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