairly strong Northwesterly blowing when I got to the harbor. I have seen this before as the wind dies at 6pm.  We prepped the boat and left the harbor right after five pm, the conditions on the water looked like 15 knots even as we saw 18 knots apparent even inside the harbor.

We arrived at the start mark area and determined the wind direction to be from 240 and set a mark square to this wind. We called for course Whiskey 2: Start, Schuyler, Mile, Blacks and finish at the yellow start mark.  We attempted to blow a 5 minute horn and actually blew it but my radio died just in time for the horn not be heard over the radio. I apologize for this snafu, my radio battery suddenly died.   We had a clean start with one boat port-tacking the whole fleet.

All boats tacked their way toward Shuyler with the first around being Sweetheart followed by Aboriginal then Friskey, Yellow Belly, New Wave, Perfect 36, Geronimo, Makani, Avatar, Watts Moore, Pacific Spirit, Tusitala, Pair A Dice, Big Mac, Toad, Kicks Nidaros and Sweet Pea.

On the reach to Mile, there were some changes. Sweetheart was first around, followed by Aboriginal, Friskey, Perfect 36, Yellow Belly and New Wave together, then Geronimo, Makani, Avatar, Watts Moore, Pacific Spirit, Tusitala, Pair A Dice, Big Mac, Toad, Nidaros, Kicks and Sweet Pea.

  On the long down-wind leg to Blacks, Geronimo pulled ahead of New Wave and Yellow Belly, while Avatar pulled ahead of Makani and Toad pulled ahead of Big Mac.  There was some exciting close racing occurring.

At the finish Aboriginal was first 40:34 followed by Sweetheart 40:40 then Friskey 45:34, Perfect 36 48:52, Geronimo 49:01, New Wave 49:19, Yellow Belly 49:57, Avatar 50:24, Makani 51:20, Watts Moore 51:30, Pacific Spirit 52:19, Tusitala 53:14, Pair A Dice  54:17, Toad 55:11, Big Mac 56:36, Nidaros 58:02, Kicks 1:01:11 and Sweet Pea 1:02:00 and WINN II 1:03:06.  Times are elapsed and the course distance was 3.92 NM.

It was a beautiful evening for a sail with enough wind for everyone to finish the rather ambitious course. After a fantastic Fourth of July celebration, it was only appropriate to have a Firecracker Tuesday sail.

PHRF CORRECTED RESULTS:

PLACE   BOAT                                     PHRF     SA/D                                      ADJUSTED SECONDS

1              ABORIGINAL                      33           25.43                                     2304

2              PERFECT 36                        144         15.44                                     2367

3              FRISKEY                              81           23.65                                     2416

4              YELLOW BELLY                 141         23.21                                     2444

5              SWEETHEART                     -6            26.33                                     2463

6              WATTS MOORE                   150         24.58                                     2502

7              MAKANI                               147         16.07                                     2503.76

8              PACIFIC SPIRIT                   162         16.58                                     2503.96

9              AVATAR                                132         20.45                                     2506

10           BIG MAC                               222         18.78                                     2525

11           PAIR A DICE                         180         15.22                                     2551

12           NEW WAVE                          99           ?                                             2570

13           GERONIMO                         87           22.15                                      2599

14           TOAD                                   150         17.65                                      2723

15           TUSITALA                            90           18.05                                     2841

16           WINN II                                213         ?                                             2951

17           KICKS                                  180         15.22                                      2965

18           NIDAROS                             117         16.53                                     3058

19           SWEET PEA                         165         16.58                                     3073      

SPLITTING!  HOW?          

Above are results for this Tuesday along with the PHRF rating and the SA/D for each boat.  SA/D stands for Sail Area/Displacement which has been proposed as a way to split the fleet. Cruising boats usually have SA/Ds under 20 and the lighter race boats have SA/ds over 20.

Looking at PHRF, seven of the top ten boats had a PHRF over 100.  Considering SA/D six of the top ten boats had a SA/D over 20.  This analysis indicates to me that many of our cruising boats are competing effectively with the race boats.

On the other hand, the point can be made that some of the race boats are intentionally not sailing to their potential.  Some of the people with race boats may feel  like they are bringing a gun to a knife fight when racing against cruisers.  Splitting the fleet would allow these boats to compete with other race boats.  

Any method used to split the fleet will only remove 6-7 of the 20 boats on the start line.

The ballots are coming in for a close decision.  If you have not sent your ballot in and you have a preference, send your ballot privately to sailingpairadice@gmail.com.

 

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=81642&updatedAt=2022-07-06T02:26:41Z&dt=2022-07-05T17:45:01-07:00..2022-07-05T19:26:07-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1657072920936&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Tusitala&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.951308&lon=-121.994985&tilt=2&range=605&heading=191FIRECRACKER TUESDAY

 

ROUNDING SCHUYLER:

I learned a few things about this challenging situation this evening. We sailed very close to the kelp bed barely clearing the wharf before tacking out for Schuyler (first mistake). From a distance, it often looks like you will clear Schuyler, but as you approach Schuyler you get headed as the wind starts its bend around the point.  You sail most of the way toward Schuyler thinking "we got this made".  As this scenario plays out, you are approaching Schuyler into a header.  You are pinching to make the mark, and can be blanketed by another boat.

The lessons I learned about this challenge:

1) "Do not sail to the corner".  The further you are from Schuyler, the harder it is to judge the lay line. Sailing clear to the corner also has you sailing into lighter wind.

2) Approaching from further out, gets you closer to  Schuyler and allows you to sail further before tacking for the mark.  When assessing this lay line, count on the header at the mark and be conservative in your estimate of the lay line.

3) Watch for boats that will be rounding outside of you.  Dealing with the header and dirty wind at this mark is a recipe for disaster.

See you next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice