SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 SPECTACULAR LIGHT WIND EVENING

 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

SPECTACULAR LIGHT WIND EVENING

Predictions were not optimistic for the evening with calls for 7 knot winds decreasing through the evening.  As we left the harbor just after 5, we surveyed the ocean which revealed very light wind ripples sporadically spread across the bay.   We saw the wind was roughly from 240 degrees and set our red ball mark about halfway to mile buoy and our "flag mark" as the other end of the start line.  We called for a course of once around the temporary mark and finish at the start buoy.  We had over 20 boats out with 16 boats uploading tracks in Fleet A and 6 boats in Fleet B.  We blew the 10 minute horn at 5:50. This horn is the 5 minute horn for Fleet A and the 10 minute horn for Fleet B.

All boats in Fleet A tacked their way toward the mark we had set, with the boats starting at the right end of the line doing better than the left end of the line even though there was a large crowd of boats at the right end.  As we saw a little more wind right after the start, I called for a twice around course for A fleet.  As the wind was predicted to decrease, I kept B Fleet on a once around course.  The first A fleet boat around the mark was Pinata followed by Aboriginal, Yellow Belly, Sweetheart, Avatar, Frisky, Tusitala, Jersey Girl, Good Timin', Double Espresso, Geronimo, Sagittarius, Aquavit, Big Mac, Pair a Dice and Perfect 36. 

Fleet B was led by Toad around the mark followed by Makani, Gold Rush, Sea Quake, Pacific Spirit and Kicks.

The wind kept up enough for the Fleet A boats to finish with Aboriginal being first 34:53 followed by Pinata 37:16, Yellow Belly 41:04, Sweetheart 43:20, Tusitala 43:49, Double Espresso 43:50, Jersey Girl 45:27, Good Timin' 45:38, Avatar 47:55, Frisky 48:30, Sagittarius 48:41, Geronimo 49:40, Aquavit 49:42, Perfect 36 52:36, Big Mac 54:57 and Pair A Dice 57:00.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was 2.35 NM.

Fleet B finished with Toad in the lead 22:15 followed by Gold Rush 23:55, Makani 24:17, Sea Quake 32:11, Kicks 33:07 and Pacific Spirit 33:31.  All times are elapsed and the once around course was 1.18NM.

Though the wind was barely enough to have a race, the display of clouds in the sky provided a spectacular light wind evening.

 

 PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                                     ADJUSTED SECONDS                       HIGH SCORE

FLEET A:

1              PINATA                                                2010                                                       16

2              ABORIGINAL                                     2015                                                       15

3              YELLOW BELLY                                2132                                                       14

4              JERSEY GIRL                                      2395                                                       13

5              DOUBLE ESPRESSO                          2397                                                       12

6              GOOD TIMIN'                                      2406                                                       11

7              TUSITALA                                            2417                                                       10

8              AVATAR                                                2564                                                       9

9              SWEETHEART                                    2614                                                       8

10           SAGITTARIUS                                     2639                                                       7

11           FRISKY                                                 2719                                                       6

12           GERONIMO                                          2775\                                                     5             

12           BIG MAC                                               2775/    TIE                                          5

14           AQUAVIT                                             2812                                                       3

15           PERFECT 36                                         2817                                                       2

16           PAIR A DICE                                         2997                                                       1

FLEET B RESULTS

1              TOAD                                                    1228                                                       6

2              MAKANI                                              1283                                                       5

3              GOLD RUSH                                        1286                                                       4

4              SEA QUAKE                                         1719                                                       3

5              KICKS                                                   1774                                                       2

6              PACIFIC SPIRIT                                   1816                                                       1

 

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2022-09-21T03:20:54Z&dt=2022-09-20T17:40:06-07:00..2022-09-20T20:20:52-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1663728230865&focus=P36&rival=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.970421&lon=-122.010600&tilt=70&range=3665&heading=273

LESSONS LEARNED:

I love Tuesday nights and the opportunity to learn.  On this evening, seeing how the boats at the right end of the line did better showed me the importance of being windward of the fleet.  Another lesson was that finding and using pockets of wind was the critical factor for this evening, without sailing too far off course.

After some introspection I learned a lot this evening about tacking in light wind.  I am always guilty of executing quick tacks.  My preferred strategy is to tack quickly to the point where the clew clears the shrouds and can be pulled in quickly for the new point of sail.  This strategy can work in healthier wind but does not work well in very light wind.  Turning the wheel (or tiller) too quickly slows the boat down and with the increased momentum of the turning boat, it is easy to end up way off the wind.  Another consideration is that in light wind, you do not want the jib sheeted in too quickly when tacking.  The large, rounded jib (not sheeted in tightly) helps the boat speed up. As the boat increases speed coming out of the tack the jib can be sheeted in as the boat sails closer to the wind.   It is important to remember the axiom: FIRST build speed, then POINT.  You cannot effectively point without speed.

NEXT TUESDAY IS THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AND WILL BE BARBECUE NIGHT AT THE CLUB. BRING YOUR BEST FOOD TO GRILL AND SHARE.

See you next Tuesday.

 

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice